Continuing Students
Registering for Classes
- UH Manoa Class Availability
- UH Manoa Registration Homepage
- Placement Exam Information
Registration Advice
1. Schedule an appointment with your advisor 2 - 3 weeks before registration to review your progress toward graduation and discuss courses for the upcoming semester.
2. Check the required placement tests and prerequisites for courses you need to take, especially math, chemistry, biology, and physics.
3. Register as soon as your time slot is available. Popular and introductory classes fill quickly.
4. If an NREM course is full when you try to register for it, check with the instructor to see if you can get a registration override code.
5. If introductory courses you need are full or not available, you have several options:
a. Place yourself on the wait list. Students often change their schedule around. Waitlisted students are automatically enrolled as seats become available.
b. Contact the instructor to discuss your situation and/or request an override code. If enough students need the course, the instructor or department may open another section.
c. Check the schedule of course offerings at other UH campuses for the same course. Most of the basic core courses required for the NREM degree are offered every semester at one or more of the community colleges. You will have to pay for the course by the credit hour but usually at a reduced rate compared to UH-Manoa. Remember that courses at community colleges may not carry a focus designation, e.g. Writing Intensive (W), that may be associated with an otherwise equivalent UH-Manoa course.
Course Planning
Planning With Your Advisor
In addition to helping you plan your courses for the upcoming semester, there are several important issues you should discuss with your advisor.
- How can I check on my transfer course credits and equivalencies?
- Which courses should I take first? In what order?
- What are the pre-requisites or co-requisites for the specialization courses I want to take?
- Can I substitute a transferred course or a different UH-Manoa course for a required course?
- Your pathway or interest area.
- Where can I find a good internship?
- What will my NREM degree and specialization prepare me for after graduation?
- How close am I to graduating?
- When do we need to fill out the preliminary degree check form?
Planning Advice
- In order to graduate in 4 years with 120 credits, new students must average 15 credits per semester or 30 credits over the academic year.
- Check the required placement tests and prerequisites for courses you need to take, especially math, chemistry, biology, and physics. Also check the prerequisites for upper-division courses you are considering for your specialization. Prerequisites are listed as part of the course descriptions in the UH-Manoa catalog.
- Do not take MATH 100 to prepare for MATH 140 or higher. The mathematics assessment will determine which math course you are eligible to take.
- The prerequisite for PHYS 151 is MATH 140 or MATH 215 or higher. NREM 203 and MATH 203 will not be accepted as prerequisites for PHYS 151.
- Completing just the minimum General Education and NREM major requirements requires fewer than the university requirement of 120 credits, so students will need to take 5-10 credits of general electives.
- Natural Science pathway majors with a good science background should complete BIOL 171+L, 172+L and CHEM 161+L, 162+L in the first year. These courses will prepare you for NREM 304, a Natural Science pathway requirement, and for your specialization electives.
- Social Science pathway majors should try to complete the economics (NREM 220 or ECON 130) and calculus requirements within the first year.
- Social Science pathway majors should also take one or two social science courses in the first two years. These courses will help you decide about a discipline for upper division study.
- Plan your class schedule for the semester around NREM core courses and pathway electives. If you have a scheduling conflict among classes, take the one that is only offered during one semester each year, e.g. NREM 210, rather than courses offered all the time or courses offered at other UH campuses, e.g. chemistry, math, physics. See Course Offerings for schedule of NREM classes and planning forms for courses taught by other departments.
- If you need to withdraw from a required course or if you fail the course, see an advisor about how and when to retake it.
- Sometimes a student may need to take a semester(s) off from school due to personal, health or other reasons. If you are a UH Manoa student in good standing (i.e. not on probation), you can take a leave of absence for up to one calendar year. By taking a leave, you can re-enter UHM without having to reapply for admissions and will be eligible to register for classes during the pre-registration period. If you want to take a leave, see an adviser first to check if it will disrupt your program of study. You’ll also have to fill out a leave of absence form at the CTAHR advising office in Gilmore Hall room 210.
Choosing a Pathway and Specialization
NREM students should choose a pathway in the major by the end of their second year. NREM 210, 220, 301 and 302 will help you decide, so try to take these courses in the first 2 years.
Learn more about NREM's undergraduate Natural Science pathway and Social Science pathway.
The Natural Science pathway emphasizes natural science skills and concepts.
Natural Science pathway students generally are interested in direct assessment and evaluation of natural resources. They enjoy collecting samples, taking measurements, running analyses, developing and applying conservation techniques, or making recommendations about best management practices. The specialization topics are:
- Plant Ecology Conservation and Management
- Wildlife Ecology and Management
- Soil and Water Conservation
- Watershed and Coastal Management
- Image and Data Science for NREM
The Social Science pathway emphasizes social science skills and concepts.
