Link me! Link to page from your webpage or MySpace account: Just copy and paste! <a href='http://www.studentsreview.com/HI/HPU_g.html'> Hawaii Pacific University </a>

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In comparison to UH Manoa and the mainland state school I attended, HPU is, at a minimum, on-par and overall a GREAT school. As a graduate student these past 2-years, my experience has been largely positive for the following reasons: 1. Class scheduling is challenging at times but this is the case at many universities. 2. The level of instruction is good and the Professors are engaging and professional; especially during one-on-one, office-hour meetings. 3. The administrative personnel do their job. All I expect is that tasks get done in a timely manner. I have no expectations of pleasantries or hand-holding. 4. The tuition is on the higher side but manageable; considering the cost of doing business in Hawaii it's understandable. 5. The campuses are not large but have the necessary resources to do my work. Real estate in Hawaii is costly so I expected the facilities to be sparse and crowded and made the appropriate accommodations. 6. Social activities are mostly left to the devise of the student, which I have adapted to. I sincerely believe a student's experience at HPU is what he/she makes of it. If there are unrealistic expectations, entitlement attitudes, and/or an unwillingness to adapt to situations, then the experience will be negative. I venture to say this may be the case with some students who have posted negative comments here. Aug 03 2012 School of Information

Poor communication. Pre-registration a month in advance, then schedules can change every week, classes full prior to enrollment, deferment to alternate semester. Ridiculous! Apr 17 2012 Nursing

Complete waste of money. I feel like I'm receiving a high-school level degree. NOT a clinical program in nature AT ALL (as in, don't expect anything clinically relevant to be discussed in any classes ever.) Faculty don't get along with each other and often do not even teach from their own syllabi- so they are frequently confused with course requirements and don't even understand what they are supposed to be teaching. School work is busy work and could be done by a SW 101 student. Many classes are only offered on Saturdays, so be prepared for 9+ hour Saturdays. Most classes are only offered 1 section in class and if you aren't able to register for that in-class section you are required to take the course online. (This means that for a 50+ cohort only 20-30 get to take the in-class section, all others regardless of preference have to take the online sections). The University itself has almost no resources- 1 tiny computer lab downtown that is always packed with students and has terrible hours and 3 floors that are considered the "library" but have almost no applicable resources or books. Be prepared for terrible facilities including plaster falling off walls and everything looking like its 50+ years old. Honestly its baffling to try to figure out where the tuition money they receive even goes. The comments I've gotten when I asked peers about the school were: "I haven't learned anything"; "I'm too financially invested to go somewhere else, I'd rather just finish"; "I wouldn't have chosen this school if I knew what it was like"; "I only go to HPU because it is the only school that would fit my work schedule"; "If my spouse weren't stationed here I would go to another school"; "I'm embarrassed to say I go to school here"; "I wouldn't hire a student who graduated with their MSW from HPU" (can't blame this person- I'd honestly think twice about it myself and I am a current student...)-- just to name a few (I was frustrated with the program and personally spoke to 20+ other students. 1 had something positive to say about the program-- but then again, she had done her BSW at HPU so maybe she doesn't know any better...) Oct 26 2011 Social Work

I am a graduate student and picked HPU because of the 12 month MBA program. That was a mistake. The MBA counselor, Norma Kop, was very nice before I signed up for classes. After I had been enrolled and encountered a problem with the course outline she sent me, she was a nightmare. I have been sent condescending e-mails, and it is obvious they do not want students to graduate in 12 months, because of the tuition money they could receive if you were forced to stay longer. The whole 12 month program at this school is a joke. If you are thinking about attending the MBA program at HPU...DO NOT. Nov 04 2010 Business - Management and Administration

Please be advised: Has anyone had to deal with the Financial Aid department at this university? Prior to arriving in Hawaii at HPU, I had to deal with the Financial Aid Counselors over the phone and they continually revised my award and sent me emails "by mistake". Keep in mind, I registered full time via pipeline and not once made a change to switch or adjust my schedule in any way. To make matters worse, when the term started the personnel in that department were of no help. The Financial Aid department finally "corrected" my account and I turned to the Finance and Operations office for help. The staff there kept me up to date on my account and somehow I ended up on this discrepancy hold list for no apparent reason. Fed up with my experience I spoke to the Director of Financial Aid ADAM HATCH about the horrible treatment of his staff and their condescending tone to students. They were not helpful, friendly, or emphatic to the situation that I was in. In fact, as I was leaving the office Adam Hatch called me a "problematic" student. It is unfortunate for someone with his authority and title to reflect such a awful image and provide a memorable experience to say the least. Jan 29 2010 Business - Management and Administration

Honestly , HPU business school is not accrediated .most students are International student , so u dun require a gmat , scannin process is real bad , so u have any and every student at HPU . So if u wanan spend ur hard earned money on somethin like this ,its well and gud ,if u international and want to go back to your country not a problem .. Finance departmnet for MBA is totally down the drains after few proff lef las year . hard to find work in university for students ..i am here i know whats going in so im being honest... Nov 25 2009 Unknown

