James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) institution in is a public university based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The university has three Australian campuses, located in Townsville, Brisbane and Cairns respectively, and an international campus in Singapore. JCU is the second oldest university in Queensland—proclaimed in 1970—and the first tertiary educationNorth Queensland. JCU is one of only seventeen Australian universities that were listed in the ARWU top 400 academic world universities in 2008. Main fields of research include marine sciences, biodiversity, sustainable management of tropical ecosystems, tropical health care and tourism. JCU was one of the first Australian universities to offer tourism studies, and is recognised as a global leader in tourism education. The university's scholars have been ranked among the world’s top tourism academics by the prestigious Tourism Management Journal.
History
The university is named after the British sea captain James Cook who popularised the discovery and potential colonial value of the east coast of Australia and whose exploratory vessel HM Bark Endeavour ran aground for repairs in North Queensland.
After being proclaimed on 20 April 1970 as an Act of Queensland Parliament, The University College of Townsville became James Cook University of North Queensland on 29 April 1970. The official opening of the university was conducted by Queen Elizabeth II. On 1 January 1982, JCU amalgamated with The Townsville College of Advanced Education located adjacent to the main campus in Douglas. The university established a presence in Cairns in 1987 and moved to its current location in the suburb of Smithfield in 1996. On 1 January 1991, the School of Art and Design of the Townsville College of TAFE was transferred to JCU. The current name of James Cook University became official on 1 January 1998. In 2003 the University opened an international campus referred to as JCUS in Singapore. The university further expanded its presence by establishing another campus in Brisbane, Queensland in 2006.
A year after JCU's proclamation, Cyclone Althea struck the Townsville region. This, together with the destruction caused by Cyclone Tracy in Darwin 1974, prompted the establishment of a cyclone research facility. The Cyclone Testing Station started out as a small project of Professor Hugh Trollope and began its operations on 1 November 1977 as James Cook Cyclone Structural Testing Station. The facility has since grown and changed its name to Cyclone Testing Station in 2002 to better indicate its scope of testing and services provided. The Cyclone Testing Station operates as an independent unit of The School of Engineering and serves as an advising member to the Australian Standards committee in areas of structural design, more specifically wind actions.
JCU Townsville redevelopment
The Discovery Rise project was announced in September 2007. The $1 billion project is aimed at completely redeveloping the University campus (or, "The Estate"), faculties and attracting more students to JCU.
Initial stages of planning and design are currently under way and the project is estimated to be finished in 2015. Included in the project will be major upgrading of student facilities, creation of extra on-campus residential housing, commercial site-leasing, a student village and upgrading of sports facilities.
Campus and setting
JCU Townsville Entrance.
Douglas Campus (Townsville)
JCU's main campus moved from a small campus in the coastal city of Townsville (Pimlico suburb) to a 386-hectare area of bush land in the suburb of Douglas, near the army base and the lee of Mount Stuart, during the early 1970s. It has a widely spread out area of buildings in between remnant patches of trees. Close to the university is the new Townsville Hospital and Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE.
Cairns Campus
The Cairns Campus of James Cook University is located 15 kilometres NNW of Cairns CBD, a city on the east coast of Australia, in the suburb of Smithfield. Opened in 1996, this campus is situated in a mountainous rainforest area of tropical North Queensland.
Singapore International Campus
The James Cook University Singapore was opened in 2003 as JCU's first offshore campus. There are currently around 2200 students studying with JCUS.
On 18 July 2008, JCU Singapore relocated to a new campus at 600 Upper Thomson Road.
Other facilities
Apart from the three main campuses, JCU has more than 20 specialist research centres and institutes throughout Queensland and New South Wales with the most prominent ones being in Mount Isa, Thursday Island, Mackay, Brisbane and Sydney.
The university is home to the "Cyclone Testing Station" which operates as a self-funded unit within the School of Engineering and is a contributing member of the Australian Standards with regards to Wind Actions.
Academic
The university serves as a catchment area for students in the whole region and in 2007 its student population was at 16,338 which includes 3,450 international students.
