Explore the answers to questions about life, study and support at St John's
College staff may require unauthorised organised photography, filming or recording to stop immediately. Individuals may also be asked to relocate or leave College property if they fail to comply.
All media enquiries, including requests to photograph or film at the College for editorial purposes, should be directed to the Communications Office.
Commercial photography and filming requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you are interested in using the College as a filming or photography location, please contact the Communications Office before making any arrangements. They can advise on permissions, availability, fees and any conditions that may apply.
Applications should be submitted using the relevant online form at least one week before your proposed visit.
Permission is not guaranteed and may be subject to conditions or commercial fees.
Tripods, lighting and other professional photography equipment are not permitted without prior permission from the College. If you wish to use this equipment, please apply for permission in advance, as conditions may apply.
Organised photography and filming includes but is not limited to posed photoshoots, content creation, commercial filming, media interviews, drone use and other planned photography or recording activities including smartglasses.
These activities require prior permission from the College.
You’re welcome to capture memories of your visit through casual personal photography. Photography, filming or recording for social media that goes beyond casual personal use requires prior written permission from the College. This includes organised content creation, filming inside College buildings, the use of professional equipment, and any commercial or sponsored content.
If you’re unsure whether your planned activity requires permission, please contact the Communications Office before your entry to St John’s.
No. Engagement, proposal and other special occasion photography is not permitted. The College is not available as a location for standalone engagement or special occasion photography.
Wedding photography is only permitted for couples who are married in the College Chapel or hold their wedding reception at St John’s College. Wedding photography is not available for other couples or as a standalone photography location.
Visitors are welcome to take photographs for personal use in the College grounds, unless otherwise indicated.
Photography is not permitted inside College buildings without prior written permission or in any area where signage prohibits it. Please respect the privacy of Fellows, students, staff and other visitors, and follow any instructions from College staff.
Organised or posed photography of any kind always requires prior written permission from the College.
An event booking does not automatically authorise:
Each organised activity must be approved in advance. College staff may require unauthorised activity to stop, move to another location, or for the individual or group to leave College property.
Permission to hold an event at St John’s College does not automatically include permission for commercial photography, filming, drone use or extensive photography equipment.
Your Conference & Events Coordinator will advise what is permitted and whether any additional permissions or conditions apply. Photography, filming and recording must be agreed before your event takes place.
If you have booked a meeting, conference, dinner or other event at St John’s College and would like to arrange photography or filming, please discuss this with your Conference & Events Coordinator in advance. Permission is required, and any photography or filming must be agreed before your event takes place.
Yes. Visiting groups are welcome, group leaders should report to the Porters’ Lodge to liaise with the onsite team before entering the College. Groups should contain no more than 15 people.
Larger parties should divide into smaller groups, leaving at least 10 minutes between each group. Group leaders should remain with their group throughout the visit and help keep passageways clear.
Commercial tour groups of five or more people must be accompanied by an approved guide from the Society of Cambridge Tourist Guides, arranged through Cantab Tours. Discounted admission rates are available for commercial tour groups. Please contact Cantab Tours for bookings and further information.
Yes. We are committed to making St John’s College as accessible as possible for all visitors.
Please note that some courts, paths and grassed areas have uneven surfaces, so visitors should take extra care when moving around the site. For detailed information about step-free access, accessible routes and visitor facilities, please see our Accessibility page.
St John’s is a working academic community. Visitors should follow the public visitor route and any directional signage. Please do not enter staircases or areas marked Private.
No. Picnicking is not permitted, and visitors must not walk on the grass in the College courts.
No. Bicycles must not be brought into the College.
Only assistance dogs are permitted in the College.
No. Re-entry is not permitted after admission.
Payment is by bank card only. American Express is not accepted.
The current admission prices are published on the Visitor Information page and vary by visitor type. Concessions are available for children, students, senior citizens and National Disability Card holders.
An entrance fee is payable by other visitors during the dates and times published on the Visitor Information page.
