Since our establishment in 1970, James Cook University has expanded into a multi-campus institutionwith our largest campuses in Townsville and Cairns, smaller study centres in Mount Isa, Thursday Island, and Mackay, and campuses in Singapore and Brisbane.
James Cook University, surrounded by the spectacular ecosystems of the rainforests of the Wet tropics, the dry savannahs, and the iconic Great Barrier Reef, is one of the world's leading institutions focusing on the tropics. It is also ranked in the top five percent of the world's tertiary institutions by the respected Academic Ranking of World Universities produced by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.
Tourism and Hospitality School
At JCU our fresh, contemporary curriculum, our national award winning and highly-supportive supervisors as well as the attractive tropical settings are some of our key distinctive points. The School offers qualitytourism and hospitality higher education programs across all levels:
UNDERGRDAUATE
Undergraduate students can do two majors in a business degree. The Tourism major can be combined with a second sports and events major.
MASTERS COURSEWORK
Masters coursework offerings are an International Tourism major in the MBA and a Master of International Tourism and Hospitality Management.
PHD or MASTERS by research
James Cook is well known for its PhD and Masters by research (now called M. Phil.) program with many successes, quality supervision and groups of doctoral students sharing the experience.
Academic Excellence
At JCU, our academic excellence is built on the quality of our staff! Under the leadership of Professor Philip Pearce, the first Professor of Tourism in Australia and supported by key staff with great skills, the School has built a well-formulated approach to all aspects of tourism study. Furthermore, our international students from many countries are valued academic contributors to the atmosphere of JCU. Our staff are also linked to other world class scholars ensuring a contemporary curriculum and awareness of tourism study trends, and we have recently been ranked first in the world for our expertise in tourism research.
At our School our students benefit from extensive networks into industry for field trips and study topics. Job placement and volunteering experiences are rich and growing and provide local and international students with considerable credibility for subsequent employment.
Outstanding research areas:
Tourism in natural environments including ecotourism and sustainable practices
Tourist behaviour and experiences within and across cultures
Tourism for community development in and beyond the tropics
Specialist markets-backpackers, seniors, generation Y, sports tourism, Asian visitors, China studies
Accolades
Hall of Fame tourism education winner, 3 Professors in InternationalTourismAcademy, 3 of the most prolific and cited Australian professors, high rates of PhD student success in completing PhDs and winning awards
Industry linkage
Through committees, membership and networking we have multiple projects meeting industry and government needs and applicable to the future of tourism in many countries.
a second sports and events major. 
well-formulated approach to all aspects of tourism study. Furthermore, our international students from many countries are valued academic contributors to the atmosphere of JCU. Our staff are also linked to other world class scholars ensuring a contemporary curriculum and awareness of tourism study trends, and we have recently been ranked first in the world for our expertise in tourism research.
