UH West Oʻahu Expands Programs For All Islands

Rebecca Romine, UH West O‘ahu assistant professor, health professions. PC: UH.

The University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu is unveiling new academic offerings, including degrees in Creative Media and Natural Sciences, to address the state’s workforce needs starting in fall 2019.

With the new degree programs, the Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media and the Bachelor of Science in Natural Science, UH West Oʻahu will have eight degree programs paired with concentrations in 43 disciplines. The additions align with UH West Oʻahu’s mandate to provide distinctive programs to students living and working in West Oʻahu and those who access classes through distance learning.

The campus is also introducing concentrations that center around healthcare—Health Information Management, Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing, Health Professions and Long-Term Care—most of which will be housed in the campus’ new Administration and Health Science building that opened in December 2018.

New degrees

The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Media is being established with the autonomy and flexibility necessary for curriculum to be more responsive to the needs of a constantly evolving industry. It will soon be housed in the new Creative Media Facility, which is set to open in fall 2020 on the campus. The new creative media degree offers concentrations in Communications and New Media Technologies, Design and Media, Video Game Design and Development and General Creative Media.

The Bachelor of Science in Natural Science is the first STEM degree at UH West Oʻahu. The degree is designed to have an applied and technical focus that it will differentiate it from existing programs. It addresses the needs of students residing in West Oʻahu who want to pursue an affordable four-year STEM degree close to home. The first concentration offered through the Natural Science degree is Applied Mathematics.

New concentrations

The Health Information Management concentration, Bachelor of Applied Science, equips students with integrated knowledge of medicine, science, technology and management. Students will learn about managing health information and information systems, medical billing, coding and reimbursement processes, and other administrative medical record functions.

The Hawaiian and Indigenous Health and Healing concentration, Bachelor of Applied Science, will focus on traditional healing knowledge and skill. Among the practices examined will be hoʻoponopono (conflict resolution), lomilomi (massage) and lāʻau lapaʻau (herbal medicines).

The Health Professions concentration, Bachelor of Applied Science, is a health program offering students a starting point for a career in healthcare. The integrated curriculum includes courses in natural sciences, social sciences and the liberal arts, as well as coursework in healthcare. Graduates will be prepared for entry-level career opportunities in healthcare and health-related services, or for entry into graduate and professional programs.

The Long-Term Care concentration, Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, serves Hawaiʻi’s rapidly aging population. It is designed to address the needs of the growing elderly population in accessing long-term care services and provides the skills needed to lead and manage long-term care facilities and community-based services.

New certificate

The Gender Studies certificate gives undergraduates an opportunity to acquire a focused background in contemporary trans-disciplinary scholarship in feminist and gender studies. Students will examine social and cultural achievements of women and apply contributions from feminist theory to the world around them.

UH West O‘ahu has been identified by The Chronicle of Higher Education as the fastest-growing public baccalaureate institution in the nation for the past two years and is focused on continued expansion. This includes offering programs and concentrations that emphasize practical applications, such as creative media and cybersecurity, along with providing efficient pathways for UH Community College transfer students. The school has been adding to its academic slate as it grows. In the 2018–2019 academic year it added concentrations in Community Health and Mathematics as well as a Certificate in Music.