The university is well known for its medicine, marine sciences, comparative genomics, engineering and tourism. In 2001 the university took in its first medical students in its then-new School of Medicine. An undergraduate veterinary degree was added to the university for the first time in 2006. The university is also offering degrees in astronomy, including a Doctor of Astronomy degree, through on-line courses.
In 2010, James Cook University ranked in the list of the top 400 world universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
James Cook University became the seventh member of Innovative Research Universities Australia in 2007.
Organisational structure
The library at Douglas Campus
University Drive at Douglas Campus
The university is organised into faculties, schools and departments/divisions.
Faculty of Art, Education and Social Sciences
- School of Art and Social Sciences
- Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Sociology
- Department of Humanities
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Social Work & Community Welfare, including Centre for Women's Studies
- School of Education
- School of Indigenous Australian Studies
Faculty of Law, Business and the Creative Arts
- School of Law
- School of Business
- School of Creative Arts
Faculty of Medicine, and Health and Molecular Sciences
- Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine
- Indigenous Health Unit
- Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health
- School of Medicine and Dentistry
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Nutrition
- School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences
- School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences
- Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Speech Pathology
- Institute of Sport and Exercise Science
- School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
Faculty of Science and Engineering
- School of Earth and Environmental Science
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology
- Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research
- ARC Centre of Excellence - Coral Reef Studies
Courses and Degrees
Undergraduate
- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Business and IT
- Creative Arts
- Education
- Engineering
- Health
- Journalism, Communication and Languages
- Law
- Science
- Honours
Honours
Honours courses are for students who demonstrate high achievement throughout their degree. It usually involves an additional year of study which focuses on a research project. An Honours degree is usually essential for entry to higher research degrees. Furthermore, Honours provides you with a superior qualification.
The following list of courses is taken from the Courses and Subjects Handbook for 2011.
- Bachelor of Laws (Graduate) with Honours
- Bachelor of Arts with Honours
- Bachelor of Arts with Honours-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Arts-Bachelor of Social Work with Honours
- Bachelor of Biomedical Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Business with Honours
- Bachelor of Business with Honours-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Business with Honours-Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
- Bachelor of Business-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Business-Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
- Bachelor of Commerce with Honours
- Bachelor of Communication Design with Honours
- Bachelor of Creative Industries with Honours
- Bachelor of Economics with Honours
- Bachelor of Education with Honours
- Bachelor of Education with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours-Bachelor of Information Technology
- Bachelor of Engineering with Honours-Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Exercise Physiology (Clinical) with Honours
- Bachelor of Geology with Honours
- Bachelor of Hospitality Management with Honours
- Bachelor of Information Technology with Honours
- Bachelor of Languages with Honours
- Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Marine Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Medical Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery with Honours
- Bachelor of Music with Honours
- Bachelor of New Media Arts with Honours
- Bachelor of Nursing Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours
- Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Photography with Honours
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours
- Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Planning with Honours
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours
- Bachelor of Psychology with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Science with Honours-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Science-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Social Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Social Work with Honours
- Bachelor of Social Work with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Social Work with Honours-Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Social Work with Honours-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Social Work-Bachelor of Laws with Honours
- Bachelor of Speech Pathology with Honours
- Bachelor of Speech Pathology with Honours [24CP]
- Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Theatre with Honours
- Bachelor of Tourism Management with Honours
- Bachelor of Veterinary Science with Honours
- Bachelor of Visual Arts with Honours
Postgraduate courses
- Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- Business and IT
- Creative Arts
- Education
- Engineering
- Health
- Journalism, Communication and Languages
- Law
- Science
Alternative pathways
We provide a suite of Diploma courses to introduce you to university study. They are the equivalent to the first year of a bachelor degree, and can equip you with entry requirements for many JCU degrees.
- Diploma of Arts
- Diploma of Business
- Diploma of Creative Arts
- Diploma of Health Science
- Diploma of Information Technology
- Diploma of Introductory Engineering Studies
- Diploma of Science
Further information
The links below show how we are making university education accessible and achievable for a wider range of people in our region with special entrance schemes. Talk to our Student Enquiries Centre staff about which pathway is right for you.