Yes. We welcome prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students who are considering applying to St John’s College.
Prospective students receive free admission and may bring upto two guests. Simply let the Porters know that you’re visiting as aprospective applicant when you arrive.
If you’d like to find out more about studying at St John’s, please visit our Admissions pages for information about our courses, Open Days and outreach events, or get in touch with the Admissions team, who will be happy to answer any questions.
We also recommend consulting the Visitor Information page before travelling.
Free admission is available to:
· St John's alumni and their guests
· University of Cambridge card holders and up to two guests
· CAMCard holders and up to two guests
· Cambridge residents who can provide evidence of a home address with a CB postcode
· Prospective students and up to two guests
· People attending Chapel services or other events in College
We always recommend consulting the Visitor Information page before travelling.
The College grounds are normally open to visitors between9.30am and 4.30pm during the published visitor periods. The College may closeat short notice for operational reasons or events, so please check the Visitor Information page before travelling
Yes, you can. Members of the public are very welcome to visit St John’s College during designated opening times. Cambridge residents (with proof of a CB postcode), alumni, University card holders, and certain other groups may enter free of charge, while other visitors may need to pay an admission fee at specific times of year.
Access is via the Great Gate, and visitors should follow the signed public routes, as the College is a working academic environment and some areas are restricted.
The John Crook scholarship eligible institutions are:
A
University of Abertay Dundee
Aberystwyth University
Anglia Ruskin University
University of the Arts London
Aston University
B
University of Bangor
Bath Spa University
University of Bedfordshire
Birmingham City University
Bishop Grosseteste University
University of Bolton
Bournemouth University
Arts University Bournemouth
University of Bradford
University of Brighton
University of Buckingham
Buckinghamshire New University
C
Canterbury Christchurch University
Cardiff Metropolitan University
University of Central Lancashire
University of Chester
University of Chichester
Coventry University
University for the Creative Arts
University of Cumbria
D
De Montfort University Leicester
University of Derby
University of East London
Edge Hill University
Edinburgh Napier University
F
Falmouth University
G
Glasgow Caledonian University
University of Gloucestershire
University of Greenwich
Glyndwr University
H
Harper Adams University
Heriot-Watt University
University of Hertfordshire
University of the Highlands and Islands
University of Huddersfield
University of Hull
K
Keele University
Kingston University
L
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Trinity University
University of Lincoln
Liverpool Hope University
Liverpool John Moores University
London Metropolitan University
London South Bank University
M
Manchester Metropolitan University
Middlesex University
N
Newman University
University of Northampton
Northumbria University
Norwich University of the Arts
Nottingham Trent University
O
The Open University
Oxford Brookes University
P
University of Plymouth
University of Portsmouth
Q
Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
R
The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Roehampton University
Royal Agricultural University
S
University of St Mark & St John
University of Salford
Sheffield Hallam University
St Mary’s University College Belfast
University of South Wales
Southampton Solent University
Staffordshire University
University of Stirling
University of Sunderland
T
University of Wales Trinity St David (formerly Swansea Metropolitan University)
University of Teesside
U
Ulster University, Northern Ireland
W
University of West London
University of Westminster
University of the West of England
University of the West of Scotland
University of Winchester
University of Wolverhampton
University of Worcester
Y
York St John University
As a medic, you will receive your BChir degree automatically in the June of your last Term when the class list is published. You will then have one calendar year to receive your MB degree at a ceremony in person in or in absence. If not taken within one calendar year it will be automatically conferred in absence.
Visit the University of Cambridge Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) and Support for Disabled students page on the University website.
Email St John’s Accommodation Office in the first instance if you have any questions or concerns relating to accommodation arrangements for disabled students.
Learn more about applying for undergraduate study at St John’s and Cambridge as a disabled student on the University website
Unfortunately certificates cannot be reprinted if you did not inform us of any errors before the registration deadline passed. It is therefore essential that you check your name is spelled correctly at the time of registration.
