New Student Guide
HPU Students on Fort Street Mall
Downtown Campus
Congratulations and welcome to Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU)! We are thrilled
that you have selected Hawai‘i Pacific for your undergraduate experience. You are
about to embark on an exciting and rewarding journey that will challenge you to learn
and grow academically, personally, and professionally. At the same time, you will
have opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to involve yourself in the
community and build lasting friendships with classmates from around the world.
To ensure that your transition to HPU is a smooth one, we have created this guide
especially for you. The New Student’s Guide to Registration provides all the necessary
information to help you register for your first semester of classes. Follow the 4 simple
steps to begin your Hawai‘i Pacific University journey.
If you have questions, there are two Academic Advising Centers available to assist
you along the way. We look forward to seeing you here soon!
Hawai’i Loa Campus Academic Advising Center
(for Nursing & Science Majors)
Hawaii Loa Campus, AC 103
Phone: 808-236-3578 | Fax: 808-236-3591
Email: hlcadvising@hpu.edu
Downtown Academic Advising Center
(for All Other Majors)
1164 Bishop Street, UB Building, Suite 123
Phone: 808-544-1198 | Fax: 808-544-9355
Email: advising@hpu.edu
Appointments can be scheduled at: hpu-advising.genbook.com
All Students
•Turn in “Intent to Enroll” form with your
registration deposit. If you have misplaced
your form or have additional questions
regarding the form, please contact the
Admissions Office at 808-544-0238.
•Activate your HPU Pipeline account. Your
HPU Pipeline login information was sent
in your acceptance packet. Log in at
campus.hpu.edu. If you are unable to
log in, please contact the IT Helpdesk at
helpdesk@hpu.edu or 808-566-2411 for
assistance.
•Immunizations and Health Insurance. All
students are required to turn in proof
of immunization for measles (MMR)
and tuberculosis (TB). Details can
be found at www.hpu.edu/Registrar
under General Information tab, click on
Medical Requirements and Health Care
Information.
•Submit final transcripts. All students must
submit their final high school or previous
college transcripts to the Admissions
Office. New students entering HPU from
high school must show proof of high
school graduation, or equivalent, or their
financial disbursements may be held or
cancelled.
•Finalize financial aid and/or scholarships.
Once your financial aid paperwork is
complete, an Estimated Financial Aid
Award Letter will be sent to your HPU
Pipeline e-mail account. This letter will
tell you how to “accept” your financial
aid award. If you receive additional
scholarships, be sure to let the Financial
Aid Office know immediately at
financialaid@hpu.edu
•Note: If you are not receiving financial aid
and would still like assistance with paying
your educational expenses, we encourage
you to check out Tuition Management
Systems at www.afford.com or
1-800-722-4867.
For a full checklist of things to do as you prepare to attend
HPU, please visit www.hpu.edu/FirstYearPrograms and
click New Student Checklist.
Do I Need a
Placement Test?
These are not entrance exams. You have
already been admitted to Hawai’i Pacific
University, and test results do not affect
admission. You cannot fail placement
tests. Your scores are a measure of your
educational development in English,
mathematics, and/or other areas. They
enable your academic advisor to
determine which courses you need in
order to progress and succeed in your
studies. You are strongly encouraged to
prepare for these exams because your
scores determine your math and writing
placement level, which affects how quickly
you are able to complete the requirements
of your program. Students majoring
in science and nursing are strongly
encouraged to take the placement exam
prior to registering for your classes.
An ACT or SAT score can be used to
determine what courses you take your
first semester. Be certain that your official
test scores have been sent directly to
the Office of Admissions. Please see the
section HPU Course Placement by Test
Scores for more information on writing
and math placement, based on your ACT
or SAT scores. If you do not have recent
SAT or ACT scores, you are required to
take a placement test to determine which
Students on Fort Street Mall
DOWNTOWN Campus
math and/or writing classes you will need
to take in your first semester. Students with
ACT/SAT scores placing them in a noncollege level math or writing course are also
required to take a placement exam.
