Overview
A*AA at A-level, or 7 7 6 (42+ overall) in the IB. For other qualifications, please see the University entrance requirements page.
There are no essential subjects for this course.
The department suggests that essay-based subjects are good preparation for undergraduate study.
Written work
Two essays will be required. These essays should ideally be about Theology, but can be from other essay-based subjects that you enjoyed completing as part of your A Level (or equivalent) course; they should not be written specially for the occasion and should have been marked by a member of your school/college staff, if possible.
Theology at Clare
Students apply to read Theology at Clare for various reasons. What they have in common is an interest in the religious dimension of human life, and the desire to study it in greater depth.
Some have a religious faith they want to test and deepen, but this is by no means universal or necessary amongst Theology students. The Tripos is called ‘Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion’ because it is intended to appeal to those interested in Jewish, Islamic or Christian Theology, as well as those who are interested in comparative religion or the philosophy of religion.
There is also a possibility to study in cross-disciplinary fields, looking, for example, at the interaction between Theology and Literature, Psychology, and Science. Some students want to use a theological degree as a basis for teaching or ministry. Others have no particular career in mind, but are looking for an intellectually demanding course which will address issues they consider to be of fundamental importance.
Watch this video with Mark Smith, Dean and Director of Studies, to find out more about Theology and Philosophy of Religion at Clare and at Cambridge.
Dr Smith’s academic research focuses on the history and theology of the early church. He is an affiliated Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity, where he teaches papers on the church in late antiquity, as well as supervising a number of PhD students working in the field. His current writing projects include a commentary on Jude & 2 Peter (to be published in 2025) and an accessible guide to the early Christological debates (to be published in 2023/24).
