James Cook University

JCU’s two main campuses can be found in the North Queensland cities of Cairns and Townsville. The university also has an international campus in Singapore, and smaller campuses in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Mackay, Mount Isa and Thursday Island.

As an online student, you can still access key campus facilities from the comfort of home, including the library and the wellbeing and counselling service.

Undergraduates can sign up for the Student Mentor Program, which will pair you with a more experienced student to guide you through your first year.

James Cook University was established to service the people of North Queensland. As a result, the university is known for research in areas that affect the tropics, like marine biology and biodiversity conservation.

Given its culturally diverse student population, JCU also has a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge. When you study education, for example, you gain specialised knowledge around teaching students in rural and remote communities.

As of 2026, there are about 21,000 people studying with JCU.

James Cook University ranks within the top 25 universities in Australia on the World University Rankings – and stands on the global stage when it comes to earth and marine sciences, environmental sciences, geography and mining engineering.

Several well-known Australians have studied at James Cook University, with many making significant contributions to politics, science and education.

Past students include:

• David Crisafulli, Premier of Queensland

• Curtis Pitt, former Treasurer of Queensland

• Katarina Carroll, first female commissioner of the Queensland Police Service

• Peter Coaldrake AO, former Chief Commissioner of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency

• Ian Young AO, former Vice-Chancellor of Australian National University

• Silma Ihram, a pioneer for Muslim education in Australia

• Dr Harris Eyre, neuroscientist

• Richard Harris OAM, anaesthetist and Tham Luang rescue cave diver

• Dr Sue Meek AO, former Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science

• Nicole Webster, former Chief Scientist for the Australian Antarctic Division

• Phillip Gwynne, author of Deadly, Unna?

Legendary Torres Strait Islander activist Eddie Koiki Mabo worked as a groundskeeper at JCU. His time there inspired him to fight for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land rights, which eventually led to the ground-breaking Mabo decision.

James Cook University's online learning environment, LearnJCU, lets you access your study materials in the way that suits you best.

Depending on your course, you will learn via recorded lectures, podcasts, live collaborative tutorials, discussion boards and virtual conversation groups. Most exams also take place online, though some may be conducted in a location close to you.

The university has a lot of resources in place to help you navigate LearnJCU. You can check them out here if you’d like to understand more before deciding if online learning is right for you.

JCU manages all enquiries and applications related to its degrees, but you can use the Open Universities Australia website to research your options.

If you find a course you’re interested in, select ‘Enquire now’ on the course page and fill out the form. A representative from James Cook University will then get in touch with you. They will be able to guide you on the application process, and answer your questions around entry requirements, your eligibility for course credit, and HELP loans.

It’s worth checking this list of key application dates to understand when JCU enrolments are open.

For your peace of mind, an Open Universities Australia student advisor will also contact you after you speak with the university to see how you went. We can steer you in another direction if you haven’t quite found the course for you.