If you have taken the Advance Placement
(AP) exam, International Baccalaureate
Exam, or received college credit from
another institution, please request official
test scores and/or transcripts to be sent to
the Office of Admissions. If your evaluation
has already been completed, please
review your degree plan or your unofficial
transcripts in your Pipeline account to
view transfer credits. If you did not receive
transfer credits for math or writing, you
are required to take a placement test to
determine which math and/or writing
classes you will need to take in your first
semester.
You can reach the Office of Admissions by
email at admissions@hpu.edu or by phone
at 808-544-0238.
Preparing in advance for the placement
exam will increase your chance of receiving
a higher score, which will allow you to enroll
in a higher level course, saving you time
and money. Contact your academic advisor
for a list of resources to help you prepare
for placement exams. Additional study
resources can also be found at
www.hpu.edu/placement. Students may
take a placement test only once, so be
prepared to do your best.
If you are on-island (O’ahu): HPU offers
placement tests on our Downtown campus
certain times throughout the year. To
take a test in person, please contact
your academic advisor to schedule an
appointment to take your placement exam.
If you are off-island (U.S. Mainland,
International, Neighbor-Islands): We
strongly recommend that you take the HPU
placement tests online prior to arriving
at HPU. You will need to find a suitable
proctor to administer the test for you.
Many high school and community college
counselors are happy to provide this service
for you if you request it.
To learn more about placement testing
procedures, please visit
www.hpu.edu/placement. Click on
“Placement Testing (Off-campus)” in the
right-hand menu for more information on
taking placement tests from your current
location.
Language testing is also available on the
Downtown campus in French, Hawaiian,
Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish.
If you have previously studied a language,
or have previous knowledge of the
language you now wish to study, it is highly
recommended that you take a placement
test to ensure that you are placed at the
appropriate language level. Language
placements are offered at certain times
throughout the year. Please contact
your academic advisor to schedule your
placement test appointment.
Do I Need a Placement Test?
HPU Course Placement by Test Scores
SAT
Critical
Reading
Score
SAT
Critical
Reading
+ Writing
Score
ACT
English
Score
630+
1250+
28+
550+
1090+
24+
7-8
WRI 1150
500+
1020+
22+
6+
WRI 1100
JOUR 1100
480-490
980-1010
21
5
WRI 1100 + WRI 1101 Lab
JOUR 1100 + WRI 1101 Lab
< 480
< 980
< 21
<5
WRI 1050
WRI 1050
English
Fundamentals
Students collecting water samples
OCEANIC INSTITUTE,
HPU’s Research Affiliate
ACCUPLACER
Writing Score
WRI 1100
Analyzing & Writing Arguments
(+WRI 1101 lab)
OR
JOUR 1100
Writing for the Media
OR
WRI 1150
Literature & Argument
Writing
Courses
Option to place out of WRI
1100 and take WRI 1200, unless
course is required by major
WRI 1200
Research, Argument, and
Writing (+ WRI 1201 Lab)
OR
COM 1400
Critical Reading and
Rhetoric
SAT
Math
Score
ACT
Math
Score
630+
28+
Student must take College
Level Math ACCUPLACER
exam
ACCUPLACER
Math Score
Courses
MATH 1101
Elementary Algebra (+ MATH 1102 Lab)
Elementary Algebra
or College Level
Math exam
Option to place out of the
General Education Program
requirement, unless course is
required by major
103-120
College Level Math
MATH 2214
600+
26+
86-102
College Level Math
MATH 1150
MATH 1140 (with Math Dept.
