UCF’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

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 [email protected].

2023 3MT

Apply

To apply, follow the link below to the application form. As part of the application, upload a youtube video link where you present your research in 3 minutes or less.

Applications will open on August 1

Want some help developing your pitch for the application? Check out previous years competitors below or come to the 3MT Info Session and Pitch Workshop. workshops will be offered on:

September 26, 2023 @ 12pm (In Person, TCH 208)
October 4, 2023 @ 5pm (Virtual, Zoom)

Timeline

Applications Open: August 1, 2023
Applications Due: October 6, 2023 at 11:59pm
Finalist’s Announced: October 16, 2023
UCF 3MT Finals: November 15, 2023

Scholarships

Scholarships will be awarded to all finalists for both the Master’s and Doctoral competitions. Finalists will receive a $300 Scholarship.

Additionally, scholarships will be awarded to outstanding 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 enrolled in thesis hours or completing a long term research project. A competitive candidate should have a well-conceived project (ideally their dissertation or thesis research), compelling data collected, and a novel story to share. The work presented must have been conducted at UCF for the student’s current degree program.

The number of finalists chosen for the event on November 15, 2023, will depend on the submissions made. 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. Over $4,000 in Scholarships will be awarded to winners at both the master’s and doctoral levels.

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?

Fall 2022 Event Finalists

Thank you to the finalists who presented at the Fall 2022 3MT event!

Paul Amoruso, Computer Engineering MSCpE
Khalilah Caines, Public Affairs PhD
Kayla Cayasso, Creative Writing MFA (Winner, Master’s: People’s Choice)
Trevor Colaneri, History MA (Winner, Master’s: 1st Place)
Itunu Ilesanmi, Public Affairs PhD (Winner, Doctoral: Runner Up)
Udit Kumar, Materials Science and Engineering PhD
Shahrzad Mahdavi, Electrical Engineering PhD (Winner, Doctoral: People’s Choice)
Sambadi Majumder, Integrative and Conservation Biology PhD (Winner, Doctoral: 1st Place)
Edi Mucka, Applied Sociology MA
Ratna Okhai, Public Affairs PhD
Nicholas Pareis, Materials Science and Engineering MSMSE
Shahrior Pervaz, Civil Engineering PhD
Tianka Pharaoh, Education PhD
Halley Spencer, Applied Sociology MA (Winner, Master’s: Runner Up)
Joseph Vaccaro, Biomedical Sciences PhD
Emeline Ward, Biomedical Sciences PhD