- Why study Theology at Christ's?
- Course content and structure
- Teaching
- What do our students think?
- How to apply
- Helpful resources
- Open Days and Online Events
- Want to know more?
Why Study Theology at Christ's?
Our College has an interesting history of theological study and engagement.
John Milton, who was a student here in the seventeenth century, later wrote Paradise Lost, which is not only one of the greatest pieces of English literature but also an epic exploration of the big questions about God and humanity. One Christ’s Fellow, William Paley, created an influential version of the 'teleological' argument for God's existence. Charles Darwin – one of our most famous alumni – wrestled with the implications that his theory of natural selection had for belief in God. And more recently a Master of Christ's, Charles Raven, had a major impact in the debate over science and religion and rose to be Regius Professor of Divinity.
Christ's theologians have included Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury), Professor Christopher Rowland (Fellow of Queen's, Oxford), Dr John Day (Professor of Old Testament Studies, Oxford), and The Rev’d Robin Griffith-Jones (Master of the Temple, London). We offer you a chance to follow in those renowned footsteps and become part of a rich theological tradition.
Course content and structure
The Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion course (or ‘tripos’) is a three-year degree which allows you to specialise gradually, tailoring your academic pathway as your interests develop. You can choose from a range of religious traditions and explore them from a historical, philosophical, theological, sociological or comparative perspective.
Please visit the University website for full details of the Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion course content and structure, including the course film. You will also find information on the Faculty of Divinity degree page. If you have further questions about course content, please contact faculty-office@divinity.cam.ac.uk.
Teaching
Christ’s central location offers quick access to the University Library and the Faculty of Divinity where you'll find an extensive theological library, a welcoming community of undergraduates, graduates and lecturers – and free coffee.
As well as lectures organised by the University, you have weekly ‘supervisions’ here at College. These small-group tutorial sessions give you the advantage of personally-tailored tuition and are arranged by your Director of Studies, Revd. Dr Helen Orchard.
What do our students think?
Read the accounts by Emily, Clara, Boo and Melissa who have shared their experiences of studying Theology and Religious Studies here at Christ’s.
If you’d like to hear from other Christ's students, please watch the Christ's student Q&A film, and visit our Student Profiles page.
How to apply
Visit How to Apply for full details and a timeline of the application process. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and school types, all over the world. If you're applying from outside the UK, please read our international students section.
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Subjects: what do you need?
We welcome students from all kinds of academic background. An A-level, IB Higher, Scottish Advanced Higher or equivalent in Religious Studies is desirable but not compulsory. Most (but not all) of our applicants take essay subjects, and we recommend English (language or literature) and/or History if you have the choice. Another good option is Languages (ancient or modern). While we welcome linguistic ability to at least GCSE level, again this isn’t compulsory.
We encourage students to attend one of our regular Subject Matters webinars for help with choosing Post-16 subjects for competitive university applications. This webinar is pitched for students aged 14-16 though it is also possible to attend when you have started sixth form.
Written work
After we receive your application, we ask you to send us two essays you feel accurately reflect your abilities and interests. These should be work written during the normal course of your studies and already marked by a teacher. We recommend you keep copies for your own reference, as we may discuss them at interview.
We publish full guidelines on written work in the Current Applicants section on 20 September each year.
Interviews
If we invite you for interviews, these usually take place in early December. At Christ's we do all of our interviews online, and you can have your interviews either at home (most applicants do this) or at school (if easier). Those invited for interview are normally interviewed for 35-50 minutes in total. At Christ’s, we normally split the time into two interviews with academics in Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion.
During the interviews we may ask about your written work, discuss points from your UCAS personal statement and ask general questions related to theology and religious studies.
Further, more general information about interviews (including two useful films) is available in the Cambridge interviews section, and it's worth also having a look at supervisions (short film here), as interviews are similar to what you do every week as a Cambridge student.
There is no written assessment.
Offers
At Christ's we don’t have fixed quotas for places, so the number of students we admit in any year depends on the strengths of the applicants. In Theology we admit around two students each year. (A total of 39 students take this course across all 29 undergraduate Cambridge colleges.)
We assess the terms of each offer individually but our typical conditional offer is:
- A*AA at A-level
- 42 points overall in the International Baccalaureate with 7,7,6 in relevant Higher Level subject
- A1, A2, A2 in three Scottish Advanced Highers
You need to be academically ambitious: the majority of Christ's students arrive with higher grades than are required.
If you're taking another qualification, we expect you to be working at or close to the top of the mark range i.e.
- Baccalauréat français international (BFI): 17 (mention très bien) out of 20 overall, with a minimum of 17 in individual subjects
- European Baccalaureate: at least 85% overall, with 9/10 in relevant subjects
You can look up other qualifications in the offer levels for other exam systems and international entry requirements, and if you are applying from outside the UK please read the Christ's international students section for further information and check the country pages.
If you will have finished school when you apply, please also read about post-qualification applications, taking a gap year, and, if relevant, applying from a university.
Helpful resources
| Theology Faculty Open Day online | Including course presentation, application info, taster lectures, careers info and Q&A. |
| Introductory reading suggestions | Reading suggestions to give you a taste of the different areas you can study in the degree. |
| Cambridge in your Classroom | Mini lectures. |
| 50 Religious Treasures of Cambridge | A fascinating introduction to artefacts and images from museums, libraries and colleges of the University of Cambridge |
| An Introduction to New Testament Greek | Ten units aimed at helping you get off to a flying start with New Testament Greek. |
| Podcasts | Divinity Divulged - Cambridge Theology Department (Podcast info). The RE Podcast - Useful for GCSE RE - Topic-based episodes on a range of world religions. |
| Gresham College lectures on Religion | Free online lectures |
| Ecclesiastical History Society | Blogs on Church History |
| Jubilee Centre | Articles and talks on Christianity and public policy (the Jubilee Centre is right next to Christ's, by the post office) |
| HE+ Theology | Website for secondary school students who would like to explore Theology |
| CamGuides | Introducing the academic and information skills that you will need during your studies, as well as how and where you would be working |
Come to an open day / webinar
Our open days and events page advertises regular online opportunities as well as events you can attend in Cambridge. Note in particular that we run an annual Taster Day for students at state schools who are interested in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion or English Literature - see info and register your interest. If you can, sign up for a College Open Day (our October, February and September events normally include a meeting with a subject specialist). Between February and August we run regular webinars:
- Subject Matters: The importance of post-16 subject choices (this one is also run Sept - Nov)
- Cambridge for Beginners
- Personal Statements and preparing for an application
Further subject-specific opportunities you might wish to consider include Subject Masterclasses organised by Cambridge Admissions Office, and subject-specific talks in the July Cambridge Open Days. If you are a UK student from a background where there is little tradition of entry to Higher Education, you can apply to attend a Sutton Trust Summer School in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion, or to shadow a current undergraduate studying Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion via the Cambridge SU Shadowing Scheme (do be aware that there's a high proportion of applicants to places for both of these last two opportunities so please don't be discouraged if you don't get a place).
If you can, come along to one of the Theology events at the Faculty of Divinity.
Want more information?
For more detail of what the course involves, look at Undergraduate Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion admissions on the University website, and read the Faculty of Divinity information for prospective students too.
If you have any other queries, please send them to admissions@christs.cam.ac.uk and we’ll help however we can.
Undergraduate Admissions main page / Back to the subject list / How to apply / Why choose Christ's?
