James Cook University Singapore

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JCU Singapore

Coat of arms[1]
Motto	Latin: Crescente Luce[1]
Motto in English	"Light ever increasing"[1]
Type	Branch campus
Established	1961 (Australia)[2] 2003 (Singapore)[3]
Parent institution	James Cook University
Accreditation	TEQSA[4]
Affiliation	Innovative Research Universities (IRU)
Chancellor	Ngiare Brown[5]
Vice-Chancellor	Simon Biggs[6]
Dean	K Thirumaran (acting)
Deputy Vice-Chancellor	Carole-Anne Upton[7]
Students	c. 4200 (2019)[8]
Address	149 Sims Drive , Singapore[9] 1°18′56″N 103°52′34″E / 1.31556°N 103.87611°E / 1.31556; 103.87611
Campus	Urban park, 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres)[10]
Named after	James Cook[1]
Colors	Blue Gold [1]
Mascot	Koalion[11]
Website	jcu.edu.sg

James Cook University in Singapore (JCU Singapore) is a branch campus of James Cook University, a public research university based in Australia.^[3] Established in 2003, it is currently the only overseas institution with university status in Singapore.^[3][12][13] It is located between Kallang and Geylang in the Central Region on the former site of the Manjusri Secondary School.^[14]

JCU Singapore is a branch campus of James Cook University, which has its main Australian campus in Townsville, Queensland.^[15] It was established in 2003 as the James Cook Institute of Higher Learning before receiving Singaporean university status in 2016.^[13] Its courses are provided directly by the university and follow the same curriculum as they do in Australia.^[16] It has seen enrolments rise as more students elect to acquire an Australian qualification in Singapore.^[17]

Students studying at JCU Singapore can also transfer to JCU Australia and vice versa or participate in the Intercampus Exchange Program for up to 2 semesters of the course while still paying tuition to JCU Singapore.^[18] Students at JCU Australia and other universities can also apply to study abroad at JCU Singapore.^[19]

In 2015, the campus shifted to the site of the former Manjusri Secondary School located between Kallang and Geylang.^[14] The new site is larger than the previous campus at 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres).^[14]

In May 2016, the Singaporean and Australian governments concluded a review of the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which added several measures to promote further cooperation on education.^[13] As part of this agreement, JCU Singapore was awarded university status and permitted to brand itself as the Singaporean branch campus of James Cook University in July 2016.^[3][12][13] It had previously been known as the James Cook Institute of Higher Learning.^[13]

James Cook University runs a psychology clinic from its Singapore campus which is open to members of the public.^[20] The facility allows students studying at a master's level to gain practical experience under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists and offers counselling services to the public at a reduced cost.^[20]

University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World[21]	301-400 (2023)
QS World[22]	445 (2025)
THE World[23]	301-500 (2025)
USNWR Global[24]	412 (2024/25)

In the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities, the university attained a position of #301-400.^[21] In the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the university attained a position of #301-500.^[23] In the 2025 QS World University Rankings (published 2024), the university tied 445th place.^[22] In the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings, the university attained 412th place.^[24] In the 2023 Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities, which measures aggregate performance across the QS, Times and ARWU rankings, the university attained a position of 317th place.^[25]

JCU Singapore programs have academic entry requirements that vary based on the level and field of studies.^[26] It also offers pathway programs that provide entry into programs.^[27]

For undergraduate courses, JCU Singapore's academic entry requirement is a high school certificate at level 12 or equivalent or a diploma from a polytechnic or other recognised institution. Students are also required to have attained JCU Singapore's English language pre-requisite.^[26] Students not meeting the entry requirements can also enrol in pathway programs.^[27]

For postgraduate courses, JCU Singapore's academic entry requirement is usually a bachelor's degree or equivalent.^[28] Doctoral program applicants are also required to have a Bachelor Honours or other post-graduate qualification.^[29]

According to the Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey 2022/2023 conducted by the Committee for Private Education on employment outcomes, graduates of JCU Singapore achieved a 78.8% employment rate of which 50.5% was full-time employment.^[30] The response rate to the survey was 21.7%.^[30]

The university runs on a trimester system, allowing students to complete their studies in a shorter period of time.^[31] A majority of student intakes occur during March (SP51), July (SP52) and November (SP53).^[32]

Notable alumni of James Cook University's Singapore campus include:

• Fong Kay Yian - Singaporean springboard diver^[33]

• Nguyễn Huỳnh Kim Duyên - Vietnamese model and beauty pageant titleholder^[34]

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Singapore is Carole-Anne Upton.^[7]

• List of universities in Singapore
• James Cook University
• Education in Singapore

• Official website