Don’t miss the live Championship Round of the 3MT competition on Thursday, February 13, at 2 p.m. in the Anishinaabe Theatre, NDSU Memorial Union. This exciting event showcases the remarkable research of NDSU’s top graduate students, who will distill their cutting-edge ideas into engaging three-minute presentations for a panel of judges and a public audience. Join faculty, peers, and community members in celebrating the innovation, communication, and impact of graduate research.
How does 3MT work?
The 3MT has two rounds: preliminary rounds and a championship round. The winners of the preliminary rounds advance to the championship round.
Preliminary Rounds
Each competitor submits a 3-minute video presentation of their research. The video can include one static image (PowerPoint slide or other graphic).
Submitted videos are divided into six groups, each evaluated by a panel consisting of NDSU faculty, students, staff, and community members. The judges assess presentations based on subject comprehension, presentation content, audience engagement, and communication skills.
Each preliminary round winner will receive $250 and advance to the live championship round, which is open to the public.
Championship Round
The championship round will take place in person at the Anishinaabe Theater, NDSU Memorial Union. A new panel of judges, who did not evaluate the preliminary rounds, will assess the presentations based on the same criteria. They will see the presentations for the first time at the event.
The winner of the championship round will be named the 2025 3MT Champion, earning $1,000, plus the $250 preliminary round prize for a total of $1,250. The champion will also advance to the Western Association of Graduate Schools Regional 3MT Competition. The decision of the adjudicating panel is final. Additionally, two innovation awards, each worth $500, will be presented to the competitors with the most innovative presentations.
The 3MT competition was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008. On February 4, 2015, the NDSU Graduate School hosted its first Three Minute Thesis competition with 25 participants. Since then, over 200 graduate students showcase their research for staff, faculty, fellow students, and community leaders.
If you have questions about 3MT, contact the Grad School at ndsu.gsa@swissabc.net.