The Associate in Arts in Hawaiian Studies (AAHS) is a 60–62-credit program for students seeking to earn an Associate in Arts (AA) degree and transfer to a Hawaiian Studies or other baccalaureate degree path in the UH System. The program provides curricula that focus on Hawaiian culture and knowledge.
This Associate in Arts (AA) degree includes all of the broader general education requirements for a liberal arts degree. Articulation agreements among the UH colleges and universities allow for students who have completed their AA degree at one of the community colleges to meet all the general education core courses at the four-year institutions at UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West O'ahu.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the AA degree in Hawaiian Studies, you will be able to:
- Describe aboriginal Hawaiian linguistic, cultural, historical and political concepts.
- Apply aboriginal Hawaiian concepts, knowledge and methods to the areas of science, humanities, arts and social sciences – in academics and in other professional endeavors.
- Engage, articulate and analyze topics relevant to the aboriginal Hawaiian community using college-level research and writing methods.
Core Requirements
The AAHS shares a common set of required core courses in
Hawaiian Studies and language totaling 14 credits. The required courses satisfy the prerequisite requirements for
the Bachelor of Arts in Hawaiian Studies at UH Mānoa. The courses are:
- HWST 107 Hawaiʻi, Center of the Pacific (3 credits)
- HWST 270 Hawaiian Mythology (3 credits) (HWST 104 at Hawaiʻi CC)
- HAW 101 Elementary Hawaiian Language 1 (4 credits)
- HAW 102 Elementary Hawaiian Language 2 (4 credits)
The small number of core requirements allow each campus to develop additional courses that focuses on the individual campus' specialty or niche (e.g. Hawaiian Navigation at Honolulu CC, Hula at Hawai'i CC, etc.)
You will also be required to fulfill all of the General Education (GE) core areas required for the Associate in Arts (AA) in Liberal Arts degree at your campus. These requirements have been previously articulated between the UH Community Colleges and UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West O'ahu. Visit your campus' website or an academic counselor for more details on your campus' GE core requirements.
Career Pathways
In addition to providing students with a transfer option to baccalaureate programs, the AAHS also creates a pathway for students intending to work in the following types of fields or occupations:
- Aboriginal Hawaiian-serving Government Agencies (e.g. Department of Hawaiian Homelands, Office of Hawaiian Affairs)
- Aboriginal Hawaiian-serving Organizations (e.g. Kamehameha Schools)
- Hawaiian Immersion Education (e.g. as teacher’s aides, administrative support, tutors, translators, etc.)
- Healthcare in aboriginal Hawaiian communities (e.g. rural Comprehensive Health Centers, Papa Ola Lōkahi, etc.)
- Hospitality and Tourism Industries
- Hawaiian Music Industry (e.g. as musicians, producers, etc.)
- Museums (e.g. as archivists, curators, consultants, etc.)
- Recreation and Sports Industries (e.g. as camp director, activities coordinator, coaches, etc.)
- Entertainment Industry (e.g. as theater directors, television producers, consultants, actors, radio broadcasters, TV hosts, etc)
- Creative Arts Industry (e.g., as artists, designers, writers, journalists, etc.)
- Agriculture and Fishery Industries
