3MT (Three Minute Thesis)

Share Your Research Story

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 Fall 2025 Three Minute Thesis Competition!

The Fall 2025 3MT finals will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

$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 October 27 or 28, in the Graduate Student Center. The top 8 – 10 finalists in each category will compete in the live final event on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.

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.

Applications will open on August 1, 2025.

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 research project with a faculty mentor
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
Applications due by 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2025

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?

2024 Event Finalists

Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the 2024 UCF 3MT event!

Master’s
Stella Arbelaez – Emerging Media MFA, Studio Art and Design Track
Joseph Ciurca – Biomedical Engineering MS
Savannah Hill – Emerging Media MFA, Animation and Visual Effects Track
Israt Jahan – Social Work MSW
Tiffany Marin – Emerging Media MFA, Animation and Visual Effects Track
Joseph Nolff – Biotechnology MS
Tolulope Ogunrinde – Feature Film Production MFA
Sophia Saco – Creative Writing MFA (People’s Choice Awardee)
Sara Swiersz – Interdisciplinary Studies MA (First Place Awardee)
Mario Villavicencia – Feature Film Production MFA (Runner-Up Awardee)

Doctoral
Tiffany Dawson – Integrative and Conservation Biology PhD
Sarah Hall – Educational Leadership EdD, Executive Track (Runner-Up Awardee)
Charlotte Jones-Robert – Curriculum and Instruction EdD
Emelie Masterson – Biomedical Sciences PhD (People’s Choice Awardee)
Anamaria Morales – Biomedical Sciences PhD
Brent Pappas – Computer Science PhD
Zhenxian Piao – Hospitality Management PhD
Autumn Shackelford – Physics PhD, Planetary Sciences Track
Nina Steigerwald – Industrial and Organizational Psychology PhD (First Place Awardee)
Aili Wu – Hospitality Management PhD