It is unfortunate that pro UH Manoa transfer students feel the compulsion to express their caustic visceral biases against HPU on this board. Isn't Hawai'i big enough to have several schools? Aug 26 2008 Business - Management and Administration

The level of instruction you receive in the teacher education program is very sub par. Very under qualified professors and now it takes longer to complete their program. Do yourself a favor and go to UH! Jul 09 2008 Education

HPU's programs are tailored for the real world. Don't expect any babysitting and wiping your nose when you don't have the attention you expect. If the small class sizes and accessibility to professors are not enough then try experiencing a big state school-take a number and hope they call your name! May 07 2008 Education

the masters program at HPU is horrible. they will say one thing and not hold true to it. the teachers seem to care but they really don't. the administration only cares about themselves. wouldn't you think administration would want the best for their students. nope, not this college. this is an expensive school and i highly suggest going somehwere else. Apr 16 2008 Education

When I applied to HPU I worked some part time jobs, took a full load and wanted high grades (to pursue a DBA/PHD) later. After graduating I worked in several Silicon Valley (San Jose) and now involved in a lot of International Business in the Asia Pacific region. I have friends that have graduated from HPU's MBA and MSIS and most of us share the same opinion about our experience at HPU. HPU is an EXCELLENT school for "working adults"--quite possibly one of the best. HPU also has a strong reputation with the local Honolulu working community, so much so that it has just opened an Entrepreneurial Center connecting students with employers. Employers like this school and its graduates. HPU was exactly what I was searching for, after working in Europe for 4 years I decided to come to a location that was very cosmopolitan with a peaceful environment yet allowing me to focus on my career goals. Their programs are very flexible(in terms of schedule, unit load, etc.) You can enroll in evening, weekend, online and day classes. Most full-time workers who attend HPU go part-time. HPU is located in a highly central, very convenient location. And its curriculums are very well designed. At the graduate and undergrad programs you can be assured your degree will be focused in areas that will be of direct, measurable benefit to your profession. HPU is not a school for everyone and if you expect to have an identical experience with a big state or private school, you will be disappointed. There is no greek life, big bands, big sports etc. This school is not for everyone. It may not seem as challenging as most seem to expect, however, the pass rate for CPA exams are high and those continuing their education to top ranked schools is also very high. The student body is filled with a lot of motivated, ambitious and certainly bright people. HPU student body is very international so even though internationals may not seem vocal in class most come from well ranked schools in their own respective countries. They choose HPU because of its proximity to Asia Pacific, relatively low cost (nearly all are 100% self funding) and Safety. If you want to connect with a lot of alumni from Asia Pacific, including China-consider HPU! The quality of instructors is very high. Many of the professors at HPU have degrees from top-rated universities all over the country: Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, Wharton etc. There are NO teaching assistants and many of the professors get the students directly involved in class. HPU professors are one of the best kept secrets in Hawaii, most have had mainland/international working experience and have decided to go into quasi retirement and teach. Most of the classes can be quite challenging but it really all depends on your class group. If you are in one with a lot of working experience-like I was, the discussions can be pretty interesting and heated. HPU downtown campus is not a place for social life. Like most urban small city universities, HPU at night is dead so you will have to find your own "cliques" and buddies to chill out in Waikiki or locals to take you to their homes during the weekends. However, the are more clubs and organizations at HPU now. There are many professional, outdoorsy and cultural clubs now but I never really joined them as I knew I basically enjoyed the outdoor green/breach Life -especially coming from cold, grey Europe. The Students Life organization encourages new clubs and holds annual events. The Cheerleading group is No.1 in the US. Most HPU professors, I would say, tend to be "conservative liberals" consequently they are more open-minded and willing to accept countering points of view. Generally, they seem fair in their grading and even when I was taking undergraduate prerequisites I felt that they were never judgmental about my opinions. This is one of HPU's greatest assets, it fosters open-mindedness which is something you do not find in many state schools or even big private schools. Living in Hawaii is expensive as non of the housing is subsidized. Gas is costly and so is food but then again if everything was the same price Hawaii would end up like another urban city in the North West. Rent a condo with some classmates and enjoy the islands and the unique settings of Hawaii- if you don't like islands, ocean, many minorities/internationals and a small school feel-then HPU probably isn't for you. However, if you want a good education and like to explore the world and people without leaving home than HPU is perfect! Dec 30 2007 Business - Management and Administration

The MBA program develops the students’ analytical skills through both qualitative and highly mathematical classes. The classes often focus on real life problem solving and team oriented projects. The cultural diversity of the student body makes team projects challenging, and one will learn to be responsive and sensitive to other cultures. The MBA program is recommended if you are able to adapt to an international lifestyle and environment. Dec 25 2006 Finance

THe MBA at HPU is great if you are an international student looking for a degree to take back home without the academics involved. The heavy mix of internationals makes the grading dumbed down. Everything is a group project, even the exams. You will probably get stuck with a group of dummies who don't know what to do. Every class is like that. The professors care to some extant, but they are forced to do the group projects. Parking was hard to find 5 years ago. Now it is non-existant. Oct 03 2006 Business - Management and Administration

Just because it is Hawai'i, doesn't mean your education will be any less rigorous. Jan 04 2004 Business - Management and Administration

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