Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, and its success has established a range of local and national competitions in several countries.
About the competition
The competition challenges doctoral students from any discipline to give a compelling spoken presentation about their research and its significance – in just three minutes. One single, static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No additional electronic media or props are allowed.
Competitors exceeding three minutes will be disqualified. The decision of the adjudicating panel is final. A panel of judges assesses each presentation against the below criteria, giving each one a score out of 30 points (ten points per section):
- 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 oration make the audience want to know more?
Visit the Three Minute Thesis website.
3MT at the University of Plymouth
Entries for the University's 2023 3MT competition will close on 15 June 2023 – take a look at our previous winners' entries below.
Enquiries can be emailed to researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk.