Three Minute Thesis
3MT® is back for Fall 2025!
Summary of Key Dates – 2025
-
September 26, 2025 – Registration closes
-
October 10, 2025 – Preliminary Round
-
October 24, 2025 – Practice Session for Finalists
-
November 7, 2025 – Final Round and Networking Reception
All events will be held in-person, no virtual option will be available.
What is the Three Minute Thesis®?
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition in which George Mason Doctoral (PhD) candidates and MFA students present their research to a non-specialist audience in three minutes using only one visual aid. Students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis or dissertation research and its significance. The first competition was held at The University of Queensland in 2008, and enthusiasm for the concept has led to the development of an international competition.
The 3MT® challenge encourages graduate students to think about their research from an outsider’s perspective, hones their presentation skills, and provides a forum for a cross-disciplinary exchange of exciting ideas and information.
Registration and Eligibility
Registration
2025 Registration closes on Friday, Sept 26. Your slide is not needed at the time of registration. Registration will open on Tuesday, August 26 -- in the meantime, stay tuned by joining the Graduate Division on Mason360!
Eligibility
|
Student Type |
Eligible? |
|
Doctoral Candidates (must have advanced to candidacy by the closing of 3MT registration) |
YES |
|
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Students |
YES |
|
Nursing doctoral students in the final year of their program (with only 3 semesters remaining) |
YES |
|
Master’s Students (MA, MS, MED, etc.) |
NO |
|
Doctoral students who have yet to advance to candidacy |
NO |
|
Bachelor’s Degree students and BAMF students |
NO |
Competition Details: Dates & Components
Preliminary Round: Friday, October 10, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Location: Merten Hall, George Mason University Fairfax campus.
-
Students will be assigned to compete in a specific time block. The competitors will be notified of their time block no later than Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
-
The Top 10 finalists will advance to the final round.
Final Round: Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
-
Location: JC Cinema, George Mason University Fairfax campus.
-
Students will be assigned to a specific time block. The competitors will be notified of their time block and time slot no later than Friday, October 31, 2025.
-
The first-place winner has the opportunity to advance to the regional competition.
Regional Competition (for 1st place winner only): The Council of Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) will host an in-person competition at its Annual Meeting in 2026.
-
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
-
The winner of the CSGS 3MT® competition will advance to the 2026 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) 3MT® showcase.
National Showcase: The winner of the CSGS regional competition has the opportunity to present at the CGS 3MT showcase.
Congratulations to the 2024 Mason 3MT® Winners!
-
First Place: Calvin Evans (Musical Arts, DMA), “Quincy Jones-Film Composer
-
Second Place: Wai Ling Fong (Education, PhD), “From Crisis to Continuity: The Lasting Impact of Online Faculty Training on Teaching Practices”
-
Third Place: Briana Davis (Communication, PhD), “Equitability Not Just Equality: A Critical Examination of Urban Schools, Urban Teachers, and the Teacher-Student Relationship”
-
People’s Choice Award: Jade Halawani (Education, PhD), “Teacher Professional Qualification and Development: Experiences of Professionally Unqualified Practicing Teachers as a Case Study Investigation Using Cultural History Activity Theory”
Further Information
For questions, contact Alyssa Bivins, Graduate Professional and Career Development Program Coordinator for the Graduate Division: abivins2@gmu.edu.
Visit Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) website to view winning presentations from around the globe.
