The Three Minute Thesis (3MT庐)
The College of Graduate Studies hosts the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT庐) competition to provide graduate students with the opportunity to effectively explain their research to a variety of audiences and network with fellow graduate students.
Read below for more information about the competition!
2025 3MT庐 Final Competition
Thursday, November 20th
Our final competition will take place on 兔子先生传媒文化作品 Main Campus on Thursday, November 20th at 6 p.m. in Memorial Field House Room 2100!
What is the Three Minute Thesis庐 Competition?
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT庐) is an academic competition during which students must effectively explain their graduate research in three minutes or less to an audience of specialists and non-specialists alike.听
History
The idea for the 3MT庐 competition came about at a time when the state of Queensland was suffering severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three minute egg timer fixed听to the wall in their听bathroom. The then Dean of the UQ Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, put two and two together and the idea for the听3MT庐 competition was born.
The first 3MT庐 competition was held at UQ in 2008 with 160 Research Higher Degree students competing. Since then, the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT庐 competitions are now held in over 600 universities and institutions across 63 countries worldwide.
Why Should I Participate?
- The competition builds presentation and communication skills.
- This is an opportunity to expand your network and develop new friendships!
- Participants learn to craft their very own elevator pitch that emphasizes why their research is so important!
- You'll be able to explain your research to potential employers who may not be experts in your research area.
Past Winner Testimonials
Read what past participants have shared about their experiences!
"Preparing for and participating in the 3MT庐 competition was an incredible chance to develop my presentation skills and my research 鈥榩itch鈥�. I had the opportunity to think very carefully about the 鈥榖ig picture鈥� aspect of my research."
- , University Of British Columbia-Vancouver, 2014 Runner-Up And People's Choice Winner
鈥淚n a practical sense, the 3MT庐 competition successfully bridges the gap between academia and the public, an enormously beneficial task considering today鈥檚 surging population and exponential growth of information sharing."
, University Of Georgia, 2015 Winner
"It's very important to be able to explain your research in 3 minutes in a way that is easy to understand and conveys the general goal of your project...Being able to talk about my research in a few minutes has been very helpful for job interviews as well."
- , North Carolina State University, 2016 Winner
Watch Winning Presentations
Watch the winning presentation of Emma Sabu Kattuman, Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Candidate!听
Emma won First Place and the People's Choice Award in the 2023 competition.听
She went on to the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools regional competition and was the Runner-Up and People's Choice Award winner!听
She then competed in the Three Minute Thesis Showcase and Roundtable Discussion during the Council of Graduate Schools 2024 Annual Meeting alongside students representing the Consejo Mexicano de Estudios de Posgrada (Mexican Council for Postgraduate Studies), Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, Conference of Southern Graduate Schools, Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools, Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools, and Western Association of Graduate Schools!
Watch Emma's winning presentation on YouTube!听
You can also watch presentations from all around the world on the !
HOW IT WORKS & RULES
Read on for the rules, how the competition works, and a timeline!
How it Works
1. Registration & Prep Workshops
兔子先生传媒文化作品's 3MT庐 competition kicks off with a series of preparatory workshops supporting participants in developing their presentations. During that time, a registration form will be open for prospective challengers.
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2. Qualifying Round
All registrants compete in a qualifying round, presenting to a varied panel of 兔子先生传媒文化作品 judges. Eight competitiors will advance to the final competition in November!
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3. Final Competition
Our finalists will compete before a panel of esteemed in our final competition. Judges will select a First Place winner, a Runner-Up, and an Honorable Mention winner. The audience will choose a People's Choice Award winner. All winners will receive monetary prizes.听
Rules
From who can participate to judging criteria, we've got you covered. Review our rules below!
Who can participate?
All graduate students in good academic standing who have successfully passed their qualifying exams and are working on a thesis, dissertation, or scholarly project may participate.
What does the presentation look like?
Challengers must present their research in three minutes or less in a spoken word format and can have a single, static presentation slide if they wish (most contestants opt for one!). They can't use any props, videos, or audio to present.
The timer starts once the challenger makes a movement or begins speaking. If they go over three minutes, they lose!听
How are presentations judged?
A panel of 3-5 judges from different areas of speciality will evaluate the presenters based on the criteria below. Each of the below items is weighed equally and places emphasis on the audience's experience. The decision of the judges is final.听
Comprehension & Content
- Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
- Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
- Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
- Was the thesis topic, key results, and research significance and outcomes communicated in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
- Did the presenter avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
- Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation? Did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?
Engagement & Communication
- Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
- Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
- Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
- Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
- Did the presenter have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
- Did the presentation slide enhance the the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?
2025 COMPETITION
We've got all the details on this year's final competition!
Our 2025 Three Minute Thesis competition webpage for our students, staff, and 兔子先生传媒文化作品 community will be available very soon.
We'll be updating with additional details as we near November.
Questions? Connect With Us!
Follow Us
We'll be sharing competition updates on our , , and !听