An applicant for admission to the master's degree program must hold or expect to hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or its equivalent from a recognized institution of higher learning (see international credentials in the Graduate Admissions Application & Information Brochure and/or visit the Graduate Division's website for detailed information). The standards of the degree in question must be equivalent in both the distribution of academic subject matter and the scholarship achievement requirements to those maintained at the University of Hawai‘i. Professional degrees, such as the MD, DVM, and DDS, that are equivalent in depth to a U. S. bachelor's degree also qualify an applicant for consideration. At a minimum, the applicant needs to demonstrate above average academic performance (B average or its equivalent) for his or her undergraduate work and for any post-baccalaureate or graduate course work.

A transcript from each post-secondary institution attended

At minimum, the applicant needs to demonstrate above average academic performance (B average, usually a 3.0 on a 1.0-4.0 scale) for undergraduate course work and for any post-baccalaureate or graduate course work.

Applications for admission will not be processed until official TOEFL results have been received. TOEFL scores that are more than two years old and/or photocopies of the Examinee Score Report are not acceptable. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for master's degree applicants is 550 (213 for the computer-based test, 79-80 for the Internet-based test) and 600 (250 for the computer-based test, 100 for the Internet-based test) for doctoral degree applicants.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score reports may be submitted in lieu of the TOEFL. An IELTS overall score of 6 or higher is required for master's degree applicants and a score of 7 or higher is required for doctoral applicants. Applicants should contact the nearest British Council/Embassy/Consulate or IDP Education Australia Office in their country for the nearest testing center. It is advised that applicants also check the IELTS website for the most up-to-date information for testing centers.