Three Minute Thesis®

In this research communication competition, PhD students present their doctoral research to a non-specialist audience using only one visual aid—in three minutes.

Communicating the importance of your work in a clear and concise manner to wide audiences is an important skill that can increase the success of job searches, funding proposals, and professional networking. The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is designed to give students a chance to polish these skills as part of an energizing, fun, and challenging academic competition.

What is 3MT®?

3MT® is a research communication competition where PhD students present their doctoral research to a non-specialist audience using only one single visual aid—all in three minutes. This exercise 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.

How Does 3MT® Work?

The preliminary elimination round will be held on Friday, March 4, 2022. The Top 10 finalists will advance to compete in the final round at the Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference on Friday, April 8, 2022.

Registration for 3MT®

The below are eligible to present in the 2022 3MT® competition.

- PhD students who have advanced to candidacy by the deadline are eligible to participate.

- DNP students are eligible to participate.

- MFA students are eligible to participate.

- DMA students are eligible to participate. 

APPLY HERE

Registration closes at 5PM tentatively on Monday, January 31, 2022. Registration status will be confirmed, via email, within 48-hours of the application submission. Anyone registered after the first 50 entrants will be placed on a wait list. 

While it was challenging to distill 250 pages of my dissertation into just a three-minute oral presentation, I would do it all over again because that translation process was invaluable for me as a writer, researcher, and thinker venturing my way out of grad school and into the many professional contexts in which I’ve found myself. While the experience was labeled as a competition, it really felt more like a collegial moment for all of these incredible, brilliant scholars-in-the-making to share their work and findings with a broader community so that they could then be inspired in their own work.

- Sarah Johnson, PhD, Writing and Rhetoric (2021)

Congratulations to Mason's 2022 3MT® Winners and Participants

The Mason Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) final round of competition was held remotely in April, 2022. Please join the Office of Graduate Education in recognizing the Finalists who showcased their research for the University community:

  • Aamir Ahmad, CEC, Landfills and Per-Polyfluoroakyl Substances
  • Adebanke Loventh Adebayo, CHSS, The Sociocultural Perception of Climate Change and Its Effects on Maternal and Prenatal Health Outcomes Among Nigerian Women, West Africa
  • Aisha I Yusuf, CHSS, Ethnic Identify and the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Africa
  • Amy Carfagno, COS, Addressing Analytical Challenges in Endogenous Peptide Identification
  • Callista M Skaggs, COS, Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Polar Metallic Oxides, Intermetallics and Thermoelectrics.
  • Carol M Wong, CHSS, When Job Demands Undermine Recovery Experiences: Unpacking the Recovery Paradox
  • Jessica Roberts, COS, The Use of Behavior-based Management in Avian Reintroduction Science
  • Joseph Majdi, CEC, Ultrasound and Electrical Stimulation to Improve Care for Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke Patients
  • Randy Jamil Pugh, CHHS, The Effect of Overground Locomotor Training on Walking Turns in Parkinson's Disease
  • Roberto Lopez, CHSS, Understanding the relation between sexual identity, social rejection and suicidal ideation using a multimethod approach
  • Tracey G Oellerich, COS, Network Analysis of Biological Systems: Adaptation and Inferring Dynamics

Special thanks to our esteemed panel of judges: 

  • Koko Ives, BSA/AML Compliance Section, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
  • Chris DiTeresi, Associate Director for Research Integrity and University Affiliate Faculty of Philosophy at George Mason University
  • Bethany Usher, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education at George Mason University Associate Director for Research Integrity and University Affiliate Faculty of Philosophy at George Mason University
  • Candace Parham, Associate Professor in the Athletic Training Department at George Mason University

Congratulations to the 2022 Mason 3MT® Winners:

  • First Place Winner: Randy Pugh, The Effect of Overground Locomotor Training on Walking Turns in Parkinson's Disease
  • Second Place Winner: Aisha Yusuf, Ethnic Identify and the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Africa
  • Third Place Winner: Adebanke Loventh Adebayo, The Sociocultural Perception of Climate Change and Its Effects on Maternal and Prenatal Health Outcomes Among Nigerian Women, West Africa

For more 3MT® information contact Akitta Robertson. Visit Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) website to view winning presentations from around the globe.