Degree Requirements
General Information
CTAHR undergraduate degrees require a total of 120 credits. This must include at least 45 upper division credits, that is, courses numbered 300-400 with a college-level prerequisite. The requirement for upper division credits is not automatically met by completing all UHM general education and NREM major requirements.
In order to graduate, UH Manoa students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. CTAHR also requires its students to have 2.0 GPA within their major. Only credits earned at UH Manoa count toward these GPA requirements.
NREM accepts transfer students from other universities and from other UH Manoa majors. We require a cumulative GPA of 2.5 to transfer into the NREM major.
Students who already have a bachelor’s degree and apply to get a second bachelor’s need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to be admitted to a CTAHR program. Second degree students must also demonstrate that the proposed second degree is substantially different from the first degree. Second degree students are exempt from most general education requirements. However, they must complete some focus requirements including one course with a Hawaiian, Asian, Pacific Issues (H) designation and two upper-division Writing Intensive (W) courses.
UH Manoa requires transfer and second-degree students to complete at least 30 credits at the Manoa campus to earn a UH Manoa degree.
More information can be found in the UH Manoa catalog including general education requirements and course descriptions.
NREM Major
The NREM undergraduate program leads to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. This means that all students must take a core set of biological and physical science courses, regardless of interest or specialization. We also require students to take one semester of calculus. Most of these core requirements are not taught by the NREM department, since there is no need for us to duplicate basic biology, chemistry, or geography courses. However, NREM does offer an applied calculus course (NREM 203), which students may take instead of MATH 203.
There is also a core set of NREM courses required of all majors. This core provides all students a common set of knowledge and skills in environmental science and resource management. It is recommended that students complete all or most of the basic science core before taking the 300 and 400 level NREM core courses.
Pathways & Specialization
Students must choose either the natural science or social science pathway within the major. Within the pathways, however, students are given the opportunity to develop a specialization in their own area of interest. The specialization electives are upper-division courses that provide you with greater depth of knowledge and skills than you may receive in the NREM core courses. These electives can be NREM courses or courses from other departments.
Dual Degrees and Minors
In addition to UHM general education and major requirements, NREM students will have about 4-6 electives to meet the total 120 credits needed for graduation. If desired, a NREM student may choose to apply these courses toward a special program or second degree, minor or certificate from another UHM department.
Minors
NREM does not offer a minor. NREM majors may seek a minor or certificate offered by another field. Upper division courses applied toward a minor or certificate must be in addition to specialization courses taken for the NREM bachelor’s degree.
Double Majoring for Concurrent Degree
Instead of a minor, ambitious students can earn a second undergraduate degree while completing the NREM BS program. CTAHR’s policy on double majors states “Students seeking a double major must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2, demonstrate that the proposed majors are substantially different, and obtain approval from undergraduate advisers in both of the relevant departments.” The UHM form for a concurrent degree requires a statement of objectives and academic plan. A student interested in double majoring should consult with advisors from both fields, develop a plan, and submit required paperwork at least one year before they intend to graduate.
Double Dipping
Generally other departments do not allow you to apply the same course credits toward a second degree, minor or certificate in their field and to the NREM degree. NREM does allow students to count core requirements and specialization courses toward their foundation, diversification, and focus requirements (see planning form). However, students may NOT use core requirements or specialization courses to meet NREM’s Hawaiian/Second Language Options 2 and 3.