3MT Graduate Student Development & Preliminary Competition Sign Up
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland. Graduate students have just three minutes to present a compelling oration on their research and its significance to a non-specialist audience. 3MT represents an invaluable opportunity for students to sharpen their research focus, improve their presentation skills, and perfect their elevator pitch for prospective employers and anyone else interested in learning about their research.
Check out last year’s 3MT Finals Competition Presentations YouTube Playlist here.
Please take advantage of the 3 different development sessions and individual feedback sessions to refine your research communication skills. These are open to all graduate and professional students, regardless of if you conduct research or plan to complete!
Development Sessions
These sessions share tips on how to develop your 3MT Competition presentation. Depending on the session, they address:
- How to develop your presentation outline
- How to make the most of your PowerPoint slide
- How your physical presence (movement, voice) can increase your listeners’ understanding
- How emphasizing pronunciation of certain words can impact your listeners’ understanding
- How to develop an elevator pitch-style of presentation
These sessions are designed to help students focus on the essential elements of their research and become better presenters, regardless of if they compete in 3MT. Past participants have praised these sessions for helping them create a presentation that is accessible to all audiences and increase their confidence.
Session Types:
- Developing Your Research Elevator Pitch - Graduate & Professional School
- English Pronunciation Tips - Center for Teaching Excellence - English Language Proficiency Program
- Fine Tuning Your Oral Presentation Skills - University Writing Center
These sessions are open to anyone interested in developing their presentation skills, regardless of if they conduct research or plan to compete. Attending a session and completing its associated reflection is worth 1 PDU towards a G.R.A.D. Aggies Professional Development Certificate for graduate & professional students. Sessions are available in both September and October, so be sure to advance the calendar view.
Feedback Sessions
REGISTRATION FOR FEEDBACK SESSIONS OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND
Students planning on competing in the Preliminary Competition may sign up for an 15-minute virtual feedback session. This is an individual session, so only one registrant per time slot is allowed. Studentswill get 15 minutes with several 3MT development facilitators to practice and receive feedback on their presentation, script and/or slide, and ask any questions about the Preliminary Competition.
These sessions will take place completely virtual on Zoom. Have your PowerPoint ready and any other materials ready to get the most of your 15-minutes.
Please email us at grad-aggies@tamu.edu if you have issues with scheduling a feedback session, we would be happy to work with you to accommodate your schedule.
Preliminary Competition
REGISTRATION FOR THE PRELIMINARY COMPETITION OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND
The Preliminary 3MT Competition will consist of in-person presentations at the Memorial Student Center on Thursday, October 19th through Friday, October 20th, 2023. Participants who advance to the 3MT Final Competition will receive a $100 scholarship (posted to their student account) and present live in the Rudder Forum on Friday, November, 3rd from 6-8 pm CT (so save the date!).
Click here for the Rules, Eligibility, and Resources for the competition. If you have questions, please email grad-aggies@tamu.edu.
If you have any issues finding a competition time slot that works with your schedule, please email us at grad-aggies@tamu.edu; we will do our best to accommodate you.
Thanks and Gig 'Em!
3MT Planning Committee
Please remember that faculty, staff and members of the Bryan/College Station community volunteer their time to serve as judges in this competition. Please respect their time and arrive early for your session or let us know you will not be competing at least 48 hours ahead of time. This will allow us to release judges if they are no longer needed. Thank you.