Texas State 3MT®

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) in which graduate students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis/dissertation research and its significance. 3MT® is not an exercise in trivializing or "dumbing-down" research but instead challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience.

The first 3MT® was held at UQ in 2008 with 160 students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT® concept grew and it has now been adopted by numerous universities around the world. The Graduate College is excited about providing our students the opportunity to participate in the Texas State University 3MT® Competition.

• promote your research
• enhance communication skills
• learn how to explain your research to a non-specialized audience
• develop your “elevator pitch” discussions of your research (especially useful for  job interviews!)
• compete for awards at both the preliminary and final rounds

Preliminary Round

The purpose of the Preliminary Round is to advance the four top-scoring presentations in each group to the University Final. In each group, three presenters will be advanced based on official judges' scores, and the fourth presenter will be chosen by the university community through online voting (People's Choice Winner).

University Final Competition

The University Final is live and in person. Awards at the University Final Competition include first place and runner-up (awarded by judges) and People's Choice (awarded by the audience). First place and runner-up can also win the People's Choice because the latter is awarded separately by the audience in attendance at the University Final.

Texas State University 3MT® Competition Eligibility

Graduate students currently enrolled in a Texas State University research Ph.D. or Ed.D. program and master's students on a thesis track are eligible to compete. The presentation must include findings/outcomes of research, i.e., you cannot present your proposal; you must have at least preliminary or pilot study findings. Before signing up to participate in this year's competition, we advise that you talk to your committee chair about your intent. 

Read more about the presentation rules and judging criteria.

Preliminary Round
The preliminary rounds will take place Tuesday, October 5 - Thursday, October 7 and Saturday, October 9. Competitors will record their 3MT speech at the YouStar Studios in Alkek Library on the San Marcos campus. The times for each day vary, therefore, The Graduate College will set up a time with each competitor after they have registered to come into the studio and record their speech. Guests will not be permitted to view the preliminary rounds at YouStar Studios.

Although viewers are not permitted to come to the YouStar Studios, we will be showing all competitors’ recordings online during our People’s Choice Voting from October 14 – October 20. All Texas State faculty, staff, and students are invited to watch the videos and vote for who should move on to the final round! Stay tuned for more details.

University Final
Finalists will compete on Wednesday, October 27 from 3 – 5 p.m. in the LBJ Ballroom in the LBJ Student Center on the San Marcos campus.

We invite all Texas State faculty, staff, and students to attend. By attending, you will be able to vote for who you think should win the People’s Choice award for the finals. Snacks and refreshments will be provided at the final competition for competitors and guests.

The Graduate College encourages competitors and guests to wear masks while attending our 3MT events for the safety of our campus.

Registration for the 2021 Texas State 3MT® competition closed Monday, September 27 at 11:59 p.m.

For questions about registration, contact the3mt@txstate.edu. 

Prepare for your 3MT talk by:

• viewing the PPT slides or the recording from the 3MT® Orientation and Tips session that took place on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. 

• watching previous 3MT® winners’ speeches 
• reviewing the judging criteria and presentation rules
• reading about one of our past winner’s experiences in our graduate student blog

Preliminary Round

• Dr. Angela Ausbrooks – Director, School of Social Work
• Anna Chowdhury – Associate Director of Strategic Corporate Partnerships, University Advancement
• Dr. Dana Fitzpatrick – Coordinator for Diversity and Inclusion, Institutional Inclusive Excellence
• Dr. Olga Gerhart – Research Coordinator, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Dr. Candace Hastings – Director, Faculty Development
• Terence Parker – Associate Director, Retention Management and Planning
• Ray Rogers – Director, Career Services
• Dr. Aimee Roundtree – Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts
• Stephanie Towery – Copyright Librarian, University Library

University Final

• Dr. Cynthia Hernandez – Vice President, Student Affairs
• Elias Martinez – Director, University Marketing
• Debby McCullough – President, Alumni Association
• Jessica Soukup – President, ALLIANCE, Systems Analyst, Student Affairs Technology Services
• Dr. Vedaraman Sriraman – Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs

Judges are selected from the Texas State and San Marcos communities. Learn more about judging criteria and presentation rules.

Need some inspiration? Watch students present their research in previous Texas State 3MT® Competitions:

• 2020 3MT® Competition
• 2019 3MT® Competition
• 2018 3MT® Competition
• 2017 3MT® Competition
• 2016 3MT® Competition
• 2015 3MT® Competition
• 2014 3MT® Competition

You can also watch 3MT®  winners from competitions at other universities.

Contact us at the3mt@txstate.edu.