The Ghent Institute for Classical Studies annually awards a prize for the best master’s thesis submitted at Ghent University on a subject within the domain of Classical Studies, as there are Linguistics and Literature (Latin and/or Greek), Classical (Mediterranean) and Provincial Roman Archaeology, Reception studies, Ancient Philosophy, Religious History (Antiquity), Ancient History, Ancient Law, and Art Sciences of Antiquity.

Any student who has submitted a master’s thesis at Ghent University in the field of Classical Studies in the previous academic year, and who has obtained at least one major distinction (16/20), can participate.

Submissions are accepted each year until October 31. Candidates are asked to submit the following documents to giks@ugent.be: 

• an electronic copy of the Master thesis;
• a motivation of c. 1500 words, consisting of an abstract of the thesis and a short argument on why the thesis should be considered for the prize;
• all thesis reports;
• a short recommendation by the promotor of the thesis.

The jury is selected by the GICS-committee and consists of at least five members with a doctoral degree. These members establish a ranking list of the submitted theses. Jury members are not allowed to rank theses which they themselves coordinated as either promotor or co-promotor. The same goes for second and third readers.

The result of the competition is announced in January of the following year. The prize is awarded during the GICS-seminar in February.

Download the regulations

GICS Prize winners (2015-2021)

• 2015 Alexis Daveloose: Tolli fortunae discrimen in morte? Funeraire luxe en romanisatie in hellenistisch Clusium
• 2016 Tineke Melkebeek: Aristoteles over de vrouw
• 2017 Kirsten Ricquier: De receptie van de antieke romans bij Fielding en Richardson: De erfenis van een antiek genre in enkele 18e-eeuwse zedenromans.
• 2018 Niels Schoubben: How to find the origins of a dragon? – A cognitive linguistic approach towards the protohistory of the Homeric hexameter.
• 2019 Eline Daveloose: Over broeders, zussen en schapenhoeders. Editie van drie onuitgegeven Cappadocische volksverhalen uit Axo met grammaticale en lexicale commentaar
• 2020 Martijn Calleeuw: Piraterij, handel en ‘barbaren’? De ‘Litus Saxonicum’ in haar context (ca. 260 tot ca. 410)
• 2021 Yannis Brichant: Het begin van de magister militum. Constantius II’s beleid omtrent de magister equitum et peditum