Continuing Students

Endemic Hawaiian snail

Registering for Classes

  1. UH Manoa Class Availability
  2. UH Manoa Registration Homepage
  3. 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.

  1. How can I check on my transfer course credits and equivalencies?
  2. Which courses should I take first? In what order?
  3. What are the pre-requisites or co-requisites for the specialization courses I want to take?
  4. Can I substitute a transferred course or a different UH-Manoa course for a required course?
  5. Your pathway or interest area.
  6. Where can I find a good internship?
  7. What will my NREM degree and specialization prepare me for after graduation?
  8. How close am I to graduating?
  9. When do we need to fill out the preliminary degree check form?


Hawaiian hawk, iʻo

Planning Advice

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Social Science pathway majors should try to complete the economics (NREM 220 or ECON 130) and calculus requirements within the first year.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.


NREM students monitoring CO2 emissions

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.


Hawaiian stilt, aʻeo, endangered

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.

Honors Program: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/honors/

This program is designed for motivated students with an excellent academic record or potential who wish to engage in a challenging enquiry-based curriculum that encourages learning through independent research and creative expression. Students in the program take regular courses with the Honors (A) designation each semester during their freshman and sophomore years. These courses have smaller enrollment and use more discussion and enquiry than typical lecture courses. As juniors and seniors, students take Honors (HON) courses that prepare them to pursue their interests in independent research or creative expression projects. Students who complete the program successfully receive an honor's designation on their diploma.

Certificate Programs

The UH Manoa catalog lists all the available degrees, minors, and certificates. Certificate programs allow students to develop a guided specialization in a particular field, similar to a minor. Although there are many certificate programs at UH-Manoa, there are several that may be of interest to NREM students, including

Check with the home department to obtain the requirements for these programs.

UH-Manoa Study Abroad: www.studyabroad.org/

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.

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.

UH Manoa National Student Exchange: https://www.hawaii.edu/diversity/nse/

NSE consortium covers nearly 200 colleges located throughout the U.S., American-affiliated islands, and Canada. Pay resident or UHM tutition. Enrollment limited at some colleges. Consult with your advisor to select an appropriate exchange site.


Graduation

1. Preliminary Degree Check: http://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ugstudies/Home/Forms.aspx

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/

Quick Links

 

Undergraduate Committee

 

Dr. Travis Idol
(Undergraduate Chair)

Office: Sherman 125
Phone: (808)956-7508
Fax: (808)956-6539
Email: nremadv@hawaii.edu

 

Dr. Mahealani Kaneshiro
Office: Sherman 226
Phone: (808) 956-6343
Fax: (808) 956-6539
Email: mykanesh@hawaii.edu

 

Dr. Tomoaki Miura
Office: Sherman 238/104
Phone : (808) 956-7333
Fax : (808) 956-6539
Email: tomoakim@hawaii.edu