Three-minute Thesis

• January 20 - February 14, 2025
  

Events

Join us to support graduate student research...three minutes at a time!

U of A 3MT Preliminary Round (in-person)
Date: February 19-21 & February 24-25, 2025
Time(s): 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: SAB 3-21

U of A 3MT Finals (in-person)
Date: March 21, 2025
Time: 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. MST
Location: ECHA 2-190

If you’re actively enrolled in a master's or PhD graduate program at the U of A and are in good standing with their graduate program and the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, you can compete at 3MT™.

Eligibility Details

• You are still eligible to compete if your thesis is under submission on the date of your first competition heat.
• If your thesis is under submission and your degree is conferred while you are still competing at 3MT™, you are still eligible. However, you must have competed in your first competition heat before your degree is conferred. If you receive notification of your degree conferral before you compete in your first competition heat, you have effectively graduated and are ineligible to compete (even if you have not yet attended a graduation ceremony).
• Visiting students are not eligible to compete at 3MT™.
• You must register for the event and be eligible to present in person on the day of your first competition.
• You must be available to present in person at the finals. If the winner is not available, the runner-up will take their place provided they fulfil all requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is offering participants in the 2025 3MT preliminary round the chance to win one of four $500 prizes.

What do graduate students have to do? 

1. Register to participate in the preliminary rounds by noon on Friday, February 14, 2025. 
2. Prepare and practice your 3 minute presentation about your graduate research. If you’re not familiar with the format, watch a few of our finalist presentations from last year.
3. Present your 3MT on your assigned day. You need to make an in-person presentation to be eligible for your College's respective draw.

What are the prizes?
Four prizes of $500 will be awarded to participants in the 2025 3MT preliminary rounds. One to a student representing the College of Social Sciences & Humanities; one to a student representing the College of Natural + Applied Sciences; one to a student from College of Health Sciences; and one to a student representing graduate programs in the Faculty of Native Studies, Campus Saint-Jean or Augustana.

Which draw will I be put into?
Current University of Alberta graduate students who present a 3MT between Wednesday, February 19 and Tuesday, February 25 will be entered into one of four draws. A winner will be picked at random from these four draws. 

• Draw 1: Presenters representing faculties within College of Social Sciences + Humanities: 
  • Education
  • Business
  • Law
  • Arts

• Draw 2: Presenters representing faculties within Natural + Applied Sciences:
  • Engineering
  • Science
  • Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences

• Draw 3: Presenters representing faculties within Health Sciences:
  • Kinesiology, Sports and Recreation 
  • Pharmacy and Pharmacology
  • Nursing
  • School of Public Health
  • Medicine + Dentistry
  • Rehabilitation Medicine
    
    
• Draw 4: Presenters representing graduate programs offered by the Faculty of Native Studies, Augustana Campus and Campus Saint-Jean.

When will the draws take place?
The GPS PD Team will be making the draws on March 4, 2025. The four winners will be notified on March 4, 2025. The names of the 4 winners will be announced at the 2025 3MT Finals on March 21, 2025.

Are the winners required to do anything to claim their prize? 
Winners of the draw will be expected to answer a skill testing question to receive their prize. They will also be invited to attend the 3MT final, where their names will be announced. The winners will also be given the opportunity to have their research shared with the broader campus community.

Do I need to be a 3MT finalist to be eligible?
No! You just need to present a 3MT during the preliminary rounds. Whether you make it to the finals or not, your name will be placed in the draw. Please note that all presenters must meet the eligibility criteria of the 3MT competition. 

Click here for the official contest rules.

There are several benefits to competing in a 3MT™ competition. You’ll get the chance to effectively communicate your work to the public, which can help you better frame your thesis topic and refine a clear and understandable statement for scholarships.

The competition also offers you the opportunity to put your name out there while enhancing your presentation skills and developing a polished pitch for potential job interviews. And, you’ll be able to connect with fellow researchers and contribute to a broader research community, all while adding a valuable line to your resume or CV.

Of course, there’s also prize money for the winners.

• A single static Google Slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or “movement” of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration). Please note that using a slide is optional as the presentation focus is on your speaking skills. Images used in the slide must be your own, or you must have permission from the owner of the photo(s) and provide proper credit(s).
• 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 a maximum of three minutes.
• Presentations that go over three minutes will lose marks in the heats and will be disqualified in the final.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations must be based on research directly related to the student's graduate program thesis. Research performed for employment should not be presented.
• Presentations are to begin from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have started when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
• Presenters must consent to be filmed for the finals only.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Presentations in the semi-finals and finals will be judged by a panel of judges from the U of A and the Edmonton community. The judges make their decisions based on three main categories: communication, comprehension and engagement.

Communication

• Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in a way that a general/non-specialist audience could understand? Did the speaker use sufficient eye contact and vocal range, maintain a steady pace and have a confident stance?
• Did the speaker avoid jargon, explain terminology and provide enough background information to support their key points?
• Did the speaker spend the right amount of time on each element of their presentation?
• Was the PowerPoint slide clear, legible and concise and did it enhance the speaker’s presentation?

Comprehension

• Did the presentation help the audience understand the research and research methods?
• Did the presenter clearly outline the nature and aims of the research?
• Did the presenter clearly define the significance and impact of their research?
• Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?

Engagement

• Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or overly generalize the research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?

This fun, highly informative and very entertaining event was developed by the University of Queensland in 2008 and is now held in more than 85 countries around the world. Our winners will move on to the Western finals and possibly the Canadian national event.