Focus Requirement Courses

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The Focus requirements are specific designations that may be required to complete a program. They identify important additional skills and knowledge necessary for living and working in diverse communities. Courses fulfilling Focus requirements are offered in departments across the curriculum and vary each semester. To meet a Focus requirement, a course must have an official UH Mānoa Focus designation during the semester in which it is taken. Courses taken outside the UH System may be subjected to review by Admissions and Records with subject matter expert support to fulfill Focus requirements.

Programs offered at Kaua‘i Community College may require one or more of the following Focus requirements:

  • Hawaiian, Asian, and Pacific Issues (HAP)*
  • Pacific Island Culture (PC)
  • Writing Intensive (WI)*

*Focus requirements that will transfer to other UH campuses.

All focus requirement designations are available in STAR (star.hawaii.edu) and the Class Availability website (https://www.sis.hawaii.edu:9234/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/term/termSelection?mode=search).

FOCUS REQUIREMENT: HAWAIIAN, ASIAN, AND PACIFIC ISSUES - HAP

For programs that require either a HAP or PC designation, a HAP course is recommended if the student plans to transfer to a 4-year UH institution.

A list of HAP courses are available at: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/vp-academic-strategy/academic-programs-and-policy/hap/

FOCUS REQUIREMENT: WRITING INTENSIVE - WI

Each semester, courses from a variety of disciplines are offered which are designated WI. These courses emphasize using writing as a tool to help students think actively about course content; in addition, WI instructors commit to helping students improve their writing ability. WI courses require students to write 4,000 words over the course of a semester; at least 1,000 words must be polished prose. Completion of two WI courses is required for the A.A. degree in Liberal Arts; however, students planning to transfer to UH Mānoa or UH Hilo may opt to take several WI courses to help meet these schools’ requirements. Current WI course offerings appear on the Class Availability link on the Kaua‘i Community College home page.