UCF’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

The UCF Three Minute Thesis (3MT) features master’s and doctoral students communicating their research in just three minutes with only one PowerPoint slide. Participants are judged on the ability to effectively convey the importance of their research in an engaging way to a non-specialist audience.

First developed in 2008 by the University of Queensland in Australia, the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT competitions are now held in over 600 universities across more than 59 countries worldwide.

For questions about this event, please email gradcenter@ucf.edu.

Join us for the 2024 3 Minute Thesis Competition

UCF Student Union, Key West Ballroom
November 14, 2024
1:00 – 3:30 pm
Light Refreshments will be provided

Apply for the 2024 3 Minute Thesis Competition

Applications for the UCF 3MT will open on September 3, 2024.

$4,000 in Scholarships will be awarded!

Scholarships will be awarded to outstanding Master’s and Doctoral presentations at the 3MT finals as follows:

Winners: $1,000 Scholarship
Runners up: $750 Scholarship
People’s Choice: $250 Scholarship

All scholarships awards are contingent on the finalist completing all required activities leading up to the 3MT Finals.

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled UCF doctoral or master’s students actively engaged in research. Doctoral students must be currently enrolled in dissertation hours. Master’s students must be working on a long term research project with a faculty mentor. A competitive candidate should have a well-conceived project, compelling data or source material, and a novel story to share. The work presented must have been conducted at UCF for the student’s current degree program.

Master’s and doctoral students will compete separately. All finalists will be required to attend a series of preparation activities to develop their presenting skills leading up to the finals.

The first-place winner and runner-up will be chosen by a panel of judges.

Rules

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted; no slide transitions, animations, or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed; the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration
No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted
No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted
Presentations are limited to three minutes (plus a 10-second buffer) and competitors exceeding three minutes will be disqualified
Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g., no poems, rapping, or songs)
Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech
The decision of the adjudicating panel is final

Judging Criteria

Communication style: Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
Comprehension: Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
Engagement: Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?

2023 Event Finalists

Thank you to the finalists who presented at the 2023 UCF 3MT event!

Master’s
Meghan Kane – Industrial and Organizational Psychology MS
Njeri Kinuthia – Emerging Media MFA – Studio Art and Design Track
Cory Kennedy Barrow – Theatre MFA – Theatre for Young Audiences Track
Dani Sarta – Creative Writing MFA
Olivia Van Natta – Emerging Media – Studio Art and Design Track
Melanie Cedeño-Lopez – Feature Film Production MFA (Winner)

Doctoral
Nikki Barnes – Texts and Technology PhD
Alexandra Frank – Education PhD – Counselor Education Track
Yu-Shan Huang - Business Administration PhD – Marketing Track
Greta LeDoyen – Curriculum and Instruction EdD
Yasaman Majd Electrical Engineering PhD
Whitney Margaritis – Integrative Anthropological Sciences PhD
Helen Mills – Nursing PhD
Ashley Morris – Public Affairs PhD (Winner)
Christopher Proppe – Kinesiology PhD
Ilana Szlamkowicz – Chemistry PhD