The Graduate School at UConn invites you to RSVP to attend the second annual Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase. This event celebrates the impact, creativity, and purpose behind graduate students’ work through brief, engaging presentations designed for a general audience. The showcase will take place on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Konover Auditorium at The Dodd Center for Human Rights. The competition features eligible degree-seeking graduate students from all UConn campuses.

The goal of the event is to provide eligible graduate students with an opportunity to gain experience communicating the significance of their work to a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. Prior to the event, participants will have the opportunity to attend two presentation workshops, as outlined in the table below. The event is open to the UConn community and guests. We invite you to attend, support our graduate student presenters, and vote for your favorite presentation for the People’s Choice Award.

RSVP to Attend

Timeline: 

Eligibility Criteria: 

• 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) 

Please note:

Students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking graduate program during the Fall 2026 semester to participate in the competition. While students from both thesis-based and non-thesis-based programs are eligible to compete and win at the UConn level, only students enrolled in thesis-based programs are eligible to advance to the national and international Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competitions.

The Graduate School will also host a poster competition during the Spring 2027 semester. While the poster competition is open to all graduate students, those who may not be eligible to participate in the Fall 2026 3MT® and Graduate Student Showcase competition are especially encouraged to apply. Additional details about the Spring 2027 poster competition will be shared as they become available. 

To participate in Categories 2 or 3 above: 

• The applicant must be a doctoral student enrolled in a program with a dissertation requirement. 
• The applicant must be an active student when they apply and compete. Applicants who complete their degree during the prior semester cannot compete. 
• 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 Sept 30, 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 September 30, 2026. 
• The Dissertation Proposal Form may be submitted to Degree Audit without approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The milestone will be posted as "in progress" and will meet the eligibility requirements for this application. IRB/IACUC approval must be submitted to Degree Audit once received to ensure that the milestone is updated to "complete" on the student record.

Prizes:

Ten (10) finalists in each of the categories listed above will be selected to compete on Wednesday, October 7, 2026. These thirty (30) finalists will receive $100 each for competing. At the event, the following prizes will be awarded within each category:

• First prize: $1,000
• Runner-up: $750
• People's Choice: $500

At the end of the event, an overall winner will be selected from among the three categories and will receive an additional $5,000 for a total Grand Prize of $6,100. The institution's representative for the national and international 3MT® competitions will also be determined based on the eligibility criteria outlined above.

Competition Process: 

Selected participants will present their three-minute talk to a panel of judges during the preliminary round between September 10 and September 18. Presentations may be conducted virtually or in person. From the preliminary round, ten finalists from each category will be selected to compete in the final competition on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.

Judging Criteria: Presentations are evaluated using the following criteria:

• Clarity and accessibility of the description of your work 
• Problem, question, or challenge addressed 
• Connection between your degree program and your future goals 
• Broader impact of your work 

Rules for the 3MT® presentation: 

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration). 
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted. 
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted. 
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified. 
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps, or songs). 
• Presentations are to commence from the stage. 
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech. 
• The competition is judged by a panel of professionals with wide ranging academic and non-academic expertise. 
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)