James Cook University (JCU) is the second oldest university in Queensland and Australia’s leading university in the tropics. Offering excellence in teaching and research, JCU is a vibrant, multi-campus university with its main sites in the tropical Queensland cities of Townsville and Cairns, and modern city campuses in Singapore and Brisbane.
JCU is recognised around the world for its expertise in marine biology, environmental studies, tropical health, and tourism. Our professional coursework programs are accredited by industry and professional associations and many professionals are guest lecturers for our postgraduate programs. Over the past five years, JCU academics have won 31 national awards for teaching excellence from the Australian Teaching and Learning Council – more than many larger universities.
- JCU is a leader in teaching and research addressing the critical challenges facing the Tropics, worldwide.
- JCU is ranked in the top 2% of universities in the pre-eminent global rankings system, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU, 2017).
- Recently ranked by Times Higher Education (THE) in the ‘Top 150 Universities under 50’ (2016).
- First in the world for citations in the field of coral reef ecology and is in the top three in its fields of research strength in ecology and environment, plant and animal sciences and geosciences.
- JCU is internationally recognised for its leadership in tourism teaching and research.