James Cook University - Full Curriculum
2010 Spring Semester - Partner Institution

Accreditation

James Cook University is recognized by the Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

James Cook University

James Cook University (JAC) is Australia's leading tropical research university, with total student enrolments are more than 15,500 and growing, including around 3,000 international students from 105 countries. It is named after the eighteenth-century British navigator and explorer Captain James Cook, whose epic voyages contributed to the world of science. The University was proclaimed in Townsville on 20 April 1970, two hundred years after Cook charted the eastern seaboard of Australia, including northern Queensland. The University focuses on creating a brighter future for life in the tropics worldwide through graduates and discoveries that make a difference. JAC is a vibrant, multi-campus university with its main sites in the tropical Queensland cities of Townsville and Cairns.

In a recent ranking of the world's top 400 universities, JAC was one of only 17 Australian universities listed (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academic Ranking of World Universities 2008). JAC's vision is to be one of the world’s leading research universities in the tropics. JAC is home to more than 20 specialist centres and institutes, and maintains island, rainforest and outback research stations. More than $23 million in research funding is received annually. Areas of research focus include: biodiversity, sustainable management of tropical ecosystems, global warming, tropical agriculture, tropical health care in remote communities and cultural diversity.

Undergraduate and postgraduate courses span the Arts, Business, Creative Arts, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, Science, Information Technology and Social Sciences. JAC aims to give graduates the qualifications and skills they need for the global workforce. Local industries and professions contribute to course content, and many courses include work placement schemes.

JAC provides a student-focused learning environment. The academic staff is highly qualified, wins national teaching awards and is world leaders in their fields. Innovation in teaching styles and leading technologies are fundamental to JAC's approach to teaching. The good support services and friendly campuses help students to make the most of their time at university. JAC consistently receives a 5-star rating by their graduates for the study experience in the Good Universities Guide.

CEA is only offering its JAC program at the Cairns campus of JAC as it has easy access to the Great Barrier Reef and the wet Tropics Rainforest. Cairns is one the most visited cities in Australia, giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere and a multitude of exciting extracurricular opportunities. The relatively small, friendly campus provides a personal Australian experience. Over 3,500 students study at JAC Cairns, including about 300 international students. The campus location is spectacular – surrounded on three sides by rainforest-covered mountains. Located near the northern beaches in the suburb of Smithfield, the campus is 15 kilometres (9 miles) north of the city centre. When selecting courses be sure that they are offered at the Cairns campus (it’s a 4 hour drive to Townsville!).

JAC Cairns houses state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities in an attractive setting. Facilities include an impressive library and information technology building, health science and science laboratories, student refectory, café, licensed bar, gym, sporting oval and basketball court. Modern student accommodation complexes are situated opposite the campus and at nearby Trinity Beach.

Classroom Information

• International faculty from James Cook University will teach your electives.
• Attendance is expected, but lecturers (professors) and tutors may not monitor attendance, unless attendance is a component of overall assessment.
• Teaching styles in Australia can be very different from those found in the US or Canada. Be prepared to adapt to the different classroom structures and coursework expectations for your school.
• Subjects can involve lectures, tutorials, field trips, practical classes and/or placements. Class size ranges between 20 and 300 students for lecture classes.
• Each subject usually has weekly lectures and a tutorial or practical class. In lectures, an academic delivers, to all students enrolled in the subject, the facts and concepts that students are required to learn for that subject. In tutorials, students work in smaller groups to explore the lecture materials. Tutorials are more interactive. Practical classes are held in laboratories containing equipment relevant to the field of study.
• Students are expected to read and learn more than the material they are presented in classes and textbooks.
• Students are expected to review and determine the important aspects of each class.
• Periodic exams, homework assignments and final exams will be administered. Assessment is less frequent with individual assessment items covering a larger amount of learning material.
• It is recommended that students allocate a total of 10-12 hours per week to study for each subject.
• You will be in class with Australian students and other international students from the US, Europe, Asia, Canada and other parts of the world.

Grading Policy

The Australian grading system consists of a set of ordered categorized of grades, with criteria for their award and scores to differentiate achievement within each grading category. The grading system accommodates a variety of forms of assessment. It also accommodates changing expectations as students advance to higher level topics.

James Cook University assessment is based on completion of assignments and essays which can vary between 1,500 and 4,000 words. There is usually a final examination or a long essay in lieu of an examination at the end of each unit. There is a great deal of individual study required at Australian universities. Most units do not have weekly class tests.

Explanation of grades

Australian universities tend to have a different grade distribution from many of those in the US. Below is the generally recommended grade distribution for subjects (courses):