James Cook University Singapore

James Cook University

Motto	Crescente Luce (Latin)
Motto in English	Light ever increasing
Type	Directly-operated branch campus
Established	1961 (Australia) 2003 (Singapore)
Parent institution	James Cook University
Accreditation	TEQSA
Affiliation	Innovative Research Universities (IRU)
Chancellor	Prof Ngiare Brown
Vice-Chancellor	Prof Simon Biggs
Dean	Dr. Abhishek Bhati
Deputy Vice Chancellor	Prof Chris Rudd OBE
Students	c. 4200 (2019)[1]
Address	149 Sims Drive , Singapore 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)[2]
Named after	Captain James Cook FRS
Colors	Blue and gold[3]
Nickname	Tiger Sharks[4] Hawks[5]
Mascot	Koalion[6]
Website	jcu.edu.sg

James Cook University Singapore is a branch campus^[7] of James Cook University, a public research university based in Australia. Established in 2003, it is currently the only overseas institution with university status in Singapore.^[8][9][10] While the university offers a comprehensive range of courses, it specialises in ecology, marine and environmental sciences.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} The Singapore campus is located between Kallang and Geylang in the Central Region on the former site of the Manjusri Secondary School.^[16] The closest MRT stations to the campus are Kallang and Aljunued.^[17]

JCU Singapore is notable for its APAC-accredited clinical psychology programs, which provides the only pathway to AHPRA registration as a clinical psychologist in Australia via overseas study.^[18][19] Clinical psychology is a highly-regulated sector in Australia and, with the exception of New Zealand,^[20] overseas qualifications are not automatically accepted regardless of institution.^[21] The university uses a trimester system, allowing students to complete a bachelors program in two years instead of three.^[22][23]

The campus also provides pathway, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in commerce, education, counselling, psychology, environmental science, aquaculture, information technology, tourism, hospitality and urban planning.^[24] The university also offers a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program among other higher degree by research programs.^[25] JCU's main campus is in Townsville in Queensland, Australia where JCU Singapore students can transfer or study abroad and vice versa.^[26]

According to the 2022 Employment Outcomes Survey conducted by the Australian Government's QILT, 82.1% of JCU graduates in Australia found employment within four to six months of graduating with 89.89% being full time employment. Graduate employment rates following graduation for JCU Singapore students are significantly lower than National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, due to a competitive high school culture where graduates from higher-ranking universities are perceived to have more merit.^{[27][28][29][30]}

History

James Cook University Singapore was originally established in 2003 as the James Cook Institute of Higher Learning before receiving Singaporean university status in 2016.^[31] The campus, which de facto operates as James Cook University's Singapore campus, is under a de jure governance structure fully owned and operated by the university.^[32] Courses are provided directly by the university and is not partnered with any other institutions for content delivery compared to other non-local universities in Singapore.^[33]

JCU Singapore is a branch campus of James Cook University, which has its main Australian campus in Townsville in Queensland,^[34] and courses follow the same curriculum as they do in Australia.^[35][36][37] This has seen enrolments increase as fewer students from the region choose to travel to Australia to study, instead electing to acquire an Australian qualification in Singapore.^[38]

Students studying at JCU Singapore can 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. Rent for student acommodation at Townsville and other living costs still apply.^[39] Students from other universities can also apply to study abroad at JCU Singapore.^[40]

Unlike most universities, James Cook University runs on a trimester system, allowing students to 'fast track' their studies and complete their undergraduate bachelors degrees in two years instead of three.^[41] A majority of student intakes occur during March (SP51), July (SP52), and November (SP53).^[42]

In 2015, the campus was shifted to the larger site of the former Manjusri Secondary School located between Kallang and Geylang. The new campus is larger at 2.4 hectares (5.9 acres) and has spaces for future development as enrolments increase.^[43]

Branch campus status

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. As part of this agreement, JCU Singapore was awarded branch campus status^[44] and from July 2016 is permitted to brand itself as the Singapore Campus of James Cook University.^[45] It had previously been legally known as James Cook Institute of Higher Learning.

