Three Minute Thesis

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition in which participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. It is designed to assist graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. This event is the final round of the competition, featuring 10 graduate student presentations.

The winner will receive a $1000 prize and the opportunity to represent UNC-Chapel Hill at the 3MT competition in Baton Rouge, LA, Feb. 18-20, 2026 as part of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools annual conference.

The “”People’s choice”” prize will be awarded to a finalist chosen by the audience.

For more information on deadlines, visit The Graduate School’s Three Minute Thesis site.

This is an in-person event.