One of the world's leading institutions focusing on the tropics, JCU is surrounded by the spectacular ecosystems of the rainforests of the Wet tropics, the dry savannahs, and the iconic Great Barrier Reef. Our unique location enables students from Australia and overseas to study in a diverse physical environment unparalleled by any university in the world.
4.4 out of 5 (22 ratings / 18 reviews) Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Bachelor's programmes
Social Sciences (10)
- Bachelor Advanced Science
- B.A. Arts
- Bachelor Arts - Business
- Bachelor Business - Psychological Science
- Bachelor Economics (Honours)
- Bachelor Occupational Therapy (Honours)
- Bachelor Psychological Science
- Bachelor Psychological Science (Honours)
- Bachelor Speech Pathology
Medicine & Health (9)
- Bachelor Biomedical Sciences
- Bachelor Dental Surgery
- Diploma Health (Nursing Pathway)
- Bachelor Medical Laboratory Science (Honours)
- Bachelor Medicine - Surgery
- Bachelor Pharmacy
- Bachelor Physiotherapy
- Bachelor Speech Pathology
- Bachelor Veterinary Science
Business & Management (7)
- B.A. Arts - Science
- Bachelor Business
- B.A. Business
- Bachelor Business - Laws
- Bachelor Business - Psychological Science
- Bachelor Business and Environmental Science
- Bachelor Planning
Engineering & Technology (6)
- Graduate Diploma Engineering
- B.Sc. Engineering (Honours)
- B.Eng. Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor Marine Science
Education & Training (5)
- Bachelor Education (Primary)
- Bachelor Occupational Therapy (Honours)
- Bachelor Secondary Education
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (5)
- Bachelor Advanced Science
- B.A. Arts - Science
- Bachelor Biomedical Sciences
- B.Sc. Engineering (Honours)
- B.Sc. Science
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (4)
- Bachelor Business and Environmental Science
- Bachelor Environmental Practice
- Bachelor Geology
- B.Sc. Science
Law (4)
- Bachelor Business - Laws
- L.L.B. Laws
- B.Sc. Laws
- L.L.B. Laws (Graduate Entry)
Computer Science & IT (3)
- B.Sc. Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor Information Technology
Hospitality, Leisure & Sports (2)
- Bachelor Sport and Exercise Science
Humanities (2)
- Bachelor Arts - Business
- Bachelor Speech Pathology
Agriculture & Forestry (1)
- Bachelor Marine Science
Applied Sciences & Professions (1)
- Bachelor Social Work
About
History
JCU is Queensland’s second oldest university. We offered our first courses in Townsville in 1961 as an annex of the University of Queensland. Since then we have become a dynamic, multi-campus university with a total of 17,500 students. Our main campuses are located in Townsville and Cairns, and we have international campuses in Singapore and Brisbane.
Education
Our career-focussed courses are designed to prepare graduates for the workforce by experiencing real-life scenarios while learning from leading industry professionals. JCU students graduate job-ready, equipped with the practical skills and confidence required to face the challenges of the future.
Research
The James Cook University Research portfolio is a full profile of our researchers and their research efforts, demonstrating everything from publications to supervision and collaboration to research projects and grants.
Career
- The JCU Careers and Employment Service has offices on the Townsville and Cairns campuses. It offers student and graduate career advice, job application and career planning workshops, career information libraries, and an online job database, CareerHub.
- The Service also organises an annual careers fair that brings major employers and industries to the Townsville and Cairns campuses.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2019
GSSA 2019
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsUniversity Ranking
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2020
201
2019
201
2018
201
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2019
201
2018
201 100
2017
301
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2020
271 -26
2019
245 8
2018
253
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2020
377 -8
2019
369 -2
2018
367
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Services
Student services
AccessAbility Services is a confidential support service for all students on campus who identify as having a temporary or permanent disability, injury, illness or health condition. The service can, for example, provide alternative formatting of course materials, supply assistive equipment and aids, and liaise with teaching staff. Medical documentation is required in order to register with the service and AccessAbility Support Advisers are based on the Cairns and Townsville campuses.
Housing services
JCU Accommodation Services is a resource available to all JCU students looking for on-campus accommodation for long term and short term stays. Short study stays, group and conference bookings are also available to students, visitors and staff.
Library services
Library and Information Services provides knowledge services to support the University’s high quality education and world-class research through innovative discovery and access to:
- information resources, scholarly and cultural collections
- learning facilities
- library and research services in the physical and virtual environments
ICT services
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at James Cook University (JCU) provides essential services and support to the JCU community. We aim to make sure that your experience with information and communication technology at JCU, meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.
Medical services
JCU’s Counselling Service is confidential and available to students on the Cairns and Townsville campuses. Individual and group counselling is available if you have personal issues like stress, relationships or anxiety. The Service also conducts workshops on topics including Settling into University and Managing Stress.
Student Life
Campus life
JCU campuses are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to allow optimal learning experiences. Our cutting-edge lecture theatres and our small tutorial sizes are designed to encourage collaborative learning and problem-solving. JCU’s external study options offer flexibility for students who want to complete courses at their own pace or from a distance.
Sports facilities
There are a wide range of sporting club, annual sporting events, and social sport to keep you healthy and happy while studying.
- JCU Fitness Gym (Townsville)
- JCU Fitness Centre (Cairns)
- Sports at JCU
Student clubs
The JCU Student Association represents the interests of all students at JCU. Membership is voluntary and entitles you to discounts at food outlets on the Cairns and Townsville campuses, and at the gym and The Club (Townsville). Membership also entitles you to social sport nominations; participation in the Fisher Shield competition and access to specialist support services such as tax help; student employment; welfare support; and academic support.
Student Reviews
I am ambitious and passionate to pursue my study in order to be a qualified professor in my country.
Anonymous rated 3 out of 5 stars
The professors are very helpful but the access to the facility is very limited
A Canadian studying medicine down under
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
I lived both on and off-campus and discovered that I enjoy the off-campus life more. I enjoy spending time at the university's library when I'm preparing for exams or writing assignments. The university offers three hour GLS's where we can improve our understanding. They have placements after every year and clinical skills sessions to help us feel confident once we...
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
Professional teachers and good study environment.
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