Study Abroad at James Cook University, Australia

I loved my time at JCU! The campus is beautiful and the support of the international team was amazing. Being so close to magnetic island and the Great Barrier Reef was a dream. I wish I could go back and relive it all again! I would definitely recommend this university to anyone wanting to study abroad in Australia who does not want to be in a big city. Townsville is just big enough to have everything you need while also being connected to nature. If you are considering going I would highly recommend joining the international Facebook group!

JCU was a great experience for me! I made friends from all over the world, explored the nearby area, and had so much fun learning what it’s like to be a college student in another country. Luckily, I was also able to travel to different cities in Australia and discovered even more how beautiful of a country it was. The way college works in Australia was definitely an adjustment from how it is in America, but it was the experience of a lifetime and I’m so grateful I was given the chance to be a part of it.

This Program is AWESOME. It was one of the best experiences of my life. The classes are so engaging and the professors are passionate about their research and studies.
Campus life is a family type community and you really feel like home in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Not far from campus is Magnetic Island where you can explore and sightsee. It really is paradise at your fingertips.

I highly recommend this program, you won’t regret it! This program was such a rewarding and exciting experience that allowed me to grow and learn lessons that truly enhanced my future for the better. I’m so thankful and lucky to have had the opportunity to attend JCU.

I had an amazing time both studying and living on campus while attending JCU. The people at the university were very welcoming and made the transition easier on me. Also, as a marine biology major I was able to take advantage of some amazing course opportunities and dive club trips that I could not do anywhere else in the world. I was also fortunate enough to make friends not just from Australia but all over the world due to JCU's large study abroad program. I loved my time at JCU and have been looking to get back ever since!

Studying abroad at JCU was the best experience of my life not only academically but allowing me to meet people from all around the world. This experience has allowed me to meet people from all different backgrounds and cultures and has given me best friends from all around the world. This program has truly had such an impact on my life and I can’t wait to return and hopefully one day come back to get my masters ! I wish everyone could experience such an amazing program at least once in their life !

JCU is a phenomenal place to study abroad. As a Marine Science major, I was drawn here for the proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Sure enough I was able to go on a couple dive trips off Magnetic Island and another snorkeling trip as part of a field trip in the coral reef ecology class offered. The transit system is incredibly easy to use and takes you anywhere from downtown to the mall for essentials. The people I met were incredibly welcoming and I felt like I belonged almost immediately. I stayed at Uni Hall and really enjoyed the events they put on. It is very easy to meet and make friends with people all over. The experiences I got studying abroad are some of the most memorable of my life!

JCU Cairns is located just north of the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, and south of the oldest rainforest in the world. It is less than a 15 minute bike ride to the beach too. While it is much smaller than the Townsville campus, it is much more personable. I knew my professors well and they knew all of their students; I even got to talk with world experts in biology/ecology just by asking for a chat. We got hands on in ecology and biodiversity from such a richly diverse area of the world. The campus is green and lush, with many species of wildlife to be seen. It is far enough away from downtown Cairns that it is peaceful, but close enough to have a night on the town. I met truly life-long friends, and will always remember my time there fondly. Its was a great way to experience the FNQ of Australia, while still getting a quality education. I too way too many photos, and don’t regret a thing.

I was the only person from my university and region of the United States to go to this university abroad. I was in a completely new environment and knew no one and I have never felt more included at a university. The students were inclusive and inviting, and we’re always down to go do something. On my first day there, my airline lost my luggage (a rare occurrence let me tell you). I had been traveling for 23 hours, slept for about 6 and all I had with me was the clothes on my back and a backpack. It took the airline an extra 6 hours to get my stuff back. In that time I was waiting the rumor spread down the dorm that I had nothing and people invited me to the mall to help me get stuff, they offered what they could and helped me pass the time. My experience at JCU only got better from there. With these people we traveled up and down the coast, went scuba diving, held a koala, went to Bali, and explore Townsville. By the end of my semester it felt like a second home. Once you come here, you’ll never want to leave.