Presenting an 80,000-word Ph.D. thesis would take 9 hours.
Participants have 3 minutes.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Students must concisely summarize and clearly communicate a well-conceived thesis/dissertation project, compelling data collected, and a novel story in three minutes or less. The ability to do this allows students to develop academic, presentation, and research communication skills.
Judging Rubric
This competition will be judged using this grading rubric.
Presentation Guidelines
All 3MT® presentations must:
- use no more than a single static PowerPoint slide without any animations, transitions, or movement.
- share the PowerPoint slide from the beginning of the oration.
- not include any electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) other than the one required PowerPoint slide.
- not include additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment).
- consist only of spoken words (e.g., no poems, rapping, or songs).
- be completed in three minutes or less beginning with the start of the presentation through any movement or speech on the part of the participant. (Participants exceeding three minutes will be disqualified.)
Participant Guidelines
Students must:
- review the Research Week Schedule in advance to ensure availability to participate at that time. (Rescheduling of presentation times is not allowed due to the availability of judges.)
- be graduate or undergraduate students near to completing or recently completed a thesis or dissertation.
- be physically present to compete.
- submit only one presentation topic.
Best Practices
Best practices for 3MT® presentations include:
- being concise and engaging.
- speaking clearly.
- adapting the content for a general rather than specialist audience.
Helpful Resources
Students are encouraged to explore these links: