Thesis and papers
When writing a thesis or paper you must make good use of the insights you have gained during your lectures and studies so far. You should also refer to relevant literature and carry out your own research on the topic.
One of the most important things you will learn during an academic study programme is how to write an interesting piece of work that meets the criteria of scientific quality, whilst also being accesible to the broader public.
Refer to our Study skills pages for more information on academic writing skills.
Faculty regulations
The criteria of the thesis are outlined in the faculty-wide regulation shown on the right side of this page. For both papers as well as thesis the rules on plagiarism and academic integrity apply.
Request for appointing thesis supervisor
The Board of Examiners is responsible for appointing a supervisor for the master’s thesis and the bachelor’s thesis
Every study programme has its own procedure for appointing supervisors. Please consult the course description of the master’s thesis or bachelor’s thesis in the e-prospectus.
Need help with your writing assignment? Come to the Writing Lab!
Want to discuss your academic writing assignment (final paper, paper or other) with a trained peer tutor? Book a free appointment at the Writing Lab.
Workshops and thesis events
The Writing Lab organises interactive, hands-on (and free!) workshops and thesis events every semester to help you improve your academic writing skills and/or make writing your thesis a success!
The 45-minute individual coaching session allows you to focus on exactly what you need or have questions about. Everything you discuss with your coach remains between you and the conversation can take place face-to-face or online. If you want, you can also send your writing coach a piece of text in advance, which you will then discuss together during the appointment.
Every semester, the Writing lab offers four interactive workshops:
- Basic skills in academic writing:
Goal paper, planning, structure, formulating research questions - Creating a clear structure:
Clarity, coherence, paragraphs, main- and subquestions, text plan - Develop an academic style:
Define style, techniques, formulation, sentence structure - Keep on writing: becoming a disciplined writer:
Common challenges, planning, perfectionism, concentration issues
- Thesis kick-off:
Get a kickstart with your thesis. In two workshops, you will learn all about designing and planning your thesis. - Thesis group:
Get to know other thesis writers in 4 weekly meetings, learn to plan better and exchange tips and experiences to stay productive. - Thesis week:
For a week, you will write on your thesis every day from 09:00-17:00 under the guidance of the Writing Lab.
Master's thesis procedure
Please note that for the MA Thesis in Classics and Ancient Civilizations there is a procedure concerning that start of the thesis project and handing in the thesis.
Thesis application form
The Board of Examiners has to approve of the thesis plan and is responsible for appointing the thesis supervisor and an (independent) second reader.
Therefore, students are required to (digitally) hand in the Thesis application form to the Board of Examiners. Students planning to graduate in August, have to submit the form before 15 March at the latest. In case of graduation after the first semester, students have to submit the form before 15 September at the latest.
Handing in the Thesis and Student Repository
1) Students are asked to hand in their thesis per e-mail to both their supervisor and second reader, and to put in CC the email address Mathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl. This inbox, which belongs to and is maintained by the exam committees, serves as a central collection point of all MA theses written within our faculty.
2) In case your supervisor and/or second reader want a paper version of the thesis, you hand in a paper version to your supervisor and/or second reader as well.
3) Your supervisor will upload the thesis to the thesis assessment system, which also checks it for plagiarism. After the plagiarism check the assessment will be registered in the system.
4) The grade of the thesis will be registered in uSis once you have uploaded the thesis to the Student Repository.
The deadline for handing in the final version of your thesis is communicated through the e-Prospectus. However, students always consult their supervisor to make clear arrangements about handing the thesis.
MA Thesis Regulations
Regulations concerning the general procedure surrounding the Master's Thesis are determined by the Faculty of Humanities. The thesis of the Master Classics and Ancient Civilizations has a maximum of 15.000 words (1000 per EC) includes footnotes, bibliography, images and attachments.
Guide to Academic Skills Classics and Ancient Civilizations
This guide aims to describe the academic skills that you need to master when following the (Res)MA programme in Classics and Ancient Civilizations. As an MA student, you will need to employ general academic skills: you should be able to conduct research and present the results of that research in papers and theses, or in oral presentations. And you should be able to engage in critical discussions of research with your peers and teachers. Accordingly, the general academic skills that you should master include research skills, writing skills, oral presentation skills, and cooperative skills. This guide provides an overview of these skills, and consists of practical information about relevant sources, reference works and tools, examples of grading forms and lists do’s and don’ts for oral and written presentations.