Detailed Information
Program of Study
The Master of Arts in communication program (M.A./COM) provides students with an interdisciplinary approach integrating skills, theory, and knowledge. Students completing this Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) program are prepared for careers ranging across the spectrum of business, marketing, advertising, mass media, public relations, entertainment, broadcast or print journalism, the Internet, or education. Technology is emphasized in each course so that graduates are prepared for rapid change in communication industries.
The M.A./COM requires a minimum of 39 semester hours of graduate work composed of 18 semester hours of core courses, 15 semester hours of electives, and 6 semester hours of writing a professional paper, project, or thesis. Assignments and internships use a pragmatic approach to develop marketable skills. Students apply what they learn in the classroom to actual problems faced by organizations and businesses.
Research Facilities
To support graduate studies, HPU's Meader and Atherton Libraries hold over 110,000 bound volumes, 350,000 microfiche items, and periodical subscriptions to 1,500 print titles and 30,000 electronic journals. Databases of public and state university libraries, legislative information, and business-oriented statistical data are also available in the library or online. Students can access HPU’s library databases, course information, their academic information, and an e-mail account through Pipeline, the university’s internal Web site for students. The University’s accessible on-campus computer center houses more than 100 computers with specialized software to support graduate academic programs. HPU also provides free Wi-Fi so students can access Pipeline resources anywhere on campus using laptops. A significant number of online courses are available as well.
Financial Aid
The University participates in all federal financial aid programs designated for graduate students. These programs provide aid in the form of subsidized (need-based) and unsubsidized (non-need-based) Federal Stafford Student Loans. Through these loans, funds may be available to cover the student’s entire cost of education. To apply for aid, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning January 1. Mailing of student award letters usually begins by the end of March. The University also offers several institutional scholarships and assistantships to new full-time, degree-seeking students. The Trustees’ Scholar Program provides a 50 percent tuition waiver for two semesters; the Deans’ Scholarship Program, a 20 percent tuition waiver for one semester; and the International Scholar Program, a 20 to 50 percent tuition waiver. Graduate assistantships, which give students a 50 percent tuition waiver for one semester, are also available. Priority consideration is given to those students who apply by the deadline.
Cost of Study
Tuition for graduate students enrolled in fall and spring semesters is determined on a per-credit basis; full-time status for a graduate student is 9 credits. Tuition for the optional winter and summer sessions is also determined on a per-credit basis. The estimated minimum funds needed for a nine-month academic year (September to May) based on 2009–10 school-year expenses is $25,739. For the 2009–10 academic year, full-time tuition is $11,880 for most graduate degree programs. Books, supplies, and transportation cost $1,885, and health insurance costs $880.
Living and Housing Costs
Most graduate students live in off-campus housing. The cost of living in off-campus apartments is approximately $11,094 for a double-occupancy room.
Student Group
University enrollment currently stands at more than 8,200. HPU is one of the most culturally diverse universities in America with students from all 50 U.S. states and more than 100 countries.
Location
Hawai‘i Pacific University combines the excitement of an urban, downtown campus with the serenity of a residential campus and a pristine marine institute. The main campus is ideally located in downtown Honolulu, the business and financial center of the Pacific. Eight miles away, situated on 135 acres in Kaneohe, the windward Hawai‘i Loa campus is the site of environmental sciences, marine biology, nursing, oceanography, and several liberal arts programs. The third campus, The Oceanic Institute, an affiliate of HPU, is an applied aquaculture research facility located on a 56-acre site at Makapu‘u Point on the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Students can travel between the three sites using the convenient HPU shuttle service. There are also eight military campus programs located at Pearl Harbor, Barbers Point, Hickam Air Force Base, Schofield Barracks, Fort Shafter, Tripler Army Medical Center, Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station, and Camp Smith.
The University
HPU is a private, nonprofit university with approximately 8,200 students. Founded in 1965, HPU prides itself on maintaining strong academic programs, small class sizes, individual attention to students, and a diverse faculty and student population. HPU is recognized as a “Best in the West” college by the Princeton Review and a “Best Buy” by Barron’s business magazine. HPU offers more than fifty acclaimed undergraduate programs and twelve distinguished graduate programs. The University has a faculty of more than 500, a student-faculty ratio of 18:1, and an average class size of 20. A wide range of counseling and other student support services are available. There are more than seventy student organizations on campus, including the Graduate Student Organization.
Applying
Students must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or an equivalent degree from another country. Applicants should complete and forward a graduate admissions application, send in the $50 nonrefundable application fee, have official transcripts sent from all colleges or universities previously attended, and forward two letters of recommendation. A personal statement about the applicant’s academic and career goals is required; submitting a resume is optional. Applicants who have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) should have their scores sent directly to the Graduate Admissions Office. International students should submit scores of a recognized English proficiency test such as TOEFL. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, and applicants are notified between one and two weeks after all documents have been submitted. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications online.
The Faculty
- John N. Barnum, Associate Professor of Communication; Ph.D., Texas at Austin.
- Peter Britos, Associate Professor of Communication; Ph.D., USC.
- Dale Burke, Instructor of Communication; D.Min., Ancilla Domini College.
- Brian Cannon, Assistant Professor of Communication; Ph.D., Regent University (Virginia).
- Katherine Clarke, Instructor of Communication; M.A., Denver.
- Thomas Dowd, Instructor of Communication; M.A., California State, Northridge.
- Steven Combs, Professor of Communication; Ph.D., USC.
- Matthew George, Assistant Professor of Communication; Ph.D., Berkley.
- John P. Hart, Professor of Communication; Ph.D., Kansas.
- Serena Hashimoto, Associate Professor of Communication; Ph.D., European Graduate School (Switzerland).
- Lowell Ing, Assistant Professor of Communication; M.F.A., CUNY, City College.
- Anne Kennedy, Assistant Professor of Communication; Ph.D., Bowling Green State.
- Laurence LeDoux, Assistant Professor of Communication; D.A., Oregon.
- Marianne Luken, Instructor of Communication; M.I.A., School for International Training.
- Malia Smith, Instructor of Communication; M.A., Hawai‘i Pacific.
- Penny Pence Smith, Assistant Professor of Communication; Ph.D., North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Lewis Trusty, Instructor of Communication; M.A., USC.
- James D. Whitfield, Professor of Communication; Ed.D., Texas Tech.
- John Windrow, Instructor of Journalism; M.A., Missouri–Columbia.
- Yanjun Zhao, Assistant Professor of Organizational Change; Ph.D., Nebraska–Lincoln.
Correspondence and Information
Hawai‘i Pacific University
Graduate Admissions
1164 Bishop Street, #911
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Telephone:
808-544-1135
866-GRAD-HPU (toll-free)
Fax:
808-544-0280
Email:
graduate@hpu.edu