No, the certificate you receive will not be framed. Jet Photographic offers College-specific certificate frames, which you may wish to purchase/order direct from the company ahead of receiving your certificate.
Degree certificates and transcripts are available digitally via your CamSIS Self-Service or via the subscription-based Parchment Digitary Service, which allows you to share documents such as your official transcript online with other organisations such as employers or other educational institutions.
Further information is available on the University website.
Rucksacks, holdalls, shopping bags or bags larger than 35cm x 25cm are not currently allowed inside the Senate House or the surrounding grounds. If you bring these to the Congregation/Honorary Degree Ceremony you will be asked to make alternative arrangements for their storage or may be denied entry to the event. If you need to keep your bag with you, you must seek assistance from a Proctor/Constable who will check the contents prior to your entry to the Senate House. Please allow sufficient time for the delays this may cause.
Graduands are asked not to bring any bags to the ceremony. A phone can be brought in as a means of payment for items within the Senate House so long as it can be concealed.
Photography is not allowed inside the Senate House, though photos may be taken outside. A professional photographer will take photos inside the Senate House and in the Combination Room, and there is also the opportunity throughout the day to have a professional group photograph taken with your guests with a Senate House backdrop. Graduands must not take professional photographers as their guests into the grounds of the Senate House.
Downstairs seating is available in the Senate House, and the Proctors/Constables can ensure a suitable space is allocated to anyone with a disability. (Please note however that only one carer/family member can be guaranteed an adjacent seat on the ground floor, so group members may be seated in different places.) Unfortunately there is no parking near the Senate House, and on arrival at the Senate House it is usual for guests to have to wait outside before being seated.
Please contact the Praelector's Secretary if any graduand/guest has a disability and we will do our best to ensure suitable arrangements are made.
Children are allowed into the Senate House as long as they have a ticket to enter. If you alert the marshals on the day they can try to seat guests with younger children near the door for a quick exit if required.
Children are also allowed to attend the College lunch as long as they have their own ticket, which is taken from the graduand’s allowance of guest tickets.
Car parking is available at the Playing Fields Car Park for all Congregations, space permitting.
All graduands may normally remain in College until 10am on the Thursday after General Admission. A limited amount of Bed and Breakfast accommodation is available for guests in College rooms the night prior to and/orthe night of General Admissions. Rooms are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis and are limited to two guests per student. Graduands will be sent a link to the accommodation booking as part of their invitation.
Graduands can request tickets for a maximum of two guests toattend the ceremony in the Senate House.
For the College lunch, graduands attending a Normal Congregation or General Admission can request tickets for a maximum of two guests, and graduands attending an MA Congregation can request tickets for one guest. This is a strict College policy, and no more tickets can be requested under any circumstances. Ticket requests for the College lunch are made via CamSIS.
Detailed information about the ceremony can be found on the University website.
Guests are advised to dress smartly.
If you wish to wear national dress you will need to contact the Praelector's Secretary in advance, as dispensation may be required to allow this.
Yes, if you want to. The cap (mortarboard) is optional for Cambridge graduands. If you do decide to wear one on the day then you will be asked to take it off and carry it in your left hand once inside the Senate House, so please bear this in mind when making your decision.
Yes, but it must be a dark suit, with no silk adornments. Cufflinks may be worn.
Practical guidance on how to do this can be found on the University website.
Detailed information regarding academical dress, including contact details for suppliers, can be found on the University website.
The general rule for graduands of Cambridge University is to wear the gown and hood of the highest degree you already hold. For example, if you are taking both your MA and MB degrees then you should wear the BChir gown and hood, not the BA gown and hood. If you are taking your MA and hold a MEng or MSci on the basis of doing Part III Engineering, ChemEng orNatural Sciences, you should wear the MEng or MSci gown and hood.
Anyone who does not hold a Cambridge degree (eg an undergraduate) when being admitted to a degree wears their undergraduate, BA status or MA status gown (graduates over 24 years old should wear the MA gown)as appropriate, and the hood of the degree (or the higher of the degrees) they are to receive.