Social Science pathway students generally are interested in evaluating the costs and benefits of natural resources and management options or developing plans for improved resource management. They may enjoy crunching numbers and determining trade-offs of various management options, working with individuals and communities to develop appropriate resource management plans, helping to shape government policies, or creating and delivering educational materials and programs on the value of natural resources. The specialization topics are:
- Environmental Policy and Governance
- Community and Cultural Resources Management
- Sustainable Systems and Communities
Click here to download NREM Specialization Coursework (not exhaustive list) for pathways.
To learn more about jobs in these areas, see the Beyond Graduation section of the Special Topics webpage.
Monitoring Progress with STAR
STAR Reporting System: www.star.hawaii.edu/student
The STAR reporting system is an interactive website designed to give you up-to-date information about your academic progress toward your undergraduate degree. It is based on the Banner student information database, which contains records of all your current and completed coursework, academic standing, and GPA, including transfer credits and their equivalents at UH-Manoa. STAR is not just an advising tool, it is the official arbiter of your progress toward meeting all degree requirements.
Special Programs
UH-Manoa offers a variety of opportunities for students to pursue their academic, personal, and professional interests outside of the normal curriculum. These include special programs at UH-Manoa and study abroad opportunities. Although we encourage you to learn about these opportunities on your own, please check with your advisor before enrolling in any of these programs to ensure that it is compatible with NREM degree requirements and that you can continue to make adequate progress toward graduation.
This program is designed for motivated students with an excellent academic record or potential who wish to engage in an inquiry-based curriculum that encourages learning through independent research and creative expression. First-year students take special sections of regular courses with the Honors (A) designation. Students can also enter in their third year. Students at this level take Honors (HON) courses that prepare them to propose and carry out a senior thesis project or portfolio of projects guided by a faculty mentor.
NREM students can apply their Honors project(s) toward NREM degree requirements, e.g. as their internship experience (NREM 492), senior capstone project (NREM 494) or as a specialization elective (HON 496). Download the documents below for a summary and timeline of how the Honors program can be integrated into the NREM degree.
UROP coordinates and promotes opportunities for all undergraduate students across all disciplines at UH Manoa to engage in faculty-mentored research and creative work. Three types of funding are available, including entering research & creative work (ERC) funding, project funding, and presentation funding. All funding opportunities require a mentor. Foragerone, an online database, helps students find research/project opportunities, possible mentors, and other students to collaborate with.
Certificate Programs
The UH Manoa catalog lists available degrees, minors, and certificates. Certificate programs allow students to develop a guided specialization in a particular field, similar to a minor. There are several certificates that may be of interest to NREM students, including
Note that credits applied toward the NREM major cannot be used to meet the requirements of a concurrent major, minor, or certificate unless the course is required for both.
CTAHR Student Ambassadors are current CTAHR undergraduate and graduate student volunteers. They are driven individuals who are eager to share their perspective with prospective students. They get the chance to Give presentations at local high schools, represent CTAHR at College Fairs, offer prospective students an opportunity to shadow them, and participate in other fun CTAHR events.
WICHE Undergraduate Exchange: wue.wiche.edu/
This program is intended to encourage study abroad among students of western states in the US. Participating universities (including UH-Manoa) allow students from other western states to pay a reduced out-of-state tuition rate, typically around 1.5 times the in-state resident tuition. Check the website for participating states and associated colleges and universities.
You can spend a semester studying abroad at almost any other accredited institute of higher education. Check with your advisor or the study abroad office about how your credits earned at another institution will transfer toward your general education or degree requirements at UH-Manoa.
The MIX program provides undergraduate/graduate students the opportunity to study abroad at one of our many partner universities. Students in MIX pay their UHM tuition/fees. MIX partners with over 80 universities in 50 cities and 20 countries!
Graduation
All CTAHR students must complete a preliminary degree check with a CTAHR advisor, using the preliminary degree check form. This should be done the semester prior to graduation, preferably after you have registered for all the courses you need to graduate. You may meet with your NREM advisor to review and fill out this form, but the CTAHR advisors will still need to sign off on it.
2. CTAHR Exit Survey
Once you are approved for graduation, the college will ask you to fill out an exit survey. This survey is important for the college and NREM to assess the effectiveness of our undergraduate programs. We also ask that you provide us with your contact information so that we may keep in touch with our alumni. Knowing how our alumni are using their NREM degree provides us with real-world information we can use to help advise prospective and current students.
3. Commencement
General Information: manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement/
Frequently asked questions: manoa.hawaii.edu/commencement/faq.php
Order cap and gown for ceremony:https://www.bookstore.hawaii.edu/manoa/