The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Through the competition, graduate and professional students can hone their academic and research presentation skills and their ability to effectively explain their research to a general audience. Each competitor has three minutes to speak and can use only one presentation slide.
Registration Opens Soon!
Registration for the 2026-27 3MT competition will open on Monday, August 24. First-round participants will be asked to submit a three-minute video presentation, using only one presentation slide to effectively convey their research at Penn State and its impact. Submissions are due by Friday, December 11.
Why Participate in 3MT?
Competition Format
First Round - Video Submission
Submissions are judged by alumni, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, and others. Submissions due by December 11.
Final Round - In-Person
The top-ranking students from the first round are invited back to a final, in-person round live streamed from the University Park campus on Saturday, March 20.
Regional Competition
The top-ranking final round Penn State master's or doctoral student is invited to compete in a regional competition hosted by the Northeast Association of Graduate Schools.
Prizes
- First Place: $2,500
- Second Place: $1,250
- People's Choice: TBA (sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association)
Co-Sponsors
Information for Students
Learn more about eligibility requirements, the upcoming timeline, prize money, and more.
Learn more
Information for Judges
Learn about remote judging for the opening round, who can be a judge, judging criteria, and more.
Learn more
Congratulations to the 2026 Award Recipients!
The final round of the 2025-26 3MT competition was exciting and engaging! The 10 finalists did such an exceptional job highlighting their scholarship and its impact that there was a tie for second place. The awardees are:
First Place
Julia Ho, Architectural Engineering
Second Place
Sayan Deep De, Kinesiology
Shakshi Sekar, Energy and Mineral Engineering
People's Choice
Zilfa Irakoze, Food Science and International Agriculture and Development
The People's Choice Award is sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
View the Final Round
Contact Us
If you have questions you can reach out to the Fox Graduate School.
