1. What is the 3MT® and Graduate Student Showcase?
The 3MT® (Three Minute Thesis) and Graduate Student Showcase is an event that celebrates graduate students’ research by challenging participants to present the impact and importance of their work in 3 minutes or less to a general audience.
2. Who can participate?
The competition is open to degree-seeking graduate students from all UConn campuses. Students must be actively enrolled to be eligible to apply and compete. The three categories of eligibility include:
- Category 1: All Master’s degrees; Professional and clinical doctoral degrees
- Category 2: Arts, Humanities, and Social Science doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
- Category 3: STEM doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
- The applicant must have documented successful completion of the General Examination by submitting the Report on the General Exam to the Office of the Registrar Degree Audit Team no later than April 8, 2026.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion and submission of the dissertation proposal by submitting the Dissertation Proposal Form to the Office of the Registrar Degree Audit Team no later than April 8, 2026.
3. When and where is the event held?
The final showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Konover Auditorium in The Dodd Center for Human Rights.
4. When can I apply and what are the deadlines?
- Application opens: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- Application deadline EXTENDED: Monday, February 9, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET
- Notification of decisions: Friday, February 20, 2026
5. What is the goal of the event?
The goal is for graduate students to gain experience in communicating the significance of their work to a non-specialist audience in a concise, engaging format.
6. What are the eligibility categories?
Participants are grouped into three categories:
- Category 1: All Master’s degrees; Professional and clinical doctoral degrees
- Category 2: Arts, Humanities, and Social Science doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
- Category 3: STEM doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
7. What are the prizes?
- Each of 30 finalists (10 in each category) receives $100 for reaching the final competition.
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Within each category:
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1st Prize: $1,000
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Runner-Up: $750
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People’s Choice: $500
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- One overall winner receives an additional $5,000 (total $6,000).
8. What is the competition timeline?
- Jan 20 – Feb 9: Application period
- Mar 2–13: Preliminary round presentations
- Apr 8: Final competition event
9. How does the application process work?
- Complete and submit your application using clear language suitable for a general audience.
- If selected, present your 3-minute talk to judges during the preliminary round (virtual or in-person).
- Finalists from the preliminary round compete in the April 8 final event in Storrs.
10. What criteria determine who advances?
Applications are evaluated on:
- Clarity and accessibility of how the work is described
- The problem or challenge being addressed
- Connection to academic program and future goals
- Broader impact of the work
11. What are the rules for the 3MT presentation?
- Presentations must be no longer than 3 minutes.
- Only one static PowerPoint slide is allowed (no animations or media).
- No props or additional electronic media.
- Presentations must be spoken word (no poems, songs, etc.).
- Time begins when you start speaking or moving.
- Judges’ decisions are final.
12. Who judges the competition?
A panel of judges with diverse academic and non-academic expertise will evaluate the 3-minute presentations.
Any related questions may be directed to The Graduate School via Melanie V. Sinche (melanie.sinche@uconn.edu) or Michael Inkoom Nyarko (rdu25001work@uconn.edu)
If you are interested, please apply below:
