NoCo 3MT® Competition

NoCo 3MT® is a professional development competition. It highlights the dissertation and thesis projects of doctoral and master's students at UNC.

Graduate Student Professional Development

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia.

Students completing research in any UNC doctoral or master’s program are eligible to submit a proposal. In this competition graduate students present their dissertation/thesis projects in three minutes. This is done in language that can be easily understood by a public audience. This event is sponsored by the UNC Graduate School. The winner of the NoCo 3MT will receive a monetary prize and will go on to compete in the Colorado Graduate Schools 3MT.

Why is the competition called 3MT?
The competition, which is now global, originated at the University of Queensland, Australia. In Australia, Ph.D. students write a doctoral thesis. In other countries, the words “thesis” and “dissertation” are used interchangeably. They reference the final research product of a doctoral student. The UNC competition is open to doctoral and master’s students.

Criteria, Guidelines, Process and Schedule

To be eligible to submit a proposal for NoCo 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are a student in a UNC doctoral or master’s program.
  • You have a draft of your dissertation/thesis that includes data collection/findings and conclusions.

This competition is for graduate students who have completed their research/data collection and are completing their dissertation/thesis. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to participate in Graduate Research Evening. This allows the presentation of either proposed or completed research.

This event will explain more about the competition, how to participate and answer any questions that you may have.

The Graduate School will be offering virtual training sessions on how to create, develop and present your 3MT. Information will touch on areas such as:

  • Most common mistakes
  • How to utilize a single PowerPoint slide
  • How to incorporate non-technical/everyday language
  • We will also include links to YouTube videos of a few of the best 3MT presentations

The proposal submission includes three components:

  1. A dissertation/thesis project summary
  2. A description of the project impact within or beyond the discipline
  3. A brief video presentation.

Dissertation Project Summary
In 300 words or less, please describe your dissertation/thesis project for someone who is not in your field of research. In other words, avoid using discipline-specific technical terms or jargon.

Your summary:

  • Must be concise and coherent
  • Does not include a lot of disciplinary jargon
  • Is understandable to a general, public audience

Video Presentation
After you register (please see below), a member of the Graduate School team will email you to schedule a brief Microsoft Teams meeting. During this meeting, the team member will record your video submission. Before your appointment, you should prepare and practice your research talk of no more than three (3) minutes.

In your talk, please respond to each of these prompts as if you were speaking to a general audience (not from your discipline):

  • Why are you enthusiastic or passionate about your dissertation/thesis project?
  • Why should your project matter to people who are not in your field of study?

Registration
Registration information for the next competition will be posted in fall 2025.

Successful proposals for NoCo 3MT are based on the following criteria:

Dissertation/Thesis Project Summary

  • Is the dissertation/thesis project summary concise and within the 300-word limit?
  • Is the summary understandable to a general, non-scholarly audience?
  • Does the summary convey the impact of the project for non-scholars?

Video Presentation

  • Do you communicate enthusiasm or passion for the project?
  • Do you describe how the dissertation/thesis project will have an impact beyond your specific discipline?
  • Do you avoid disciplinary jargon or unnecessary technical language?

After the Selection Process

  • Finalists must attend private practice sessions with staff. This is to enhance their presentations and better prepare for presentation day.
  • These sessions will be offered online in the weeks leading up to the competition.
  • A final rehearsal will take place before event occurs.
Competition Process Dates and Times
Online Practice Sessions (required) TBD
Final Rehearsal (in person) TBD
3MT® Competition TBD

Questions?