- Getting into uni if you didn't finish school
- Maths and chemistry preparatory and bridging subjects
- Tertiary Access Courses (TAC)
- Uniprep - preparing for university
Certificates and Short courses
Certificate courses are usually two subjects about a topic. Students apply directly to JCU
- Certificate of Business
- Certificate of Business Law
- Certificate of Desktop Publishing
- Certificate of Legal Studies
- Certificate of Music Practice
- Certificate of Native Title Studies
- Certificate of Photography
- Certificate of Theatre Skills
- Certificate of Visual Arts Fundamentals
Studying single subjects
A miscellaneous student is a student enrolled in one or more subjects or a short course, but not a full course. Applications are made by applying directly to James Cook University.
Further information is available from James Cook University’s Student Enquiry Centre.
Further information is available from James Cook University’s Student Enquiry Centre.
- Certificate and short course application form
- Student Enquiry Centre
External and Flexible Delivery
The following courses can be completed off campus via flexible delivery. These courses are delivered using a combination of online delivery, print material or other technologies.
There may also be on-campus workshops plus some travel for professional placements. It’s also worth noting that many on-campus courses now offer online subject options, adding greater flexibility for all students.
Bachelors degrees
- Bachelor of Arts (English)
- Bachelor of Arts (Human Services)
- Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Australian Studies)
- Bachelor of Arts (Political Science)
- Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)
- Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Education)
- Bachelor of Education (Primary RATEP)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (Post-Registration)
- Bachelor of Nursing Science (Pre-Registration) Flexible Delivery
- Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Flexible Delivery)
- Bachelor of Social Work
Graduate Certificates
- Graduate Certificate of Conflict Management and Resolution
Masters (Research)
- Master of Speech Pathology (Research)
Masters Degrees
- Master of Advanced Nursing Practice
- Master of Arts (General)
- Master of Arts (Journalism)
- Master of Arts (Writing)
- Master of Conflict Management and Resolution
- Master of Education (General Education)
- Master of Guidance and Counselling
- Master of Health Professional Education
- Master of Midwifery (Endorsed Midwife)
- Master of Nursing Leadership
- Master of Nursing Studies
- Master of Occupational Therapy
- Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- Master of Rural and Remote Medicine
- Master of Social Science (Asia Pacific Governance and Development)
- Master of Social Science (Criminology)
- Master of Social Science (Human Services)
- Master of Social Science (Indigenous Studies)
- Master of Social Science-Women's Studies
- Master of Social Work (Professional Qualifying)
Postgraduate Certificate Courses
- Postgraduate Certificate of Aeromedical Retrieval
- Postgraduate Certificate of Clinical Education
- Postgraduate Certificate of Clinical Population Health
- Postgraduate Certificate of Education
- Postgraduate Certificate of Infection Control
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Advanced Clinical Practice)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Cardiac Nursing)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Care of the Older Adult)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Clinical Teaching)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Intensive Care)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Neonatal Care)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Perioperative Care)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Renal Nursing)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Nursing Science (Specialist Paediatric Care)
- Postgraduate Certificate of Travel Medicine
Postgraduate Diplomas
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Cardiac Nursing)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Care of the Older Adult)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Clinical Teaching)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Disaster and Refugee Health)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Emergency)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (General Practice)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Health Promotion)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Infection Control)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Intensive Care)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Isolated and Rural)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Mental Health)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Neonatal Care)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Nursing Leadership)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Oncology)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Perioperative Care)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Public Health)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Renal Nursing)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Specialist Paediatric Care)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing (Travel Medicine)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Rural and Remote Medicine
- Postgraduate Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Research
We offer the following Reseach Higher Degrees. You should contact our Graduate Research School for more information.