All gowns and hoods can be purchased or hired. If you have your own gown (from Matriculation) you can wear it at General Admission, though it is advisable to have it dry cleaned in advance.
Whether you plan to buy or hire a gown and hood, it is important to order these well in advance.
No. Your degree must be conferred on you at a ceremony before you can use the title.
Yes. At the ceremony the Vice Chancellor usually says the following (in Latin) as you kneel in front of them: "By the authority committed to me, I admit you to the degree of [name of degree] in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." If you do not wish for the Trinitarian formula to be used you can indicate this when you register for the Congregation.
Other optional aspects of the ceremony are detailed on the University website.
Following registration on CamSIS, graduands should expect to receive a confirmation letter within one week of the application deadline. (Please note that letters are not sent out before the application deadline has passed.) If you haven’t received a confirmation letter two weeks before the ceremony is due to take place, you should contact the Praelector's Secretary as soon as possible so they can check that you are still included in the proceedings.
The University aims to accommodate as many graduands and their guests as possible during each Congregation, but there are practical limitations. Confirmation emails are sent out by the Praelector's Secretary soon after the registration deadline for each Congregation has passed, so please wait for confirmation before making any travel/accommodation arrangements. Congregations take place throughout the year, and if there is no space at a particular ceremony you will have the opportunity to attend on a subsequent occasion.
The June Congregation is set aside for ‘General Admission’ to degrees, which is when most undergraduates proceed to their first degrees at the end of their final term.
The May Congregation is a much larger event, as this is when most newly eligible alumni return to receive their MA degrees. Any non-MA graduands wishing to attend this Congregation should be aware that it will mostly be attended by those accepting an MA only.
Other Congregations take place throughout the year. The College calendar entry for each Congregation contains more information about who may register for that ceremony. For more information see the Graduation and Congregations page.
Yes. It is advisable to apply to your chosen ceremony in advance, whether or not you have been approved, to avoid disappointment. It is important to note that no applications will be accepted after the College deadline. If you submit an application but your degree is not approved in time you can be removed from the ceremony proceedings.
Undergraduate finalists will receive an email at the startof the Easter Term with details on how to register for General Admission.
Those with a BA become eligible for the MA six years and a term after matriculation, providing the BA has been conferred. If you qualified for the BA but never had it conferred, you cannot be entered for the MA until the BA has been conferred, even if the necessary time has elapsed.
Affiliated students (those who are deemed to have kept three terms before they officially begin their first term of residence in Cambridge) become eligible for the MA five years after their matriculation, as long as the BA has been conferred.
Those who meet the eligibility requirements will receive an invitation via email to register for the next MA Congregation.
Please contact the Judge Business School for all MBA related information.
Please contact the The Faculty of Education for all PGCE related information.
St John's College has a variety of competitively-priced accommodation options for postgraduate students, such as shared properties, bedsits, flats and housing for postgraduates with a family or long-term partner.
St John’s students with children aged three months to five years old are eligible for places at Wolfson Court Day Nursery and Preschool, managed by Bright Horizons.
Childcare grants are available: contact St John’s College Postgraduate Office for more information.
Postgraduates wishing to seek private housing in Cambridge should contact the University of Cambridge Accommodation Service.
Note that private accommodation of a similar standard to College properties is scarce and liable to be expensive.
College members’ computers, tablets and phones are connected to eduroam, which is a secure wireless network for education and research used by the University of Cambridge. Once connected, you will have access to wi-fi throughout St John’s and around Cambridge and other educational institutions worldwide.
Anyone with food allergies should inform the Catering and Hospitality Manager and the College Nurse before coming into residence. All diners with a food allergy should inform the serving staff each time they dine in College. The Catering Department has a Food Allergy Policy and legal responsibility to identify and highlight where food it serves contains any of the 14 allergens specified in the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation No 1169/2011 and make this information available to diners.
