Apply for Murley Prizes
Murley Prizes
The Department of Classics recognizes exceptional work by students by awarding annually a number of different prizes all named in honor of our benefactor, Joseph Clyde Murley, a member of the Northwestern faculty in Classics from 1921-57 (PhD Chicago, 1920).
These may include:
- Excellence in both Latin and Greek
- Excellence in Greek
- Excellence in Latin
- Best Thesis
- Undergraduate Research in Classical Literature and Culture
Faculty members in Classics nominate students for consideration for the Greek and Latin prizes, as well as for the thesis prize. Papers nominated for presentation at the Classics Expo are eligible for submission to the Murley Prize.” Awards are announced at the Classics Expo and Awards Ceremony each year, typically in June. Read about the 2021 winners here!
The Murley Prize for Undergraduate Research in Classical Literature and Culture
The Murley Prize for Undergraduate Research in Classical Literature and Culture is an open competition. All current Northwestern undergraduates in any year in any department are eligible to submit work for consideration by the prize committee in the department of classics. The prize will recognize the best undergraduate essay on any aspect of ancient Greek and Roman literature and culture and/or the heritage and traditions of classical antiquity. Essays may be of any length, but must have been submitted as part of an undergraduate course in any department at Northwestern during the academic year (including thesis work in departments other than classics). Please note that Classics honors theses are excluded from consideration.
Note: Essays written for a spring quarter course (that is, papers that are prepared after the submission deadline date for the academic year's competition) may be submitted in the next academic year's competition. Submissions to this competition are limited to one essay per student.
Applicants should submit electronically, a brief email message specifying their name, year, departmental affiliation and major/minor (where applicable), contact details (email, campus address), the name, number and year/quarter of the course for which the essay was written, and the exact title of their essay. Attached to the application message, applicants are asked to submit a copy of the essay displaying the exact title as specified in the letter, but without the applicant's name.
Please submit entries electronically to classics@northwestern.edu using Murley Prize as the subject line.
Questions? Contact Professor Ryan Platte (ryan.platte@northwestern.edu).