The College welcomes diversity amongst its students, staff and visitors, recognising the particular contributions to the achievement of the College's mission that can be made by individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

The policy and practice of the College require that all the staff are afforded equal opportunities within employment. Entry into employment with the College and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job is the primary consideration. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant or member of staff will be treated less favourably than another because of his or her sex, marital status, sexual orientation, ethnic or national group, or disability.

The College aims to provide education of excellent quality at undergraduate and postgraduate level for able students, whatever their background. In pursuit of this aim, the College is committed to using its best endeavours to ensure that all of its activities are governed by principles of equality of opportunity, and that all students are helped to achieve their full academic potential. This statement applies to recruitment and admissions, to teaching and assessment, to welfare and support services, and to staff development and training.

Simon McDonald was born and educated in Salford, and read History at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he is now an Honorary Fellow.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1982 and, early in his career, served in Jeddah, Riyadh, Bonn and Washington, D.C.  He was British Ambassador to Israel (2003-2006) and to Germany (2010-15).  In September 2015 Simon became Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCO and Head of the Diplomatic Service.  After leaving the FCO in Autumn 2020, he was appointed a life peer, taking his seat in the House of Lords as Lord McDonald of Salford in February 2021.

Simon is a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) and  Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).

His first book - Leadership:  Lessons from a Life in Diplomacy - was published in 2022 and his second - Beyond Britannia: Reshaping UK Foreign Policy - in 2023.

The University of Salford awarded him an Honorary doctorate in 2024.

Simon became the 39th Master of Christ's College on 1 September 2022.  He is married to Olivia and they have four adult children.

Address: Christ's College, Cambridge CB2 3BU.
E-mail: masters-assistant@christs.cam.ac.uk

Visitors are welcome to explore the College and its grounds. Apart from the Chapel, visitors are not able to enter any College buildings. Please note that these details are subject to change at any time; in particular, the College or the Fellows' Garden are sometimes closed for functions and other events. 

Opening Times:

College Grounds, 9:00am - 4:00pm, 7 days a week

Fellows' Garden, 9:00am - 4:00pm, Monday to Friday

Visitors are also welcome to attend the Choral Evensong services held in the College Chapel - these occur during term, on Thursdays at 6.45pm and on Sundays at 6pm. See the Chapel pages for more details. 

The College is open all year round, except during the Christmas close down and during the Quiet Period. During the Quiet Period, prior to and during the University examinations, the College is closed to all visitors, including other members of the University, unless they are on College business. The exact dates of the Quiet Period vary from year to year, according to term dates but as a rough guide, the Quiet Period runs from early May to the end of June.

This year College will be closed from Monday 28 April to Sunday 6 July 2025.

For further information about visiting, please see: 

• Group visits
• Visiting as a prospective undergraduate student
• Visiting for a conference

• Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

To view the college accounts you will need Adobe Reader

College Accounts 2023-24

College Accounts 2022-23

College Accounts 2021-22

College Accounts 2020-21

College Accounts 2019-20

College Accounts 2018-19

College Accounts 2017-18

Administrative Information

• College Statutes
• Rules for Students
• JCR Constitution
• MCR Constitution
• College Accounts
• Register of Interests Summary for College Trustees
• Terms and Conditions
• Gender Pay Report 2024 - published 5 March 2025 

Policy Documents

• Freedom of Speech Statement
• Definition of Antisemitism
• PREVENT
• Data Protection Policy
• Data Protection Statements
  • Website Users
  • Students
  • Staff and Fellows
  • Alumni and Supporters
  • Event Organisers
  • Job applicants
• Equal Opportunities Policy
• FOIA Publication Scheme
• CCTV Policy
• Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Safeguarding Policy 

Headed by the Master, the senior members of College are made up of Fellows and Bye-Fellows, Honorary Fellows, Lady Margaret Beaufort Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, and Fellow Commoners.

Find out more about all our Fellows and what the different types of Fellows mean. You can also learn more about some of the College's most distinguished alumni.

The students (known as junior members) comprise undergraduates and postgraduates studying a variety of subjects. The smooth running of the College is made possible by a number of administrative staff, covering all aspects of College life from catering, maintenance, gardens and Library.

Getting married in Christ's College Chapel

The Chapel is a beautiful and sacred location for weddings.  Since the building is a college chapel, rather than a parish church, any wedding requires a Special Licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury (rather than the reading of banns).  This is fairly straightforward to obtain, so long as you have a close connection with the College. In other words, the bride and/or groom should be current students, fellows or staff, or alumni. For all marriage enquiries, please contact the Chaplain, and she can discuss your plans with you.    

It is not currently possible to hold weddings of same sex couples in the College Chapel; however, if you would like to organise a Service of Blessing following a Civil Marriage or Civil Partnership, please do contact the Chaplain, who will happily discuss options with you.

The College can also host wedding breakfasts and evening events.  Please contact the Conference and Events Manager to discuss possible dates. 

2024 Choir photo by Lafayette.