This baccalaureate program delivered through Distance Education has been established as a transfer program for students who have completed the first two years of coursework (freshman and sophomore) in-person or online at UH West Oʻahu, from a community college in the UH system or from an accredited institution outside of the UH System.

Hawaiian-Pacific Studies is the study of the Hawaiian and Pacific Island peoples and cultures. Hoʻokahi paena o ka moana nui ʻakea. At the foundation of the Hawaiian-Pacific Studies program is the perspective and understanding that a single ocean connects the islands and the peoples of the Pacific and Hawaiʻi. The societies of the Pacific have their own unique histories, languages, cultures, literature, arts, social structure, architecture, and contemporary issues. The Hawaiian-Pacific Studies concentration offers a wide array of courses on Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands, giving students an overview of Pacific Island peoples and an in-depth knowledge of specific aspects of the cultures of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The curriculum provides a good foundation of knowledge, including art, history, language, literature, and contemporary issues of all Oceania (including Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) with Hawai‘i at its core.