3MT (Three Minute Thesis)

Share Your Research Story

Additional Professional Development Opportunities

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.

This event is co-hosted by the Graduate Student Life and Research and Scholarship areas in the College of Graduate Studies. Questions? email us at gradcenter@ucf.edu.

Join us for the Fall 2026 Three Minute Thesis Competition!

The Fall 2026 3MT finals will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2026
at the Morgridge International Reading Center.

$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.

Application Requirements

The UCF 3MT competition is conducted in two rounds. All applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be invited to compete in the first round, held in person on the week of October 26-30, in the Graduate Student Center.

The top finalists in each category will compete in the live final event on Thursday, November 19, 2026 in the Morgridge International Reading Center.

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

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled UCF doctoral or master’s students actively engaged in research under the mentorship of a UCF faculty member
A competitive candidate has 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
The first-place winner and runner-up at the finals 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 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?

2025 Event Finalists

Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2025 UCF 3MT event!

Master’s

Maresca Brand – Industrial and Organizational Psychology MS
Alissa Burch – Emerging Media MFA – Studio Art and Design Track
Bianca Dagostino – Creative Writing MFA
Rashmi Ghonasgi – Clinical Psychology MS
Kenyari Gil Rosario – Emerging Media MFA – Studio Art and Design Track
Tina Glatz – Health Promotion and Behavioral Science MS
Olamide Osigbemeh – Mechanical Engineering MSME – Mechanical Systems Track (Runner-Up Awardee)
Saskia Papsova – Political Science MA
Lance-Nicolas Rances – Environmental Engineering MSEnvE (First Place Awardee)
Brian Sukhu – Health Promotion and Behavioral Science MS (People’s Choice Awardee)

Doctoral

Nidal Alsayyed – Industrial Engineering PhD
Ashley Brevil – Public Affairs PhD
Shahad Ibrahim – Civil Engineering PhD
Caroline Jasiak – Integrative Anthropological Sciences PhD
Meghan Kane – Psychology PhD – Industrial & Organizational Psychology
Moein Koohestani – Kinesiology PhD
Jesica Lovelace – Curriculum and Instruction EdD (First Place Awardee)
Ngoc Tran Nguyen – Hospitality Management PhD (People’s Choice Awardee)
Kamalakkannan Ravi – Computer Engineering PhD
Daejhanae Smith – Physics PhD – Planetary Sciences Track (Runner-Up Awardee)