Chair Approval)
550+
24+
70-85
College Level Math
MATH 1110, MATH 1115, MATH
1130, CSCI 2611
<70
College Level Math
Student must take
Elementary Algebra
ACCUPLACER exam
500-540
22-23
90-120
Elementary Algebra
MATH 1105
480-490
21
76-89
Elementary Algebra
MATH 1105 + MATH 1106 Lab
440-470
18-20
39-75
Elementary Algebra
MATH 1101
< 440
< 18
< 39
Elementary Algebra
MATH 1101 + MATH 1102 Lab
Phil 2090
MATH 1105
Intermediate Algebra (+ MATH 1106 Lab)
MATH 1115
Survey of
Math
MATH 1123
Statistics
MATH 1130
Pre-Calculus I
MATH 1150
Pre-Calculus I
Pre-Calculus II
MATH 1140
Pre-Calculus II
MATH 2214
Calculus I
MATH 2215
Calculus II
Students on a picnic table
Hawaii loa campus
Review your Degree Requirements
Communication
Skills
Your degree at HPU is divided into three main categories: general education, major requirements,
and unrestricted electives.
& Creativity” and 2 upper-division
requirements in Research/Writing and
the appropriate Academic Advising Center
General education consists of 5 themes, and
Global Citizenship/Service Learning. For
for assistance.
each theme consists of 3 parts: A, B, and
a more detailed description of general
C. Students must choose one class in each
education requirements, visit
of these fifteen areas in order to complete
www.hpu.edu/gened.
In addition to completing all general
requirements. Course offerings available for
education and major requirements for
each of the fifteen areas are outlined below.
your academic program, you must earn a
Note that the courses you will take to
To look at your complete major
total of 124 credits or more to receive an
fulfill your general education requirements
requirements, refer to the HPU Academic
HPU degree. The number of unrestricted
may vary depending on your major so
Catalog: www.hpu.edu/catalog. Click
electives required will vary depending on
be sure to also review your program’s
on “Baccalaureate Degrees” under
the program requirements. Most HPU
major requirements when determining
“Undergraduate Programs” and click
courses are equivalent to 3 credit hours.
which general education courses to take.
on your intended major. You will see a
Language courses are equivalent to 4 credit
Pre-Nursing students fulfill the General
complete list of courses required for this
hours and labs are typically worth 1 credit.
Education requirements by completing
major. Most courses will also link to a
To reach 124 credits, you may have to take
the lower division and NUR courses in the
full course description with details about
additional courses of your choosing beyond
Nursing program requirements.
prerequisites that need to be completed
the ones outlined by your major and general
prior to enrollment in the course. If you
education requirements.
“Digital Literacy” and “Arts, Aesthetics,
have additional questions about general
A
JOUR 1100, WRI 1100, WRI 1150
Communication Contexts
the lower-division general education
There are also 2 cross-themes requirements:
Writing and Critical Thinking
education or major requirements, contact
B
COM 1000, COM 1200, COM
2500, ED 2300, HIST 1717,
FL 1100, 1200, 2100 or 2200
(A lower-division modern
language course)
Global
Systems
Research &
Epistemology
Natural Systems
Writing, Research and
Information Literacy
BIOL 1000,CHEM 1000, GEOG
1000, GEOL 1000, MARS 1000,
BIOL 2052 (For Natural Science
majors)
Globalization
ECON 1010, GEOG 2000, HIST
2002, MARS 1500, MULT 2060
COM 1400, WRI 1200
Numeracy and
Quantitative Reasoning
C
CLST 2600, COM 1500,
COM 2000, COM 2640,
CSCI 1011, LAT 110, MULT 1100,
THEA 1400,
Other Global Systems Courses
BIOL 1200, BIOL 1500, BIOL 2010,
BIOL 2030, CHEM 2050, CSCI
1041, ENVS 3000, HIST 263, INTR
1000, MULT 1050, PHYS 1020,
PSCI 1000, SOC 2600
Ethical Inquiry
AMST 1776, CLST 1000,ENG 2201,
ENG 2203, ENVS 1030, HUM
3000, PHIL 2500, PSCI 2000,
SWRK 2000, NUR 2000 (For
Nursing majors only)
World
Cultures
Cultures, Themes, and
Movements
ARTH 2000, ARTH 2100, ARTH
2200, ENG 2101, GEOG 1500,
HIST 2001, JADM 2000, MATH
2007, REL 1000
Social Choice
Engaging with Difference
CSCI 2611, MATH 1110, MATH 1115,
MATH 1130, MATH 1140, MATH
