Graduate College Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

3MT = Three Minute Thesis

The Three Minute Thesis competition is an international competition that was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008 and features the efforts of students “to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.” 

Watch 3MT presentations from around the world 

3MT 2025-26

Don't miss your chance to witness innovation in action and support our brilliant scholars as they compete for prizes. Join us for a fun night of learning, creativity, and academic excellence! Mark your calendars for the following dates:

• Preliminary Rounds: January 21-January 23, 2026

   

• Final Round: January 29, 2026

Why Participate

There are prizes (3 categories:  On-campus Doctoral, On-campus Master’s, Online Grad Students)

• First place: $2000
• Second place: $1000
• Third place:  $500

You will find tune your communications skills, which are considered a top-rated “enduring” skill by EMSI Burning Glass, Skills Compass Report 2023.

Eligibility

In order to participate in the 3MT competition, students must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at ASU for the 2025-26 academic year and be in good academic standing. 

2025-2026 Competition Timeline

Application Opens: 10/6/2025
Application Closes: 11/7/2025
Mandatory Info Session: 11/14/25
Participants selected: 12/2/25
Preliminary Rounds: 1/21/2026-1/23/2026
Final Round / Reception: 1/29/2026
 

The 3MT competition winner will be invited to represent ASU and participate in the competition hosted by Western Association of Graduate Schools in March 2026. 

FAQ’s:

How are you choosing participants?

Applications will be evaluated based on the connection to ASU Principled Innovation, and alignment of your expectations for the competition with the overarching goals for 3MT

How are presentations scored? The official 3MT competition provides a rubric for judges to score each presentation.

2024 competition awardees

Congratulations to the participants in the Fall 2024 competition!
 

1. First Place: Rahim Somani, Doctor of Education
2. Second Place: Charles Orlando, Master of Arts, English
3. Third Place: Arianna Walker, Doctor of Behavioral Health

1. First Place: Aliyah Egan, Master of Science, Genetic Counseling
2. Second Place: Lindsey Smith, Master of Social Work
3. Third Place: Francis Mendoza, Master of Science, Robotics and Autonomous Systems

1. First Place: Reeham Mohammed, Doctor of Philosophy Communication
2. Second Place: Kevin Trinh, Doctor of Philosophy, Geological Sciences
3. Third Place: Annie Ferguson, Doctor of Philosophy, Sociology