Fall 2027 (Enrollment Term)
- Applications Available: September 1, 2026
- Application Extension Deadline: June 1, 2027 (11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time)
The Master’s Program uses a rolling admission process. Applicants must submit fully completed applications meeting all requirements for both the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) Graduate Division and the Department of Nursing (DON) to be reviewed for admission to the program. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed and cannot be re-submitted. Applicants can apply only once per annual admission cycle.
Each applicant is evaluated on the merit of their individual application and placed into one of three categories: admit, alternate, or deny. Notifications about decisions occur following a review of the completed application by the admissions team.
We encourage applicants to apply beginning September 1 both in the NursingCAS system and the UHM Graduate Division. Please check NursingCAS and the UHM Graduate Division for a full listing of application requirements.
Two-Step Application Process
Application Requirements are found on the websites listed below.
Step 1 – Apply to UH Manoa Graduate Division
- https://manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/how-to-apply/
- Select “Nursing–MS” as the planned course of study
- Application Fee: $100
Step 2 – Apply to Nursing’s Centralized Application Service (NCAS)
Application deadlines for NCAS are set to Eastern Standard Time (EST) and will close at midnight EST the date of the deadline.
- https://nursingcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/
- Select your desired Master’s track:
- “Online MS Advanced Population Health Nursing (APHN)”
- Application Fee: $90
Admission Requirements
Education
Applicants must have either 1. a Baccalaureate degree in nursing or 2. an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and a Baccalaureate degree or higher in a non-nursing field. Degrees must be from a accredited college or university, or an equivalent degree from a recognized non-U.S. institution of higher education. Degrees must have been earned by July 15 of the program start year. Visit the UH Manoa Graduate Division website for Graduate Admissions Standards and Eligibility.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Undergraduate GPA 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Licensure
Current unrestricted RN license in the United States or evidence of passing the NCLEX-RN exam and having a current RN license in the state or jurisdiction of practice by the end of the first semester of the program.
Research Course Completion
Successful completion of an undergraduate introduction to research course or equivalent* (3 semester credits) with a grade of B- or better and within 7 years of beginning classes in the MS program. Applicants who have not completed an undergraduate research course within 7 years of beginning classes in the program may still be admitted but must complete the undergraduate research course by the end of the first semester of the program.
A Research Course taken at another university must match the credit hour totals in the table below. A course completed in a quarter system is transferred as 66% of one semester credit hour. To verify course equivalencies from institutions outside of the UH system, please visit UH Course Transfer Database website.
Information regarding courses offered at UH Manoa or within the UH System that fulfill the Research Course requirement is noted below.
Research Courses offered within the UH System
| Research Course | Course Examples | Campus Offering Courses |
| Introduction to Research *(see description below) 3 credits |
PSY 212 | Honolulu CC Kapiolani CC Leeward CC UH Manoa UH Maui College UH West Oahu Windward CC |
| PSY 214 | UH Hilo Hawaii CC |
|
| NURS 363 | UH Manoa UH Maui College |
|
| HDSF 380 | UH Manoa | |
| PUBA 310 | UH West Oahu |
* The Introduction to Research Course must focus on human subjects research and include the following content: Developing a Problem Statement, Research Question, Hypothesis, Research Ethics, Literature Review, Sampling, Research Design, Institutional Review Board, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, Data Collection, Reliability, Validity, and Data Analysis. Courses that fulfill this prerequisite are offered in the health sciences and social sciences departments at many 4-year colleges. The title of the course usually includes the words “Research Methods.” Introduction to Statistics or Epidemiology does not fulfill this requirement.
Additional Admission Requirements For RNs with an Associate Degree in Nursing and a Baccalaureate Degree or Higher in Another Field
Applicants with a non-nursing baccalaureate should have evidence of baccalaureate-level knowledge in research; community, public, and global health; and an integrative clinical practicum and leadership development within the last seven years. Competency in each of the three areas may have been obtained through coursework, professional programs, and/or professional or life experience.
The admitted student can petition to waive coursework by submitting an experiential portfolio to demonstrate either coursework or experience in the required areas. Samples of evidence include resume, transcripts for previous college coursework; course syllabi that outline course descriptions and learning objectives; professional training programs coursework that includes learning objectives. Guidelines for the experiential portfolio are available from the Nursing Office of Student Services.
English Language Proficiency Requirements for All Applicants
If an applicant’s native language is not English or if the applicant has not obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an English-speaking college, then the applicant must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores with a minimum score of 600/100 (paper/internet) and subtest scores of 25 for listening and 25 for speaking or Graduate International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum score of 7.00.
International Students
Please visit the UH Manoa Office of International Student Services page, email them at issmanoa@hawaii.edu, or call them at (808) 956-8613.