For students looking for an escape from urban life, James Cook University offers two friendly campuses that highlight the lush, natural beauty of the Australian wilderness. At the Townsville campus, located in natural bushland terrain, you just may find yourself greeting cockatoos, kookaburras and kangaroos en route to class. The campus in Cairns, a 10-minute jaunt to the beach, is surrounded by rainforest-laden hills. Students spending a year abroad may choose to spend one semester at each campus. While the daily pace of life at James Cook may be a bit more laid-back than at some other Australian universities, there is still plenty to do on-campus, from joining athletic and social clubs to attending a variety of cultural activities and performances. In addition to a 4-day orientation at the start of the semester or academic year that incorporates both practical and all-out entertaining activities (like watching an aboriginal culture performance and surfing at Fraser Island), IFSA-Butler organizes fun events and excursions throughout the semester and year, geared towards orienting students to their new surroundings and to exploring various aspects of Australian culture.
| Price: | $$ |
| Student Rating: | Housing: | Student dorms, Apartments |
| Terms: | Fall, Spring |
| Funding Options: | Scholarships |
| Languages: | English |
Students at James Cook University typically take four courses each semester, earning between 15-16 credits per semester, and are encouraged to work with an IFSA-Butler adviser in advance to determine an optimal course load. IFSA-Butler participants may choose from more than 170 undergraduate subjects in the faculties of law, business and the creative arts; science, engineering and information technology; arts, education and social sciences; and medicine, health and molecular sciences. The Environmental science and Marine biology departments are two of the most renowned departments at James Cook.
Students may choose to attend for a semester (February through June or July through November); an academic year (July through June) or a calendar year (February through November).
Service Coordinators living on-site in Australia are available to advise participants on the differences between the U.S. and Australia academic systems, to help put participants in touch with faculty advisers (if neccesary) and to provide guidance on a myriad of other issues including joining the campus social scene and traveling in your off-time.
All programs operate on a rolling admissions basis, so students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. The deadline for students applying for the fall semester or academic year is March 15; the deadline for the spring semester or calendar year is Nov 15. In addition to the application,(which can be completed online at IFSA-Butler's Web site, or downloaded and printed out) students must submit the following materials: a program approval form signed by the official in charge of study abroad at your home university; a professor recommendation form; official transcript(s); eight 2"x2" color photographs; and a $40 application fee, paid online via credit card (required for our online application) or with a check made out to the Institute for Study Abroad.
Program fee for a semester: approximately $14,000
Program fee for an academic year: approximately $25,500
Program fee for a calendar year: approximately $24,000
Participants receive one bill for the entire program fee, which includes tuition, housing and the various, ongoing services provided by IFSA-Butler.
Program fees are based on the arts and social science tuition assessed by each host university. However, some universities charge a higher tuition for students enrolling in courses such as engineering, science, and other specialty areas involving studio, lab or field work. In such a case, IFSA-Butler charges a tuition differential fee. All participants are required to pay a $300 housing deposit, which is paid separately and held in a distinct account. The fee will be returned to students at the conclusion of their time in Australia, minus fees for assessed damages, fines or outstanding debts in the participant’s name.
IFSA-Butler awards numerous scholarships based solely on financial need, generally in the amount of $1,500 for semester programs and $2,500 for academic year programs. In addition, IFSA-Butler offers applicants the opportunity to apply for two $3,500 scholarships, awarded annually, which are designated for students studying in Australia: the Noah Burris Memorial Scholarship in Australia and the David Farrington Memorial Scholarship in Australia. Any applicant may apply. Applications for all scholarships can be found online. The scholarship application deadline is March 1 for the fall or academic year programs, and November 1 for the spring or calendar year programs.
| Term | Included In Cost | Not Included |
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(fall) |
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