1150, MATH 2214, MATH 2215,PHIL
2090
BIOL 1300, ECON 1000,
ECON 2010, ED 2000, ENG 2202,
ENG 2204, ENG 2301, HIST 2111,
HUM 1000, JADM 1000,
PSCI 2500, SOC 2000,
THEA 1000
AL 1000, ANTH 2000,
BR 1020 (1021, 1022, 1023),
COM 2300, HIST 2402, HUM 1270,
MUS 2101, REL 2001, SOC 1000,
STSS 2601
Research and Epistemology in
the Disciplines
Other Values and Choices
Courses
ENG 1500, HIST 2900, MATH
1123, PHIL 3731, PHYS 2030, PHYS
2050, PSY 1000, SOC 2100
BRI 1000 (1001, 1002, 1003),
ECON 2015, ENG 2000,
HIST 2112, HIST 2301, HS 1000,
NSCI 2000, NSCI 2100, PHIL 1000,
PSCI 1400
For Nursing majors only, all
three of the following, required
as part of the major, will be
used to meet this requirement
NUR 2940, NUR 2960,NUR
2961
Other Communication Skills
Courses
Values &
Choices
Other World Cultures Courses
AL 2000, ARTS 1000, ARTS 2150,
BIOL 2170, ENG 2510, ENG 2520,
GEOG 2500, HIST 2113, HIST 2401,
MUS 1000, REL 2151, THEA 2320
• How to Review your Degree plan: www.hpu.edu/DegreePlanVideo
• How to Register and Search for Classes: www.hpu.edu/RegistrationVideo
Sign-up for New Student Orientation!
Student-professor group discussion
downtown campus
Now that you’ve registered for classes, your journey to HPU continues with our New
Student Orientation program. This informative and fun-filled experience will help you
Register for Classes
Writing and Math are the two most
important classes for new first-year students
because many courses build upon these
foundational skills. It is recommended
that students take 1 Writing course, 1 Math
course, and 2-3 additional courses from the
general education curriculum and lower
division program requirements in their first
semester.
Important Note! General education
requirements may vary depending on your
major, so make sure to choose classes
that are appropriate. Please contact your
academic advisor if you are unsure of which
courses to take in your first semester.
First-year seminars and global learning
experiences provide first-year students
with opportunities to explore international
perspectives and ideas around global
citizenship. These courses include field trips
and campus activities designed to enrich
a student’s academic and social life. For
more detailed information about suggested
first-year courses and seminar offerings, visit
www.hpu.edu/FirstYearPrograms and click
on “First Year Seminars.”
Make sure that Writing and Math
transition to university life, introduce you to HPU’s academic mission and goals, and
requirements have been fulfilled. If you
have taken Writing or Math courses at
other institutions, be sure to have those
courses transferred to HPU by providing the
Admissions Office with official transcripts
from your previous institution. If you have
an Associate of Arts degree, then most
general education requirements will be
covered with the exception of courses
that serve as pre-requisites for your
upper-division major requirements. It is
always a good idea to check with your
academic advisor to ensure that you are not
registering for courses for which you will be
receiving transfer credit.
Important Note! Transfer students should
always double-check to ensure that all
transcripts have been received by HPU
and that all courses have been evaluated
correctly.
connect you to students, staff, and faculty.
We invite incoming first-year and transfer students to attend New Student Orientation
with their families. All new, full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the fall or spring
semester are required to attend and will be charged a one-time orientation fee to their
student account (fee covers supplies, meals, transportation, and events).
Professor and Students
Hawaii loa campus
Registration information is available online at www.hpu.edu/orientation.
If you have questions, please email readysetgo@hpu.edu or
contact the Center for Student Life & First-Year Programs at 808-544-0277.
Downtown Campus
Academic Advising Center
1164 Bishop Street
UB Building, Suite 123
808-544-1198
advising@hpu.edu
Hawaii Loa Campus
Academic Advising Center
AC 103
808-236-3578
hlcadvising@hpu.edu