Doctorates
- Doctor of Astronomy
- Doctor of Education
- Doctor of Health Professional Education-
- Doctor of Medical Education
- Doctor of Nursing Science
- Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and Social Sciences)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Business)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Creative Arts)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Education)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Law)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Science)
- Doctor of Public Health
Masters (Research)
- Master of Biomedical Science (Research)
- Master of Economics (Research)
- Master of Engineering Science (Research)
- Master of Laws (Research)
- Master of Medicine
- Master of Music
- Master of Nursing Science (Research)
- Master of Occupational Therapy (Research)
- Master of Pharmacy
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Philosophy - Business
- Master of Philosophy - Creative Arts
- Master of Philosophy - Engineering
- Master of Philosophy - Science
- Master of Physiotherapy
- Master of Science (Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences)
- Master of Speech Pathology (Research)
- Master of Sport and Exercise Science
- Master of Tropical Animal Science (Research)
- Master of Tropical Veterinary Science (Research)
Research Methods courses
- Graduate Certificate of Research Methods (Law, Business and the Creative Arts)
- Graduate Certificate of Research Methods-Arts- Education and Social Sciences
- Graduate Certificate of Research Methods-Medicine- Health and Molecular Sciences
- Graduate Certificate of Research Methods-Science and Engineering
- Postgraduate Diploma of Research Methods (Law, Business and the Creative Arts)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Research Methods-Arts, Education and Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Diploma of Research Methods-Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences
- Postgraduate Diploma of Research Methods-Science and Engineering
Rankings
Research produced by the Melbourne Institute in 2006 ranked Australian universities across seven main discipline areas: Arts & Humanities, Business & Economics, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Science. For each discipline, James Cook University was ranked:| Discipline | R 1 | No. | R 2 | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities | 23 | 38 | 20 | 38 |
| Business & Economics | 30 | 39 | 32 | 38 |
| Education | 26 | 35 | 22 | 34 |
| Engineering | 18 | 28 | 25 | 28 |
| Law | 23 | 29 | 25 | 28 |
| Medicine | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Science | 10 | 38 | 10 | 35 |
- R1 refers to Australian and overseas Academics' rankings in tables 3.1 - 3.7 of the report.
- R2 refers to the Articles and Research rankings in tables 5.1 - 5.7 of the report.
- No. refers to the total number of institutions in the table against which JCU is compared.
Student Association
Students are represented by the James Cook University Student Association which used to include sub organisations of Cairns Campus Student Association and the James Cook University Postgraduate Student Association, a member of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations. However, the Student Association Council has since merged into one representative body with seven elected members, with the positions of Townsville and Cairns Campus Officer, and Postgraduate Officer replacing the former campus and Postgraduate bodies.Among the services provided by the Student Association are academic support, general administrative help, student welfare and non-academic activities. The Student Association publishes the student newspaper, The Bullsheet, fortnightly while the university is in session.
The current president of the Student Association is Justin Ganzer.
Residential colleges
St Mark's College
St Marks' College
University Hall
Douglas Campus
The individual colleges provide different services and support to students and are also situated in the tropical gardens of the campus.
Research
James Cook University is a leader in research addressing the critical challenges facing the tropics, world-wide. A defining feature of JCU is its tropical location and its research excellence in disciplines of particular relevance to the tropics. As a comprehensive university in the tropics, JCU is well placed to foster cross-disciplinary collaborations to meet these challenges.
JCU is committed to providing shape and direction to our research by alignment to four major themes:
• Tropical Ecosystems, Conservation and Climate Change
• Industries and Economies in the Tropics
• Peoples and Societies in the Tropics
• Tropical Health, Medicine and Biosecurity
We commit ourselves to research of excellence and high impact, particularly on issues of critical importance to the world’s tropics. As a regionally-based university, we recognise our obligation to engage with industry and government, commercialise our research findings and achieve critical mass through productive research partnerships with other research organisations. JCU is a site and catalyst for innovation and understanding.
We build on current areas of world-class excellence to achieve a strong performance in scholarship and teaching inspired by a research-enriched environment. We recognise that the University is judged not only on its quality but equally on its relevance and impact beyond academia.
Tropical issues provide the focus to the University’s research mission, driven by the University’s unique geographical location, particularly its close proximity to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforest and its links with rural, remote and indigenous communities and industries.
In recent years, JCU has consolidated its strengths in tropical science, knowledge and innovation by increasing its collaboration with other research organisations in the northern Queensland region, including the Australian Institute of Marine Science (through AIMS@JCU) and CSIRO, a process facilitated by major infrastructure developments which allow our researchers to be co-located with researchers from partner institutions.
Together with key areas of JCU-based research such as the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and The Cairns Institute, these developments have significantly expanded the University’s research base and its network of collaborations both in Australia and globally.
