Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

The text "Congratulations to the Three Minute Thesis winners!" is on a dark blue background. Also against the background are photos of five different students speaking onstage with accompanying captions: Joshua Perlmutter, Mathematics, First Place - Sciences; Taylor Harmon, Anthropology & WGS, First Place - Humanities/Social Sciences/Arts; Jin Zhao, Computer Science, People's Choice; Trent Quist, BCBP, Runner-Up - Sciences; and Kwame Gayle, Sociology, Runner-Up - Humanities/Social Sciences/Arts.

The 2025 3MT Winners

Photo Credit: Gaelen Morse

Three Minute Thesis Competition

The annual Brandeis Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition challenges students to effectively explain their research to a broad audience in just three minutes while using one slide. Hone your public speaking skills, connect with other GSAS students, and potentially win up to $1,000!

Why Participate in 3MT?

In addition to winning prizes, students participate in 3MT to:

Hone presentation skills
Practice expressing research concisely for networking and job interviews (for academia and beyond)
Figure out their research story, which is important for completing their dissertations and for their future job searches
Add 3MT to their resume or CV, which shows important communication skills that employers are looking for in applications
Meet other graduate students across disciplines at Brandeis
Share their work and its impact with a wider audience

Past 3MT participants say...

“You have to push yourself pretty hard to be able to condense your research down. But being able to then present my research to my family and have them say, ‘We finally understand what you’re doing,’ where they can understand the importance of it…that was huge.”--Victoria Khaghani, (MA, Anthropology), Social Sciences, Humanities and Creative Arts Winner ‘24

“3MT was a major factor in getting multiple interviews and ultimately landing my current job, even though I had less experience than other candidates. They told me that I was a natural storyteller and that they wanted me to lead their analysts in developing data presentation skills, among other goals. I had no idea how much 3MT would shape my job search or help me secure a leadership role.”--Liz Mahon (PhD Psychology), Winner ‘23

“During an internship interview I was asked to explain my research in one minute each to three different ‘pretend’ audiences: as if I was speaking to a fellow scientist, a family member/friend, and a potential investor. Preparing for 3MT prepared me to do each of these one-minute summaries as I had already practiced thinking about how to explain my research in a manner that was approachable to non-scientists and being clear on what the point/impact of my research was.”--Camille Sullivan (PhD Molecular and Cell Biology), Finalist ‘25

“Throughout the job search, 3MT was definitely instrumental. For most interviews, you need to give an elevator pitch of your research, so having that down was very useful. I’ve also found it useful in research – the core of my argument in my dissertation became very clear to me after thinking about it for so long and needing to compress it into three minutes, so that helps whenever I’m writing and need to communicate my argument succinctly. My experience with 3MT really improved my ability to articulate my contribution to the field and how I am innovating.”--Emiliano Gutierrez Popoca (PhD English), Winner ‘22

“After going through the 3MT writing process, I no longer get nervous about the inevitable ‘What kind of math do you study?’ question now that I have a succinct and refined answer.”--Joshua Perlmutter (PhD Math), Winner ‘25

“What made this experience meaningful wasn’t just writing the script or presenting on stage. It was the process of finding language that makes complex work feel human. My favorite part was watching other researchers from wildly different fields do the same, and realizing that passion, not jargon, is what brings ideas to life.”--Jin Zhao (PhD Computer Science), People's Choice Award Winner ‘25

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And More...

“It has also been great to boost my confidence in the importance of my research. Having to think about why my research matters and getting that idea across for more people has made me think differently about why doing this kind of research in the humanities is important.”--Emiliano Gutiérrez Popoca (PhD English), Winner '22

“By competing in the 3MT, I was able to show myself that I am not only capable of speaking to over 100 people at once, but it's something I have the potential to be really good at! I learned how to clearly and concisely convey my research to people outside of my field. I know that is a skill I will carry far beyond the 3MT.”--Kalie Jamieson (MA Anthropology), Social Sciences Winner '22

“3MT has also helped my research, because you need to know how to talk about it in an astute, concise way. It helps you figure out and work through mind blocks that you don’t necessarily see when you’re so deep in your work. Writing and revising my talk helped me to finalize certain elements of my research, and I’ll keep the communication skills for the rest of my career.”--Liz Mahon (PhD Psychology), Winner '23

Articles About Brandeis 3MT Competition

More Information on 3MT at Brandeis

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Tips for Success in the Competition

Rules

Describe your research in under 3 minutes to a panel of judges while using only one slide.

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are allowed. 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 and presented in a formal but engaging lecture-style presentation.
Presentations are to commence from the stage.
Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Judging Criteria

The following criteria will guide the judges decisions:

Comprehension and Content

Provided clear research question and indicated its background and significance
Clearly described the research strategy/design
Clearly described the potential impact of the research and findings or possible conclusions

Engagement and Communication

Oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
Slide was well-connected to the presentation and enhanced the presentation
Presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience's attention