James Cook University has an Intercampus Exchange Program allowing students from Singaporean and Australian campuses to study with their peers for up to 2 semesters of their course while paying tuition to their home campus. Any additional semesters requires transfer. Rent for student accommodation at Townsville and other living costs still apply.^[46] Students from other universities can also apply to study at JCU Singapore.^[47]

Rankings and reputation

James Cook University is an Australian university and public perception of the university will differ across the different regions where it has campuses. JCU Singapore is a branch campus that is directly operated by James Cook University,^[48][49][50] unlike most other foreign universities operating in Singapore,^[51] and is the only non-local institution in Singapore with university status.^[52]

According to the 2022 Employment Outcomes Survey conducted by the Australian Government's QILT, 82.1% of JCU graduates in Australia found employment within four to six months of graduating with 89.89% being full time employment. It also achieved an overall employer satisfaction rate of 84.7% in QILT's 2022 Employer Satisfaction Survey.^[53] Graduate employment rates for JCU Singapore students are significantly lower than National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.^[54][55][56]

Graduates of non-local universities are generally perceived more negatively than autonomous university graduates in Singapore, have lower employment rates immediately following graduation and on average earn 15% less at the start of their careers.^[57][58] This is possibly due to a competitive high school culture in Singapore where higher-ranking university graduates are considered to have more merit.^{[59][60][61][62][63]} On university ranking publications, James Cook University usually ranks within the top 400 universities in the world on most global ranking publications,^[64][65][66] placing it in the top 2% of universities ranked,^[67][68] but ranks significantly lower than domestic institutions including the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.^[69][70] Both of those domestic universities regularly rank within the top 50 and 100 on the same publications. The following are the latest rankings on popular publications as of January 2024:

• QS World University Rankings: #415
• U.S. News Best Global Universities: #324
• Academic Ranking of World Universities: #301-400
• THE World University Rankings: #351-400
• CWTS Leiden Ranking: #698

Additionally, the university ranks in the top 100 in Ecology, Mining and Mineral Engineering,^[71] Hospitality and Leisure Management, Earth and Marine Sciences^[72] and Plant and Animal Sciences on varying ranking publications.^[73] University rankings methodologies have, however, been subject to criticism and may not be an accurate measure for the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate study programs outside of research.^[74][75] Autonomous universities in Singapore also have a larger student population, more resources and bigger campuses than non-local universities.^[76]

Psychology clinic

James Cook University runs a psychology clinic from its Singapore campus which is open to members of the public. This facility allows Masters students to gain practical experience under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists and offers counselling services to the public at a reduced cost.^[77]

Entry requirements

JCU Singapore programs have academic entry requirements that vary based on the level and field of studies.^[78] In addition, JCU Singapore offers foundation pathway programs that offer entry into various undergraduate programs.^[79]

Undergraduate

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.^[80] Students not meeting the entry requirements for undergraduate programs can apply for foundation pathway programs.^[81]

Postgraduate

For postgraduate courses, JCU Singapore's academic entry requirement is an undergraduate or bachelor's degree acceptable by JCU Singapore's standards. Students are also required to have attained JCU Singapore's English language pre-requisite along with other criteria depending on the field of study.^[82][83] Doctoral program applicants are also required to have a Bachelor Honours or other post-graduate qualification.^[84]

Graduate employment

According to the Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey 2021/2022 conducted by the Committee for Private Education on employment outcomes, graduates of James Cook University Singapore achieved a 75.8% employment rate of which 48.4% was full-time employment. These rates are significantly lower than higher-ranking local universities such as the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University. However, the response rate to the survey was 24.5%.^[85]

Graduates from non-local universities operating in Singapore also earn, on average, 15% less than their local counterparts following graduation.^[86][87]

Employment rates for James Cook University were significantly higher in Australia. According to the 2022 Employment Outcomes Survey conducted by the Australian Government's QILT, 82.1% of JCU graduates in Australia found employment within four to six months of graduating with 89.89% being full time employment. It also achieved an overall employer satisfaction rate of 84.7% in QILT's 2022 Employer Satisfaction Survey.^[88] However, it is worth noting that the only other university in most of the Australian cities where James Cook University operates is the Central Queensland University.^[89]

Notable people

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

• Fong Kay Yian - Singaporean springboard diver and medalist at the 2017 South East Asian Games and other games
• Nguyễn Huỳnh Kim Duyên - Vietnamese model and beauty pageant titleholder of Miss Universe Vietnam 2021 and Miss Supranational Vietnam 2022

The Deputy Vice Chancellor and Head of Campus, Singapore is currently Professor Chris Rudd OBE.^[90]

References

External links

• Official website