Most dietary needs are catered for. Every day vegetarian, vegan and meat or fish options are available in the Buttery, at College dinners and Formal Hall. The Buttery serves Halal meat at five meals a week. The Catering Department will endeavour to cater for other specific dietary requests when informed reasonably in advance and where this is practical and financially viable for the event the request is made for.
You can request the College’s permission for the reproduction of materials from the Special Collections in any publication, website, or public presentation by emailing special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk. Depending on the source material, reproductions can be supplied in a variety of formats, from reading copies for private research to high-resolution images for publication.
To consult Special Collections material, email special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk or phone 01223 339393, indicating the material you wish to consult and the proposed dates of your visit. Special Collections material can only be consulted in the Rare Books Reading Room under the supervision of Library staff (Monday to Friday).
To consult material in the College Archives, email archivist@joh.cam.ac.uk or phone 01223 338631 to make an appointment. The Archive Centre is open to researchers on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The 17th-century Upper Library is open to the public on specific days during the year for specially curated exhibitions to coincide with the Cambridge Festival (March/April) and Open Cambridge (September), see the Events and services page for more details.
It is also open to members of St John’s every Wednesday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm during Full Term.
Members of College who wish to bring guests to see the Upper Library at other times should contact special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk in advance.
Visits to the Old Library for school groups and for individuals or groups with a specialist/research interest in the history of the building or its collections can be arranged throughout the year.
The Rare Books Reading Room, where researchers can consult items from the Library’s Special Collections, is open 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday. Researchers should make an appointment in advance by emailing special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk.
The Working Library is open to members of St John’s 24/7, all year round.
The Library Exhibition Area, which is accessed via the Working Library, is open to the public 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.
The Rare Books Reading Room, where researchers can consult items from the Library’s Special Collections, is open 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Monday to Friday. Researchers should make an appointment in advance by emailing special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk.
The 17th-century Upper Library is open to members of St John’s every Wednesday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm during Full Term. Members of College who wish to bring guests to see the Upper Library at other times should contact special.collections@joh.cam.ac.uk in advance. The Upper Library also opens to the public on specific days during the year for specially curated exhibitions to coincide with the Cambridge Festival (March/April) and Open Cambridge (September). Details will be available on the Events and services page.
Donations of books, manuscripts, archival materials, photographs and other items are welcomed in principle, particularly where they add to the Library’s well-established collections of works by or about Johnians. However, donations sent without prior arrangement are rarely accepted, so before sending any items please read our Donations Policy and email library@joh.cam.ac.uk with the full details of your proposed donation for the Librarian to consider.
Every student is provided with a pigeonhole for external and internal mail and parcels can be collected from the Great Gate Porters’ Lodge. Cambridge Students’ Union also operates a free internal post service for students that delivers to all 31 University colleges.
It is students’ responsibility to obtain a TV licence where required as there is no College-wide cover. You will need a licence if you bring a television and when viewing a BBC television programme online live or on demand on BBC iPlayer.
Find out more from the TV Licensing website.
No, student rooms in College and in our shared houses are exempt from Council Tax.
There is free contents insurance for all students staying in our College accommodation through Endsleigh Insurance. You may be required to take out extra insurance for specific possessions.
Yes, the College has adopted the Accreditation Network UK (ANUK) Code of Practice for the management of student housing.
Student accommodation is not catered, however basic kitchen facilities are provided at St John's and the College provides heavily-subsidised meals, sandwiches, soups, salads and snacks in the Buttery and Café that cater for most dietary needs. Our students can also enjoy regular candlelit Formal Hall dinners - a wonderful Cambridge tradition - at a heavily-discounted price.
All our rooms are furnished and include a high-speed internet connection, and access to a kitchen and free laundry facilities. Housekeeping is included too, with individual undergraduate rooms cleaned fortnightly, and communal areas such as kitchens and bathrooms cleaned daily. Basic contents insurance is also included in your rent. Room licences cover from October to June so our undergraduates only have to move belongings out for the long summer vacation.
