The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience.
3MT was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, and is now held in more than 900 universities in 85 countries around the world.
Master’s degree and doctoral students enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill from any discipline administered by The Graduate School are welcome to register and participate in the competition.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s 2022 3MT Competition!
Preliminary rounds information
- DEADLINE EXTENDED Thursday, September 29, 2022
Last day to register to participate in the preliminary rounds - Monday, October 3, 2022
Preliminary Rounds, 1:00-5:00 p.m., Graduate Student Center, 211A West Cameron Ave.
Register for preliminary rounds
Final 3MT competition
- Tuesday, October 11, 2022,
4:00-5:00 p.m., held during University Research Week. - First Place: $1000 and the opportunity to represent UNC Chapel Hill at the 3MT competition in Tampa, FL March 2-4, 2023 as part of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools annual conference.
- Second Place: $600
- People’s Choice Award: $400
Judging Criteria
At every level of the competition, each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted on a 7 point scale (14 points total).
Comprehension and Content (7 points)
- Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
- Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
- Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research
Engagement and Communication (7 points)
- The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
- The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
- The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention