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Location
  • Australia
    • Townsville
    • Cairns
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Accounting Advertising Anthropology Archaeology Arts Australian Studies Biochemistry Biology Business Chemistry Conservation and Preservation Cultural Studies Earth Sciences Ecology Economics Engineering Entrepreneurship Environmental Studies Field Studies Finance Geology Indigenous Cultures Information Technology International Business Law Marine Biology Marketing Mathematics Oceanography Physics Social Sciences Sociology Sustainable Development Tourism Wildlife Sciences +25
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Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
Degree Level
Bachelors Masters
Housing
Apartment Dormitory Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

Starting Price
5700
Price Details
Check our website for more details on our fees.
What's Included
Airport Transfers Classes
What's Not Included
Accommodation Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Meals SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance Visa
Mar 05, 2025
Nov 05, 2024
Wish List
21 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

JCU is Australia’s leading university for the Tropics. Each trimester, we welcome students from all over the world to our Study Abroad program. The program gives you the opportunity to study at an undergraduate or postgraduate level in Tropical North Queensland for up to three consecutive trimesters (depending on your level of study), while receiving credit for your studies back home. North Queensland offers a unique combination of stunning climate, pollution-free environment and a relaxed lifestyle. Our campuses in Cairns and Townsville are each within 30 minutes of Australia's Big Three - the Great Barrier Reef, tropical rainforests and the outback.

Australia is a welcoming and multicultural society, rich with nationalities and cultures from all over the world. Our regions are one of Australia’s – and the world's – leading hubs for coast and tropical science and environmental studies, so if you’re interested in the future of the planet, there are few better places to study.

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Video and Photos

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Students arriving to the welcome service
JCU students on electric scooters
JCU students and kangaroo selfie
International Orientation
International students dancing at International Café
Diver and a turtle
Great coral, Great Barrier Reef
Mountain bikers in the rainforest
Ringer and cattle at sunrise
Students sitting under the shade of a palm tree on the beach
Research vessel in the sunset
JCU student play basketball by the beach
John Grey Hall, Cairn Campus
JCU Cairns Campus. The Cairns Institute
JCU Cairns Campus. The Ideas Lab
JCU Townsville Campus. The Science Place
JCU Townsville Campus. Inside the Science Place
JCU Townsville Campus. Outdoor study options
JCU Townsville Campus. Education Central
JCU Townsville Campus. Inside Education Central

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

JCU is proud of the cultural richness and diversity of our university community, and is committed to fostering an environment free of discrimination, where all students feel safe and valued regardless of their background. Equity Contact Officers (ECOs) can listen and advise students wanting to discuss a potential harassment, discrimination or bullying concern and programs available for its resolution.
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JCU is proudly committed to developing and maintaining a safe, positive, supportive and inclusive environment for our LGBTQIA+ community of students. Students can interact with sexually and gender diverse students and allies, or help support diversity and inclusiveness at JCU, by joining our dedicated Facebook groups or visiting our rainbow lounges.
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JCU is committed to ensuring that students living with a disability and/or health condition have equal opportunities to access, engage and participate in all levels of our university. Students with a documented disability or a short or long term health condition can register with AccessAbility to access a range of support services and assistance, including Access Plans, Reasonable Adjustments, access to assistive technology and software, alternative formatting, alternative assessment, examination adjustments and more.
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Impact 🌎

JCU recognises that sustainability is fundamental to a thriving society and is committed to the pursuit of more sustainable ways of living. This requires working collaboratively to build social, environmental and economic systems and processes that seek to enhance the current and future quality of life of all living entities. Through world-class research and productive industry partnerships, JCU is focused on delivering innovative and impactful outcomes that help secure a sustainable future for our region.
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JCU was established with a clear mandate to encourage study and research generally and with a focus on topics of special importance to the people of the Tropics. Working in, with and for the communities in which we are based, we are responsive to their needs and champions for transformative education and research. In doing so we act ethically, transparently and with generosity of spirit, advocating for, partnering with and making a difference to the regions we serve.
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Program Highlights

  • Enjoy spectacular, sunny weather in Townsville and Cairns all year-round and the significantly lower cost of living than many metropolitan centres.
  • Make the most of North Queensland’s extraordinary combination of reefs, rainforests, significant coastal, mountain and outback ecosystems, and Indigenous centres.
  • Explore our famous beaches with white sand and crystal-clear waters, visit stunning waterfalls, take part in rainforest and bush hikes, mountain biking, snorkeling and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and experience native Australian wildlife.
  • Choose from a range of JCU subjects and receive credit for your studies at your home institution, while benefitting from small class sizes and receiving personalised learning support and hands-on experience like no other.
  • Make friends and enjoy on-campus accommodation options; get ready for not only an education, but an adventure.

