The H.S. Versnel Prize
for the best (Res)MA thesis in the field of ancient religions
Criteria
Nominees must meet specific criteria: the submitted Master’s or Research Master’s thesis must have received a grade of at least 8.5. The thesis was written at Leiden University and was graded two years preceding the deadline.
Students can submit their theses themselves.
Grade
A minimum grade of 8.0 must have been awarded for the theses submitted.
Form
The thesis must be submitted in its original and graded form.
Topic
The topic of the thesis must pertain to the religions of the ancient Mediterranean, broadly conceived.
Eligibity
Students of all study programmes at Leiden University are eligible. The jury will evaluate only theses assessed at Leiden University within two years preceding the deadline.
Deadline
All nominations must be made before 31 January 2026 (23:59), complete with the required appendices, by e-mail in a single pdf-file per nominee to r.matuszewski@hum.leidenuniv.nl and k.beerden@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Assessment criteria
Submissions are assessed for their academic quality and originality.
SUBMISSION
The submission (in a single pdf-file) must include the following appendices:
- A summary of the thesis of max. 1 A4 pages, written by the student and understandable to the layman. The student may consult – and cite from – the feedback/grading report for input from the supervisor and second reader.
- A short (max 1 A4 page) statement explaining the originality and significance of the thesis. The statement is written by the student but the feedback/grading report may be consulted and cited from.
- Details about the thesis and its author:
- Name, student number and e-mail address of the student
- Name of the Master’s programme, (planned) graduation date, title of the thesis and the grade
- Names and email addresses of the the thesis supervisor and the second reader. It is not necessary to ask them for a recommendation
- The thesis.