Many first years live in the Cripps Building, Chapel Court or North Court so you can get to know each other easily. In Cripps, typically, you will have a single room, sharing a bathroom and kitchen with up to three other undergraduates. The North and Chapel Court rooms consist of two student bedrooms (with the smaller room priced at a lower rent), with a shared bathroom and small kitchen for up to four people. After the first year, you can opt for a single room, share with friends, or live in a shared College house.
If you want to explore more about faith and spirituality the Chapel team runs a termly programme of events and activities each term. We seek to ensure that the Chapel is a space in which students, staff and visitors can encounter the life of faith in all its beauty, wonder and creativity, whatever their background.
Choral Evensong is sung by The Choir of St John's six days a week, from Tuesday to Sunday, at 6.30pm. This is a beautiful service drawn from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and sung in colleges, chapels and cathedrals around the country. The poetic language and music create an atmosphere of contemplation at the end of the day. The services are open to the public and all are welcome.
The College Chaplain is a visible presence around College as an open, approachable and non-judgemental listener to anyone, of any faith or none, and to ensure the Chapel is a place where all are welcome.
The Chapel is open to everyone of all faiths and none. It is usually open during the day for quiet contemplation and everyone is welcome at all of our services. We are here for everyone in College, whatever your beliefs, experience or background and we are committed to being an inclusive Christian community.
Interviews typically start between 8am and 6.30pm UTC for UK-based candidates, but that is not always guaranteed. If you have been invited to interview, please read your invitation email carefully as it contains important information about session start times, as you may be required in advance of your interview.
For applicants applying in 2025, St John's will interview all applicants online using Zoom. If you are an applicant for future years, check closer to the time to see what format interviews are being held in for the year you are applying. Monitor the Undergraduate Interviews page to receive the most up-to-date information.
It is not possible to transfer to St John’s or the University of Cambridge when you are already partway through a degree course elsewhere. All students are required to start at Year 1 of their course.
There is information about how to make an admissions appeal or complaint on the University’s admissions appeals and complaints page. When making an appeal, please ensure you have read the accompanying guidance that your appeal meets the necessary criteria.
It is not possible to transfer your offer or place from another college to St John’s. Please ensure you are happy with your choice of college before you submit your application.
No, we do not consider applicants on the Cambridge University Foundation Year.
Applicants for Medicine must reach 18 years of age by 1 November of their first year. This is a statutory requirement.
St John's accepts applications from affiliate students in all subjects that admit affiliate students, except for Veterinary Medicine (which is only available at the Mature Age Colleges).
Visit Applying for a second undergraduate degree
Different subjects have different equipment requirements for interviews. Please read your interview invitation email carefully for details.
There is no formal dress code, and interview candidates should attend interview in clothing they feel comfortable in.
Applicants will be contacted about the outcome of their application at the end of January. All colleges release outcomes on the same day, so please see the University's application timeline for further details.
This can vary by subject – please see your subject course page for more information. If you are invited to interview you will receive full instructions on what you need for your interview.
Unless specified as part of a pre-interview task, notes are discouraged at interview and some subjects will ask you to perform a 'room sweep' to ensure you do not have any notes either on your desk or on your computer desktop.
Interviewers may use your personal statement as a discussion starter, though this may vary between interviewers and subject. You will not be quizzed on the content of your personal statement.
No, the interview is about you and your interests, not the interviewers'.
You won’t be required to know anything outside of what you have learned from school, but you may be asked to think about how you apply this knowledge in different ways to how you may have encountered them at school.
The best way to prepare for a Cambridge interview is to revise content you have covered in relevant school subjects. Ensure you are comfortable talking about your subject interests - interviewers are interested in how you think and what you are interested in.
This may vary between subjects, interviewers, and how your interview may progress. Interviewers do generally aim to discuss your written work with you at interview, so you should be prepared to talk about what you submit.