UH West O'ahu first in Hawai'i to offer Facilities Management concentration

Bachelor of Applied Science in Facilities Management to be offered fall 2015

This fall, the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu will offer a new Bachelor of Applied Science concentration in Facilities Management, the first of its kind in Hawaiʻi, and will join a group of just nine universities across the country to address the growing need for qualified facility management professionals.

UH West Oʻahu’s Facilities Management concentration was created to educate future professionals in the evolving facility management industry that is increasingly characterized by computerized, electronic systems, and modern energy-efficient facilities as well as aging building infrastructures. According to the International Facility Management Association Foundation, 50% of the existing Facility Management workforce will retire in five to 15 years. UHWO Facilities Management students will graduate into a field filled with high-demand, high-paying, local and national career opportunities in facilities planning and maintenance, building management and operations.

“We are thrilled to add this innovative academic concentration to our Bachelor of Applied Science program,” said UHWO Interim Academic Program Officer and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Sherry Proper. “It is a great example of UH West Oʻahu’s attention to workforce needs in Hawaiʻi and of our collaboration with both private and public industries. We are extremely grateful to have government organizations and private businesses supporting this initiative that will prepare future professionals for exciting careers as facilities managers.”

The UH West Oʻahu Bachelor of Applied Science in Facilities Management was developed in partnership with the Office of Naval Research that provided the University with funding for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs including Facilities Management where students take courses in science, pre-engineering, facility operations, energy efficiency, and business.

“The new Facilities Management concentration will provide a tremendous opportunity for students interested in a career that combines the STEM related field of sustainable buildings with elements of business management,” said Dr. Richard Carlin of the Office of Naval Research.

The UHWO Facilities Management concentration is also sponsored by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, and Hawaii Energy, the ratepayer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program serving Hawaiʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui, Molokai and Oʻahu, that supported the inception of the Facilities Management program and provided funding for curriculum development, training and education for UHWO instructors, and development of industry support.

Through the UHWO Bachelor of Applied Science in Facilities Management, students and current professionals will have the opportunity to earn the following facility management certifications:

·      Building Operator Certification

·      IFMA Facility Management Professional

·      IFMA Sustainable Facility Management Professional

·      IFMA Certified Facility Manager

For more information about the UH West Oʻahu Bachelor of Applied Science concentration in Facilities Management, visit http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu/academics/degrees-and-certificates/bachelor-of-applied-sciences/facilities-management/ To apply to UH West Oʻahu, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu/admissions, call (808) 689-2900 or email uhwo.admissions@hawaii.edu. The fall 2015 application deadline is July 1.

Organizations interested in supporting the UH West Oʻahu Bachelor of Applied Science in Facilities Management may contact UHWO Interim Academic Program Officer and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Sherry Proper at sproper@hawaii.edu.

Established in 1976, the University of Hawaiʻi - West O‘ahu offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention with academic programs that emphasize the exploration of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies. UH West O‘ahu serves approximately 2,700 students at its brand new, state-of-the-art campus that opened in the City of Kapolei in 2012. For more information, visit www.uhwo.hawaii.edu, call (808) 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656. Find us on Facebook and Twitter.