Graduate Certificate (GCERT) in Indigenous Planning

The Graduate Certificate (GCERT) in Indigenous Planning offers students and professionals in planning and related fields an in-depth understanding of Indigenous Peoples, processes, and practices to enrich urban and regional planning. Designed for both standalone study or concurrent enrollment with a UHM graduate degree, the program prepares participants to:

  • Engage respectfully with Indigenous worldviews, knowledge systems, and methodologies.
  • Apply Indigenous and Hawaiian-informed approaches to land use, sustainability, housing, and community development.
  • Center planning practices around core values such as pilina, kuleana, and aloha, with a focus on ethics, equity, and inclusion.

The GCERT requires completion of five courses (16 credits): one core, four electives, and a capstone.

Applicants must have a BA, BS, or a professional degree and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible.

PLAN 600: Public Policy and Planning Theory, with a minimum grade of B, is a prerequisite for the required course PLAN 611: Foundations in Indigenous Planning. Although recommended, PLAN 600 can be waived for applicants with a prior planning degree or three years of relevant planning/planning-related work experience.

Applications for the GCERT in Indigenous Planning should be submitted to the Graduate Division and include the following:

  1. Statement of interest outlining interest in/commitment to Indigenous planning
  2. Resume detailing relevant academic and professional experiences
  3. Two letters of reference attesting to the applicant’s academic and professional potential

Tuition is $650 (Hawai‘i resident) or $1402 (out-of-state and international) per graduate course credit for the 2026-2027 academic year. For current rates, check Tuition & Fees on the University website.

Required Courses*

  • PLAN 611: Foundations in Indigenous Planning (Instructor: Dr. Konia Freitas)
  • PLAN 752: Directed Project (capstone, 1 credit)

Electives** (at least two of the four should be HWST courses)

  • PLAN 473: GIS for Community Planning
  • PLAN 616: Community-Based Planning
  • PLAN 622: Advanced Environmental Impact Assessment
  • PLAN 675: Preservation: Theory and Practice
  • PLAN 678: Site Planning
  • HWST 601: Indigenous Research Methodologies
  • HWST 603: Review of Hawaiian Literature
  • HWST 631: Pono Science
  • HWST 650: Hawaiian Geography and Resource Management
  • HWST 651: ʻĀina Waiwai: Water, Food Sovereignty, and Ancestral Abundance
  • HWST 652: Kānāwai Lawaiʻa: Hawaiʻi’s Ocean and Fisheries Laws
  • HWST 653: Historic Preservation Law
  • HWST 659: He Aliʻi Ka ʻĀina: Land, Resources, and Leadership
  • PUBA 641: Indigenous Governance
  • NREM 620: Kaiaulu: Care and Collaborative Management of Natural Resources
  • POLS 684: Contemporary Native Hawaiian Politics
  • POLS 777: Decolonial Futures
  • PACS 601: Learning Oceania
  • PACS 602: Re/Presenting Oceania
  • PACS 603: Researching Oceania

* All courses are 3 credits unless noted otherwise.
** Electives should be selected in consultation with the GCERT Coordinator, Dr. Priyam Das. The core course, PLAN 611: Foundations in Indigenous Planning, and another HWST course can be double-counted as electives for the MURP degree.

  • Fall Semester: March 1
  • Spring Semester: September 1