James Cook University
James Cook University is Australia's leading tropical research university. The university has 2 campuses - the main campus in Townsville and a smaller campus in Cairns. The Townsville campus is located in the North-eastern part of Queensland in a 386-hectare setting of natural bush and parkland, and approx 2 hours from the Great Barrier Reef.
The campus is home to various Australia native birds and animals include kookaburras, cockatoos, bush turkeys and wallabies. There are about 11,400 students on the Townsville campus, and 130,000 people live in Townsville. The city enjoys a relaxed lifestyle and a lower cost of living than the major Australian cities. On average, there are over 300 days of sunshine a year in the region, with summer temperatures averaging 24-34 degrees and winter minimum temperatures of 10-15 degrees.
Academics
James Cook University attracts science students; priority will be given to marine biology and biology majors. If no science students apply, other majors may be accepted. To be considered a full-time student, you must take four courses per semester. See the full list of courses.
Semester 1: mid-February to mid-July
Semester 2: late-July to mid-November
Estimated cost of living
Airfare: $2,000 - 2,500
Visa: $550
Rent: $400 - 600/month
Food: $250 - 350/month
Books: $200 - 500
Accommodation
Campus residences are very desirable and competitive; most students live off-campus in shared apartments. Learn more about what's offered.
Testimonial from a past student
"Participating in the Study Abroad Program was the coolest thing I have ever done! I had the opportunity to meet some great people, see some amazing places and study course material that I otherwise wouldn't have been exposed to! My classes even included field trips to the beach and the Australian Outback, who could ask for more? I needed to de-stress before exams and decided to jump out of a perfectly good plane at 14 thousand feet in the air!! We jumped out over the Great Barrier Reef and landed on Mission Beach in Brisbane! It was the scariest thing I have ever done, but the views were spectacular and it was the highlight of my trip! I strongly urge anyone who has the opportunity to study abroad to take it, you won't regret it and the memories will last a lifetime!"
Amanda Grant, BSC student who studied in Townsville in Winter 2009