Access to information about research activities at the school level is provided via JCU’s Faculties and Division page.
A Focus on Tropical Research
James Cook University is Australia’s leading research university with a focus on the tropics. It is internationally renowned in the fields of ecology and environment, plant and animal science, geosciences, coral reef science, tropical health and medicine, and tourism.
Australia is unique amongst developed countries in having a significant landmass in the tropics. Tropical Australia accounts for 46% of the nation’s landmass and despite its low and dispersed population base, is the source of more than 30% of the nation’s exports, particularly from mining, oil and gas.Six per cent of Australians live in the tropics, including close to one-third of indigenous Australians.
In an era of climate change, tropical issues are of growing global significance. Approximately one-half of the world’s population lives in the tropics. With population growth double the world average, the tropics are under severe and growing pressure.
A high proportion of the world’s biodiversity is located in the tropics, including up to 80% of animal and plant species and 92% of world’s coral reefs. Population growth and urbanisation have led to biodiversity loss on a massive scale in many tropical countries, a process exacerbated by climate change. High population density and growth are similarly linked to poor health outcomes and to the emergence of new infectious diseases.
Seventy-five per cent of new infectious diseases are zoonoses, diseases of animals that are transmitted to humans (e.g. SARS and avian influenza). It is a process exacerbated by humans living in close physical proximity to domesticated animals and by global warming which changes the distribution of disease insect vectors (e.g., mosquitoes).
JCU’s research mission is to find solutions to the challenges facing the world’s tropics through research.
Of particular strategic importance is the research undertaken on issues of importance to industry, government and the broader community in northern Queensland and more broadly in tropical Australia. The role of JCU research is central to the region’s future, and its importance is acknowledged by both State and Federal Government and by businesses and organisations across Queensland.
Showcasing Research Excellence
Peoples and Societies in the Tropics
- Access to social welfare education for Indigenous students
- Foster care for abused and neglected children
- Playing the room
- When disasters strikes in tropical Queensland
Tropical Ecosystems, Conservation and Climate Change
- Catchment hotspots deliver nutrients to the reef
- Future greenhouse conditions and tropical savannas
- New technologies for monitoring coastal waters
- No-take zones boost coastal communities
- Sustainable aquaculture for the Pacific
- Sustainably managing tourism in the Great Barrier Reef
- Wildlife corridors to conserve ecosystems in the Wet Tropics
Industries and Economies in the Tropics
- Building to cope with tropical cyclones
- Bull selection for efficient breeding
- Climate-proofing the sugar industry
- More efficient production of smooth copper
- Organic thin-films for flexible electronics
- Unlocking the riches of north Queensland
Tropical Health, Medicine and Biosecurity
- Better ears and communities
- Hibernate a heart during surgery and organ transportation
- Intervening early to reduce the risk of abdominal aneurysm
- The sexual function questionnaire
- Treatment and prevention of Melioidosis
Notable alumni and staff
- Andrew Stoner, National Party Member for Oxley in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
- Bruce Kapferer, Australian social anthropologist, Foundation Professor, 1996–1999
- Dale Spender, Australian feminist scholar, teacher, writer and consultant
- Eddie Mabo, indigenous community leader and human rights activist employed at JCU as a gardener-groundsman between 1967 - 1971.
- George Musgrave, awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters for his knowledge of traditional law
- Henry Reynolds, Australian historian
- John Newfong, Aboriginal Australian journalist
- Margaret Reynolds, former Australian Senator
- Mike Reynolds, former Australian Labor Party member for Townsville and Speaker in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
- Paul Fairall, founding dean of University of South Australia was a law professor at JCU and the Dean of Law between 1998 - 2002 before becoming the Dean of Law at the University of Adelaide in 2002.
- John Cooney, Java Pro
- Percy Trezise, Awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters in recognition of outstanding service to the community of Far North Queensland
- Robert M. Carter, Geologist and climate change skeptic
- Silma Ihram, Pioneer of Muslim education in Australia
- Tommy George, Awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters for his knowledge of ecological expertise
- Tony Mooney, Former mayor of Townsville
- John Quiggin, Australian economist
- Sonny Thoss, PBA Player of Alaska Aces
Photo of University
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