- Location: Australia - Townsville
- GPA Requirements: 3.0 GPA
- Other Requirements: Junior standing or above
- Program Structure: Direct enrollment
- Application Deadline: Fall: January 31 | Spring: August 13
- Program Term(s): Fall, Spring
- Official Website: James Cook University
| Term | Start Date | End Date |
| Fall 2024 | July 15th, 2024 | November 15th, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | January 20th, 2025 | April 29th, 2025 |
| Fall 2025 | September 8th, 2025 | December 13th, 2025 |
*These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.
Eligibility
This program is open to students who are at least first-semester juniors. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to participate.
Where: Townsville, Australia
There are two main campuses at James Cook University (JCU) in Australia, one in Townsville and one in Cairns. Allegheny students can attend the campus in Townsville, called Bebegu Yumba Campus. Situated on the northeastern coast in the state of Queensland, the city of Townsville boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year. The Great Barrier Reef is only miles away from Townsville. In addition, the Paluma rainforest, Atherton Tablelands, and many marine park islands are easily accessible by bus, train, and plane. Townsville has an active theater and music scene, plenty of shopping, many restaurants and a popular beach area known as “The Strand.”
Academics
JCU offers courses in a range of disciplines including Business, Communications & Media, Education, Engineering, Environment, Health, Humanities & Social Sciences, International Studies, Natural Sciences, and Visual, Performing Arts and Design. JCU is noted for its departments of tropical environment studies and marine science.
JCU has moved from a semester calendar to a trimester calendar. In the past, only certain subjects areas were taught in the trimester calendar. Starting in 2025, all areas of the university will run on trimesters. Their academic year begins in January and ends in December.
JCU has three main trimesters each year: Trimester 1 (January-April, equivalent to our Spring term), Trimester 2 (May-August, equivalent to our summer term) and Trimester 3 (September-December, equivalent to our Fall term) which are each 10 weeks long.
Academic Structure
Students enroll directly in university courses open to visiting international students and take those classes alongside local Australian students.
Course Credit
At JCU most individual subjects have a value of 3 credit points which equals four Allegheny credit hours. A normal full-time study load for a study period is 3-4 subjects or 9-12 credit points which equals 12-16 Allegheny credit hours. The minimum allowable enrollment for study abroad/exchange students at JCU is three subjects or 9 credit points, and you must have permission from your home institution for this option.
Courses
For a full list of course offerings, visit James Cook University’s website here.
Housing & Student Life
Students may live on or off campus. On campus students choose from five different residences; dining options vary based upon housing selection. Some residence halls offer dining plans, while others are self-catered (you must cook on your own). All rooms on campus are single spaces with a bed, desk, chair, air conditioning, and WIFI.
Application Process
Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program.For this program, students should work on the Allegheny approval application at the same time as the host program application. Please note that the Allegheny approval application deadline for this program is January 31 for fall intake and August 13 for spring intake. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. The separate application deadline to apply directly to this program will vary and could be before or after Allegheny’s approval application due date. Check directly on their website (linked at the top of this page) for deadline information. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.
Visa Information
U.S citizens are required to apply for a visa before departure. Non-U.S. citizens should consult their home country’s Australian embassy or consulate.
Fees & Costs
Below find information on estimated costs for a semester abroad. You will receive a bill from Allegheny College, as you normally would, for the amount shown under “Costs Paid to Allegheny College.” All other study away program costs will be paid directly to a non-Allegheny entity and are listed in part two below. These amounts are estimates and will vary depending on individual choices. A total estimated cost of attendance for this program is shown at the bottom.
All financial aid awards can be applied to study abroad costs with the exception of federal work study awards and certain tuition exchange scholarships. For more information, visit our page about Financing Study Away.
Part One: Costs Paid to Allegheny College
| Tuition (12 to 20 credits) Students do not pay tuition directly to JCU. Instead, students continue to pay tuition to Allegheny College. This covers tuition at JCU, their student services fee, amenities fee, mandatory Australian health insurance, program application fee, and student union fee |
$27,930 |
| Study Away Fee | $800 |
| SUBTOTAL Paid to Allegheny College | $28,730 |
Part Two: Costs Paid to non-Allegheny Entity
| Housing – Paid directly to JCU; JCU’s Townsville campus has five housing options: Burralga Yumba, George Roberts Hall, Rotary International House, Saints Catholic College, and The John Flynn College. Costs at each facility vary. Some include catered meal plans, some do not. The cost quoted here is for non-catered standard housing in Burralga Yumba.] |
$3,300 |
| Estimated Costs for Meals – Most students live in non-catered housing without a meal plan. Students grocery shop and cook on their own. If students want a meal plan, they can live in George Roberts Hall, which is fully catered accommodation. Quoted here is $20/day for independent meals. |
$2,500 |
| Estimated Airfare | $2,700 |
| Estimated Visa and Immigration Expenses | $430 |
| Estimated Books and Academic Materials | $200 |
| Estimated Local Transportation | $370 |
| Estimated Personal Expenses Personal expenses include: the basic expenses for laundry, toiletries and other incidental expenses. It does not include an estimate for personal travel, entertainment or social outings. |
$250 |
| SUBTOTAL Paid to NON-Allegheny entity | $9,750 |
TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE
| Subtotal Part One: Fees paid to Allegheny College (in section 1. above) PLUS | $28,730 |
| Subtotal Part Two: Fees paid to non-Allegheny entity (in section 2. above) | $9,750 |
| TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE | $38,480 *** |
| ***Compare this to the cost of a semester at Allegheny in Meadville: $37,299. |
NOTES:
Study Away Fee includes: administrative support, transcript translation and processing, pre-departure orientation, and emergency travel insurance.