Founded in 1907, the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) is a research university and the flagship of the University of Hawaii System. It is the state's sole public university system with campuses on each of the main islands. UHM offers instruction in more languages than any US institution of higher learning. The campus forms part of the urban neighborhood community of Honolulu and it has the verdant Manoa valley as a beautiful backdrop.

The University is renowned for its Asian, Pacific, and Hawaiian studies as well as its programs in tropical agriculture, tropical medicine, oceanography, astronomy, electrical engineering, volcanology, evolutionary biology, comparative philosophy, urban planning and international trade. More than 20,400 students are enrolled at UHM. Popular programs include environmental law, eastern philosophy, international business and second language studies.

UH Mānoa is one of only 13 institutions to hold the distinction of being a land-, sea-, and space-grant research institution. Classified by the Carnegie Foundation as having "very high research activity," UH Mānoa is known for its pioneering research in such fields as oceanography, astronomy, Pacific Islands and Asian area studies, linguistics, cancer research, and genetics. The National Science Foundation ranks UH Mānoa in the top 30 public universities in federal research funding for engineering and science and 49th overall. In 2007, the campus received over $209 million in research awards.

Language of instruction: English

Course restrictions:
Not all courses are available to visiting students.  You may not register for graduate level courses in Second Language Studies (SLS 500 and higher), for Travel Industry Management  (TIM) internships or for courses offered by the School of Law, School of Medicine, or School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene.  Spaces are limited in courses offered by the Shidler College of Business. Undergraduate students generally register only for courses numbered lower than 500 and graduate students register for courses numbered higher than 500 (with additional restrictions often applying to graduate students).

Course description:
Course catalog: http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/

Academic calendar:

• Fall Semester: Mid Aug to Mid Dec
• Spring Semester: Early Jan to Mid May

For more details, visit http://www.catalog.hawaii.edu/about-uh/calendar.htm

Application deadlines:
Please obtain information on deadlines and application procedures from your faculty's Student Exchange Programme (SEP) Administrator/Coordinator.

On-campus:
Living on campus generally costs much less than off-campus alternatives. Two-thirds of on-campus accommodations are made up of Residential Halls (mostly double shared rooms). Meal plans are mandatory for residential halls and there is a wide selection of meal plans available. There are also one and two-bedroom apartments available on campus (mostly shared double rooms) with kitchen facilities. The cost of living in an apartment is, on average, the same as the residential halls.

For more information, visit: http://www.housing.hawaii.edu/

Off-campus:
A comprehensive guide to living off-campus and listings of available residents is available at http://www.housing.hawaii.edu/och/.

Useful links:

• University website: http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/
• International Student Services: http://www.hawaii.edu/issmanoa/

Health insurance:
UH policy requires F-1 and J-1 students to have adequate health insurance for each term you are enrolled. Information on student health insurance sponsored by the University is available at www.hawaii.edu/issmanoa (click on health insurance). Students wishing to purchase another health insurance must receive a waiver of the insurance premium. The waiver form is available at www.hawaii.edu/issmanoa (click on health insurance). You may purchase UH-sponsored health insurance on-line with your MasterCard or Visa credit card. 

Currently, student health insurance costs approximately $1867.92 per year (August 15 to August 14) for a single student. Family coverage is expensive. (Dental, vision plans are available at additional costs.) Insurance coverage, which is equivalent to or better than UHM sponsored insurance, is acceptable. But you need approval in advance by receiving a waiver of the health insurance charge. Be aware that if you have foreign insurance and are unable to obtain the details of your plan in English and with US dollar coverage information, your plan cannot be approved. Complete the Alternative Health Insurance Waiver form at: http://www.hawaii.edu/issmanoa and submit to ISS for approval.

Estimated cost of living: