UCF’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

Applications are now open for the 2021 3MT! Apply HERE by October 15.

Apply to 3MT

Save the date for UCF’s Fall 2021 3MT to be held at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at the Morgridge International Reading Center.

Doctoral research is presented in a novel and exciting way at UCF’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Doctoral students communicate their research in just three short minutes and with only one PowerPoint slide to non-expert judges while competing to win scholarship awards.

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 gradworkshops@ucf.edu.

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled UCF doctoral students actively engaged in doctoral research. A competitive candidate should have a well-conceived project (ideally their dissertation research), compelling data collected, and a novel story to share. 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 17, 2021 will depend on the submissions made. The first place winner and runner up will be chosen by an adjudicating panel.

Submission Guidelines

Record a 90-second audition video describing your dissertation research and its importance.
Post the video on YouTube and include “#UCF3MT” in the title.
Fill out the application by October 15, 2021 (application opens September 13).

Applicants will be notified by October 25 if they have been selected to compete in the 3MT Finals.

Important Dates

Submissions Open: September 13, 2021
3MT Information Session and Pitch Workshop: September 24, 2021
3MT Information Session and Pitch Workshop: October 6, 2021
Submission Deadline: October 15, 2021
Finalists Announced: October 25, 2021
Finalist One-on-One Prep November 8 – 12, 2021
3MT Event: November 17, 2021

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?

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the top three presenters at our Fall 2020 3MT event held on Wednesday, November 18. Event Winner: Lauren Thomas, Curriculum and Instruction EdD
Runner Up: Khan Mohammad Rabbi, Mechanical Engineering PhD
3rd Place: Anicia Arredondo, Physics PhD – Planetary Sciences PhD Track

Fall 2020 Event Finalists

Congratulations to the 10 doctoral students chosen as finalists for the Fall 2020 3MT event!

Anicia Arredondo, Physics PhD – Planetary Sciences PhD Track
Megan Aubin, Materials Science Engineering PhD
Kristen Iannuzzi, Educational Leadership EdD – Executive EdD Track
Erin Kidder, Sociology PhD
Emmanuel Okogbue, Electrical Engineering PhD
Khan Mohammad Rabbi, Mechanical Engineering PhD
Emily Ross, Psychology PhD – Clinical Psychology Track
Ansu Sebastian, Nursing PhD
Justin Smith, Criminal Justice PhD
Lauren Thomas, Curriculum and Instruction EdD

Fall 2020 Event Judges

We want to thank the following individuals for serving as our event judges!

Michael Aldarondo-Jeffries
Director, Academic Advancement Programs
Interim Director, Office of Undergraduate Research
UCF Division of Student Learning and Academic Research

Corinne Bishop
Social Sciences and Graduate Engagement Librarian
UCF Libraries Research & Information Services

Brian Creel
Assistant Director
UCF Career Services

Past Events

Want to see what 3MT is all about? Watch the 3MT presentations from our past events at our YouTube page:

Fall 2020 Presentations
Fall 2019 Presentations
Spring 2019 Presentations

3MT (Three Minute Thesis﻿)