James Cook University (JCU) is Australia’s leading university for the tropics
With campuses situated in the tropical northern cities of Townsville and Cairns, students have access to the World-Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the ancient Daintree Rainforest. In addition to a campus in Singapore, the University also has a campus in Brisbane, a leading destination for international education, business, investment and major events.
* Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016.
Bring your studies to life
Students at JCU have access to a range of opportunities to bring their studies to life, from real-world projects with industry partners, to field trips in the tropical environments of north Queensland. JCU’s Work Integrated Learning program equips students with practical skills and experience to succeed after graduation.
Career-relevant courses
A comprehensive selection of exciting and career-relevant courses are available at undergraduate and postgraduate level across a broad range of academic areas. JCU aims to give graduates the qualifications and skills they need for the global workforce. Students can pursue an undergraduate, postgraduate or research degree at James Cook University.
Campus life
Students on the Cairns or Townsville campus have access to a variety of services and facilities. Both campuses are located in natural surroundings, with state-of-the-art buildings set amongst parkland.
Support services
- Preparing for arrival information
- Free arrival and accommodation service
- Orientation program
- Personal well-being and welfare support
- Social activities
- Returning home program
Did you know….?
- JCU is ranked in the top 4% of the world’s tertiary institutions for academic studies and research
- JCU is an outstanding contributor to student learning, according to the Australian Awards for University Teaching, Office for Learning and Teaching.
- JCU received five stars for job success from the Good Universities Guides 2015.
- Teaching and Research Specialisations/Strengths
- JCU is known to conduct nationally and internationally significant research in a range of areas, including; environmental science and management, marine science, ecology, biology and biochemistry, geosciences, tropical health and medicine, high speed wind engineering, linguistics and tourism studies.
- JCU’s extensive network of research stations and facilities include sites on the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests of northern Queensland.
- JCU is a member of Innovative Research Universities (IRU), an Australian network conducting research of national and international standing.
- JCU is ranked in the top two Australian universities and top 30 in the world in Environmental Sciences and Ecology, according to the 2014 US News and World Report and 2014 NTU global rankings
- JCU is the highest cited research institution in the world for coral reef science, according to the ISI Essential Science Indicators 2008-2013