Detailed Information
Programs of Study
Hawai‘i Pacific University’s (HPU’s) Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language (M.A.T.E.S.L.) focuses on practical, hands-on education that teaches graduates the essential skills they need to become successful educators. By learning about the current theories, methods, and materials, M.A.T.E.S.L. graduates are prepared and ready to teach English as a second language in the classroom.
The M.A.T.E.S.L. features a solid curriculum in three types of courses. Linguistic theory courses taught from an applied viewpoint help the M.A.T.E.S.L. student better understand languages in general and English in particular. The second type is pedagogy courses, which present a range of current approaches, designs, and procedures for teaching language in a wide variety of contexts. In these classes, teaching demonstrations and videotaped peer practice sessions are used extensively. The third type, two practicum courses, allows future teachers to observe master teachers, serve with them in the classroom as assistants, and assume full class responsibility as practice teachers. The capstone activity synthesizes several semesters of classroom study and practicum training. Students have three options for this completion requirement: a portfolio, a comprehensive exam, or an extensive in-service project.
Research Facilities
To support graduate studies, HPU’s Meader and Atherton Libraries offer more than 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 have wireless access to Pipeline resources anywhere on campus using laptops. A significant number of online courses are available.
Students are encouraged to prepare papers for publication in the TESL Working Paper Series, an in-house journal, which showcases the best scholarly work from the University’s student body.
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 $1885, 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 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. M.A.T.E.S.L. students usually join the student club called Intercultural Teachers Organization (ITO), which sponsors many professional and social events throughout the year.
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
- Kenneth Cook, Professor of Linguistics; Ph.D., California, San Diego.
- Barbara Hannum, Assistant Professor of English (ESL); M.A., Hawai‘i at Manoa.
- Jean Kirschenmann, Assistant Professor of English (ESL); M.A., Hawai‘i at Manoa.
- Edward F. Klein, Professor of Applied Linguistics; Ph.D., Hawai‘i at Manoa.
- Candis Lee, Assistant Professor of English (ESL); Ed.D., USC.
- Sandra McKay, Professor of Linguistics; Ph.D., Minnesota.
- Hanh T. Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics; Ph.D., Wisconsin–Madison.
- Catherine Sajna, Assistant Professor of English; M.A., Hawai‘i at Manoa.
Correspondence and Information
Hawai‘i Pacific University
Graduate Admissions
1164 Bishop Street, #911
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
Telephone:
808-544-1135
866-GRAD-HPU (toll-free)
Fax:
808-544-0280
Email:
graduate@hpu.edu
