Hawaii Pacific University (Nursing Program) - Overview
The University
Hawai`i Pacific University (HPU) is a private, nonprofit university with an international student population of approximately 8,200 students. Founded in 1965, HPU prides itself on maintaining strong academic programs, small class sizes, individual attention to students, an experienced faculty, and a diverse student population. HPU is recognized as a "Best in the West" college by The Princeton Review and a College "Best Buy" by Barron's. HPU offers more than fifty acclaimed undergraduate programs and fourteen distinguished graduate programs.
HPU is one of the most culturally diverse universities in America with students from all fifty U.S. states and more than 100 countries. The diversity of the student body stimulates learning about other cultures firsthand, both in and out of the classroom. There is no majority population at HPU. Students are encouraged to examine the values, customs, traditions, and principles of others to gain a clearer understanding of their own perspectives. HPU students develop friendships with students who are from cities throughout the United States and the world and make important connections for success in the global community of the twenty-first century.
The Nursing Program
The nursing program at Hawai`i Pacific University has grown into the largest nursing program in the state of Hawai`i, with more than 1,600 students in the baccalaureate and master's programs. Despite the program's size, the school maintains small class sizes where faculty members provide individual attention to students. Students receive high-quality instruction in multicultural classrooms consisting of 24 to 32 students and clinical groups consisting of 8 to 10 students.
The program emphasizes the qualities of humanism, caring, and collaboration as a foundation for the comprehensive study of the art and science of nursing. The program provides students with experience in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care of clients from varied age groups and multiple ethnic backgrounds.
Programs of Study
The baccalaureate nursing program offers four pathways toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The first is the Basic Pathway for the beginning or transfer student with fewer than 45 college credits. Second is an LPN to B.S.N. Pathway for U.S. licensed practical nurses. Third, an RN to B.S.N. Pathway for licensed registered nurses from associate degree or diploma programs, and fourth, an International Nurse Pathway for persons who have graduated from a nursing program in another country and are not licensed in the United States.
HPU's graduate nursing program brings together theory and community-based practice. The M.S.N. program enables the registered nurse the opportunity to advance as a family nurse practitioner (FNP), or a community clinical nurse specialist (CNS). An RN to M.S.N. Pathway allows registered nurses without baccalaureate degrees in nursing to make the transition into the M.S.N. program. Students in the pathway are granted provisional admission status until all prerequisites are completed. Students interested in gaining a solid foundation in current business and management practice may pursue a joint M.S.N./M.B.A. degree program.
A post-master's certificate as a family nurse practitioner is also possible for nurses with master's degrees seeking to expand their practice. A certificate program in nursing education can be taken as part of the CNS concentration or as a stand-alone certificate.
Affiliations with Healthcare Facilities
The nursing program chooses health-care facilities that give students the best experience possible. Within these facilities, the choice of clinical units is made based upon the learning needs of the students. The majority of clinical faculty members are actively employed in the clinical specialties and/or facilities where they teach.
Academic Facilities
All nursing lecture and science laboratory classes are held on the suburban and residential Hawai`i Loa campus where life revolves around the Amos N. Starr and Juliette Montague Cooke Academic Center (AC). The AC houses classrooms; organic chemistry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and regular laboratories; faculty and staff offices; a theater; an art gallery; and the Atherton Library, which includes circulating and reference book collections in the areas of art, history, marine science, nursing, and Hawai`i and the Pacific. There are study rooms as well as computers available for library research and personal use. The library provides access to electronic books (e-books), online databases, and wireless internet for use by those with their own personal computers.
Location
Hawai`i Pacific combines the excitement of an urban downtown campus with the serenity of the residential windward side of the island. The main campus is located in downtown Honolulu, the financial center of the Pacific, and is home to the College of Business Administration and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Hawai`i Loa residential campus is 8 miles away in Kane`ohe at the base of the Ko`olau Mountains; it is the site of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the College of Natural and Computational Sciences, and a variety of other course offerings. The Oceanic Institute, an affiliate of the university, is an aquaculture research facility located on a 56-acre site, providing a global center for research and education in marine environmental and life sciences. The University also offers classes at six military locations on Oahu.
Student Services
The University has many services to meet student needs, including a professional staff of advisers who are available throughout the year to assist undergraduate students in advising and counseling matters. Other services include career placement programs; a cooperative education program; international student advising; various student organizations, including the Student Nurses' Association; and numerous honor societies, including Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. A director of student life and a residence life staff are actively involved in all aspects of student life.
HPU competes in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. Men's athletic programs include baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women's athletics include basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.
The Housing Office at HPU offers many services and living options for students. On-campus residence halls with cafeteria service are available on the windward Hawai`i Loa campus, while off-campus apartments are available in the Honolulu and Waikiki area for those seeking more independent living arrangements.
The Nursing Student Group
The students in the School of Nursing are representative of the global community in terms of age, ethnicity, citizenship, gender, and professional experience. Students may attend either full- or part-time, with a substantial number of students choosing to accelerate the completion of their degree by studying during summer sessions. Various nursing courses are offered during summer sessions.
Costs
Tuition for the 2011-12 academic year is $16,510. Part-time student tuition is $345 per unit for 1 to 7 credits and $690 per unit for 8+ credits for all freshmen and sophomores. The tuition for nursing juniors and seniors is $24,070 for the academic year. For part-time juniors and seniors in the nursing program, the tuition is $1,005 per credit for 1 to 11 credits. Residence hall room and board are $12,230 and off-campus apartments rented between $2,900 and $3,300 per semester. (There was an additional $500 refundable security deposit required for residence halls and off-campus apartments.) Additional college-related expenses, including books, health insurance, technology fee, and student bus pass, were estimated at $3,190.
Applying
Candidates are notified of admission decisions on a rolling basis, usually within two weeks of receipt of application materials. Early entrance and deferred entrance are available. HPU accepts the Common Application form.
Correspondence and Information:
Office of Admissions
Hawai`i Pacific University
1164 Bishop Street, Suite 200
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: 808-544-0238
866-CALL-HPU (toll-free)
Fax: 808-544-1136
E-mail: admissions@hpu.edu
Web site: http://www.hpu.edu/Petersons