Program Reviews

4.94 Rating
based on 18 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 94.44%
  • 4 rating 5.56%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.45
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.95
  • Housing 4.45
  • Safety 4.7
Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Solo Travelers
Showing 17 - 18 of 18 reviews
Default avatar
Dena
27
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unreal Experience

Dec 9, 2021

I was not excited about having to study abroad but after attending JCU, I would happily do it all over again! I chose this school because they have great kinesiology options that allowed me to stay on track to graduate on time. I loved the format of classes and the opportunity to get to know my classmates and collaborate. The study abroad program here is well established and makes you feel right at home. I made so many lifelong friends from the states and from Australia whom I still keep up with!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I highly recommend staying in the dorms if you can! Uni Hall made my experience what it was
86 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Meeting the wallabies
Response from

Hi Dena,
We're so glad that you enjoyed your Study Abroad experience at JCU! It makes us happy to hear that you've made such strong friendships and that it was a positive addition to your Kinesiology program back home. And what a great photo as well! We hope that you'll come visit us again soon at JCU :)

Cheers,
The International Team
JCU

By Samantha Brown on December 20, 2021
Default avatar
Haley
28
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Studying abroad in Townsville through IFSA Butler

Jun 12, 2018

The reason that I went to study abroad in Townsville, Australia was to follow the path of my older sister who studied abroad there four years ago. Her stories of the people, classes, and weather all easily convinced me to study abroad there. However, while I felt that my experience was far different from hers, it was even better than I imagined. I got to start my trip off in Sydney exploring the city, getting used to the time change and taking some excursions to the blue mountains and aboriginal sites where we could learn about the culture of indigenous australians. Then, going to James Cook University, we were picked up by students at the airport who were able to tell us all about our dorm and we even saw some wild wallabies on our way onto campus. I learned a lot in my classes, which were all centered around Australian culture, health and climate but even the learning style was something that I had to get used to. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad would be working at the culture fest that was hosted on James Cook University's campus. While for volunteering I was only asked to direct traffic, I was able to get a free pass to go through the culture fest which included singers and performers from multiple different cultures as well as food, jewelry, and clothes being sold which I took full advantage of. James Cook University also put on international Cafes for international students where they would have different people come in and talk and different prizes. At one of them I even won tickets to go see the women's basketball game. The school hosted 'free lunch fridays' where they once offered kangaroo sausage as we got to watch a snake handler show us some of the most dangerous snakes in Australia. Pictures of my memories from Townsville are now plastered on the walls of my room and I still keep in contact with the people from my dorm. It was an amazing experience and I would do anything to be able to do it again.

What would you improve about this program?
My program received all our orientation in Sydney and I wish they had taken a day or so to show us all the amazing things that Townsville had to offer as well since I feel like I missed some of the landmarks and sites.
80 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Surfing
University Hall Ball
University Hall Sports Competition
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Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Haley Colpitts

Program
Study Abroad at James Cook University, Australia
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Why did you choose this program?

I have been interested in studying abroad in Australia ever since my older sister did while she was in college. I was lucky enough to study in the same school as her in Townsville. Along with all of her amazing stories of the people and, of course the weather, i wasn’t interested in studying in Townsville because of its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and the school’s focus on marine biology.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program provider held a four day orientation for everyone in Sydney before we all split up and went to our respective schools. During this orientation they filled out days with activities like hiking the blue mountains, a walking city tour, a night time dinner cruise, and a trip to Bondi beach. James Cook University in Townsville hosted international student breakfasts every Tuesday with special Australian guests or presentations and music and free lunch Fridays where they also brought in traditional Australian entertainment and food.

On my own I had to navigate the city and figure out how to use the public transportation. That, however, was easy since things in Townsville are pretty similar to how things are from where I’m from plus in the same language. The most difficult thing to figure out was where my classes were, since I typically go to a small liberal arts school in America and James Cook had a campus that was significantly larger. I also had to figure out budgeting for all my excursions.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My study abroad experience was significantly different then my other friends who went abroad to other schools or to other countries. James Cook University encourages abroad students to live in dorms with the Australian students. I found that this promoted my friendships with Australians and my involvement in the school.

I would recommend to students going abroad to Townsville to get involved in their dorm spirit and by to waste a single day. I remember there was a river walking distance from my dorm that had a dock and rope swing that a plethora of us frequented. It was a free option at exploring Townsville and enjoying the biodiversity which is unique to the tropics.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Typically on a week day i would wake up in the morning, go to my dorms dining hall for breakfast then head out to class. After my classes i would eat some vegemite on toast and whatever the daily special was and hangout with my friends. After lunch i would either walk to the river or the pool or sometimes take the bus to the ocean. At night we would all go cheer on our dorm as they challenged the other dorms in sports for the year long competition. Weekends I would take longer excursions such as to the billabong wildlife sanctuary and then at night go support a boy who lived in my hall as he DJ-ed at a local bar with my friends.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear going abroad was that I wouldn’t have enough money to do everything i wanted. I actually wasn’t able to, but instead of focusing of the stuff I could do, I focused on the once in a lifetime experiences that I was able to have. None of my time there I consider to be boring or a waste of time and even though my money did run out like I feared I am incredibly happy with how i spent it.

Do you have any prior travel experience?

I spent my spring break traveling to Bali with some friends who were also abroad. Bali was incredibly different to Australia and to America which was really eye opening for me. It was a country where bartering was the norm and there were wild monkeys everywhere. We got to do things like explore markets and temples, go surfing, and lay on some of the most beautiful beaches.

About James Cook University

Welcome to James Cook University (JCU), ranked in the top 2% universities in the world, and offering career-focused courses and renowned research excellence. JCU graduates emerge well-equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for success in the global workforce. Students at JCU can seize the opportunity to explore, discover, and...