WELCOME To MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

Madras Christian College in Chennai,is one of the oldest colleges in Asia and was established in 1837. Currently, the college is affiliated to the University of Madras, but functions as an autonomous institution from its campus in Tambaram, Chennai. The college has been awarded the prestigious A+ rating by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. The India Today Magazine in its recent survey (June,2007) places MCC among the Top Ten Arts and Science Colleges in India in all the three streams—Arts, Science and Commerce. MCC has retained this position as per India Today's 2009 survey.

In 1835, two Chaplains of the Church of Scotland in Madras, Rev George James Laurie and Rev Matthew Bowie started a School - the St. Andrew's School, on the corner of Randalls Road in Egmore. They requested the Church of Scotland to send a missionary to run it. The General Assembly's school was opened by the Rev. John Anderson in a rented house on the east side of Armenian Street (Georgetown), in the heart of Madras, with the Headmaster and 59 boys from St Andrew's School forming the core. It was named after the supreme governing body of the Church of Scotland, and aimed at attracting high caste pupils. The stated objective was to "convey as great as an amount of truth as possible through the channel of a good education especially of Bible truth". The college grew from a small school to a 375-acre (1.52 km²) wooded campus through the guidance of renowned educationalist and visionary Dr.William Miller, who started hostels, various academic and cultural associations, which shaped MCC into a premier institution in South Asia. The institution, after 100 years of life in the heart of the city, migrated to the verduous, sprawling Tambaram campus in 1937. The Rev. Dr. A.J. Boyd led the college for 18 long years (1938-56). It is said that Dr. Boyd knew each of his students personally, as illustrated from General Krishnaswamy Sundarji's autobiography where he writes that when he wanted to join the army, discontinuing his studies, Dr. Boyd told him not to as he thought that he will end up as a good doctor than a good soldier.

After Dr. Boyd, Prof Macphail became the Principal, who was succeeded by the first Indian Principal, Dr.Chandran Devanesan in 1962. Imbued with Gandhian vision, Dr Devanesen redefined the scope of education by involving the staff and the students in the neighborhood community. This decade (1962-72) is affectionately called "The Devanesan Decade". Many Principals of this historic institution have been Vice-Chancellors of Universities across India and have distinguished themselves as successful educationalists and able administrators.

The present principal is Dr.Alexander Jesudasan.

The college offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Arts, Science, and Commerce streams. Undergraduate programmes in vocational streams of Archaeology, Musicology (Arts) and Industrial Fish and Fisheries (Science) are also offered. The college also offers Master of Computer Application programme. A number of departments at the college also offer M. Phil and PhD programmes. The college has 38 departments including day and evening streams, with more than 5,000 students, half of whom notably are girls (MCC has a rich tradition of admitting girl students since 1939, and the lady faculty members since 1940.^[3]. The institution has 220 odd faculty members, more than half of whom possessing Doctorates.^[4]. The Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology apart from regular teaching and research is also assisting students through websites like Phycolab and Center for Floristics Research created and posted by their staff.