University of Hawaii at Manoa

What you'll study

The BSN curriculum combines foundational sciences, nursing theory and supervised clinical practice. Core topics include human anatomy and physiology, microbiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, nursing fundamentals and evidence-based practice.

• Clinical practice and skills: Simulation-based learning, clinical placements across acute care, community health, long-term care and mental health settings to develop assessment, technical and communication skills.
• Medical-surgical and specialty care: Care of adult, paediatric, maternal-child and psychiatric patients, including care coordination and complex care management.
• Population and community health: Public health nursing, health promotion, disease prevention and culturally informed care for Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and multicultural communities.
• Nursing research: Research methods, biostatistics, critical appraisal of literature and application of evidence to practice; students learn to participate in or lead small research or quality-improvement projects.
• Nursing administration: Leadership, health-care systems, management principles, finance and policy topics that prepare students for supervisory and managerial roles.
• Clinical nursing concentration: Advanced assessment, clinical decision-making and practicum experiences that deepen hands-on competence in complex patient care.

The programme typically progresses from prerequisites and lower-division science and general-education courses into upper-division nursing theory, practicum and capstone experiences. Clinical placements are supervised by faculty and take place at a variety of hospitals, clinics and community agencies across Oʻahu and partner sites in the region. Graduates are prepared to sit the RN licensure examination in their jurisdiction.

Entry requirements

Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent for the pre-licensure BSN. Entry is competitive and applicants must complete prerequisite coursework before admission to upper-division nursing courses. Typical prerequisites include college-level general biology with lab, human anatomy and physiology, chemistry with lab, microbiology (or equivalent), developmental psychology, English composition and college-level mathematics or statistics.

Selection commonly considers academic performance in prerequisite and general-education courses, healthcare or volunteer experience, a personal statement, references and interview performance where used. Registered nurses with an associate degree or diploma seeking a BSN (RN-to-BSN) should hold an active RN licence and meet transfer-credit and curriculum-bridging requirements set by the school.

Career prospects

Graduates qualify to pursue RN licensure and work across a broad range of health-care settings. Common entry and mid-career roles include:

• Staff nurse in medical-surgical, critical care, emergency, paediatric, obstetrics or psychiatric units
• Community and public health nurse in clinics, schools and population health programmes
• Clinical nurse specialist, case manager or care coordinator
• Nurse manager or unit supervisor, using administration coursework to move into leadership roles
• Research nurse or clinical research coordinator working on evidence-generation, quality improvement and translational projects
• Further study pathways into advanced practice (master’s or doctoral programmes), nursing education, health policy or health administration

Because the programme emphasizes culturally responsive practice and community engagement, graduates are particularly well positioned for roles serving Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian populations and for employers seeking clinicians with strong community-health competencies.

Why study at University of Hawaii at Manoa

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Nursing provides training grounded in the health needs of Hawaiʻi and the broader Pacific region, with curriculum elements that address cultural safety, indigenous health and community partnership. Students benefit from clinical partnerships across a diverse network of hospitals, clinics and public-health organisations on Oʻahu and in neighbouring islands.

Facilities include simulation labs and faculty with clinical, research and leadership experience in acute care, community health and nursing scholarship. The university’s island setting supports experiential learning in community health, disaster preparedness and transdisciplinary collaborations with medicine, public health and social services—preparing graduates for practice in diverse and resource-variable environments.

Strong local networks and alumni links can help with clinical placement and employment opportunities across hospitals, clinics, government health departments and research centres in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.