The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an international research communication competition that challenges graduate students to explain their research in three minutes, using one static slide, to a non-specialist audience.

The goal is to clearly communicate:

• What problem you are working on
• Why it matters
• What impact your work could have

This assignment will prepare you for the Department 3MT Competition, where top presenters may advance to the College and University-level 3MT competitions.

Learning Objectives

By completing this assignment, you will:

• Practice communicating complex research ideas clearly and concisely
• Learn to engage a broad audience without discipline-specific jargon
• Develop a compelling visual that supports (but does not replace) your spoken message
• Gain experience with professional research presentation standards

The 3MT Format (Required Context)

Your slide must comply with official 3MT competition rules:

• One single, static PowerPoint slide
• No animations, transitions, or movement of any kind
• No additional electronic media
• No videos, sound clips, or embedded media
• No props
• No physical objects, costumes, or demonstrations
• Spoken-word presentation
• No poems, raps, or songs
• The slide must be visible from the start of the presentation

Your spoken presentation (in the competition) is limited to 3 minutes.

Assignment Task

You are required to design and submit one 3MT slide that supports a 3-minute spoken presentation of your research.

Your slide should:

• Be visually clear and uncluttered
• Support understanding for a general audience
• Avoid equations, dense text, and technical jargon
• Reinforce your main message rather than repeat your spoken words

Think of the slide as a visual anchor, not a script.

Audience

Assume your audience is:

• Intelligent and curious
• Not experts in your field
• Familiar with general science and engineering concepts, but not your specific topic

Department 3MT Competition and Prizes

This assignment prepares you for the Department 3MT Competition, where:

• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $250
• 3rd Place: $150

Advancement:

• The top 2 presenters from the department advance to the College-level 3MT competition
• College winners advance to the University 3MT Competition

At the University level, prizes include:

• 1st Place: $5,000
• 2nd Place: $4,000
• 3rd Place: $3,000
• Presenter’s Choice: $2,000
• Participation Award: $1,000

Submission Requirements

Submit the following:

• One PowerPoint slide (.pptx or .pdf)
• Slide must comply with all 3MT rules
• Spoken presentations will occur during the scheduled department 3MT event

Evaluation Criteria (Slide)

Your slide will be evaluated based on:

• Clarity – Is the main idea immediately understandable?
• Audience Accessibility – Is it free of jargon and technical overload?
• Visual Effectiveness – Does the slide enhance, not distract from, the talk?
• Focus – Does the slide support a single clear message?
• Professionalism – Is the slide polished and well-designed?

Judging Criteria (3MT Presentation)

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Judge worksheet: Include a link here to the PDF judge worksheet:

• BYU ChBE 3MT Judge Worksheet (PDF)

Helpful Resources

• Official 3MT website (rules, judging criteria, and example videos)
• Past BYU 3MT competition videos (University-level examples)

Final Advice

The strongest 3MT presentations are:

• Simple, not simplistic
• Focused on impact, not methods
• Practiced aloud, repeatedly

Design your slide after you know your story.