Penn Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a competition for doctoral and research students to develop and showcase their research communication skills through brief, 3-minute presentations.

Penn's annual 3MT competition is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, with co-sponsorship and support from Career Services, the Graduate Student Center, and GAPSA.

2026 Penn 3MT Competition 

Application Deadline: March 6 

Live Competition: Friday, April 3 

About Penn 3MT

Penn 3MT is a University-sponsored speaking competition designed to showcase graduate student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. This is a terrific opportunity for graduate students engaged in substantive original research to develop communication skills and share their work with faculty, students, and staff from across the University.

In addition to bragging rights, a prize of $1000 will be awarded to the first-place winner and $500 to both the second-place and audience choice winners. Winners will also have the opportunity to participate in regional and national 3 Minute Thesis competitions!

Why Compete?

The 3MT competition will teach you how to communicate effectively to specialists and non-specialists alike, preparing you to present your research at scholarly conferences and to take part in both academic and professional job markets.

Professional Development 
Penn 3MT is a great opportunity for graduate students to practice sharing their original research to general audiences. Participants have the opportunity to attend workshops and receive group and one-on-one coaching to develop oratorical skills, dynamic deliveries, and compelling content when presenting their academic research.

Networking
3MT participants have an opportunity to meet and engage with new faculty, staff, and students from across the University.

Impact
Participants have the opportunity to make the importance and relevance of their research visible to a non-specialist audience. Participants can elect to have their presentation shared online, promoting both your own work and the value of graduate student research to a much wider audience.

Prizes
Everyone who submits a video will receive prizes from GAPSA and the Grad Center! Please register at the blue button at the top of the page if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first-place ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

Who is Eligible?

Active, full-time PhD and Professional Doctoral students with a dissertation requirement. Entries from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged.

In cases of presentation of a collaborative research project, the presenter’s contribution to the project must be salient and clearly specified.

Please Note: recent graduates and Students enrolled in professional masters or professional doctorate programs without a dissertation requirement are not eligible to participate in the Penn3MT competition. 

If you are unsure of your eligibility or would like more information about 3MT, please contact gradcenter@upenn.edu. You can also check the Graduate Catalog for your Penn School to see if your program is listed under the PhD and Research Master's Programs or if your professional doctorate requires a dissertation.

We are also looking for faculty judges for the live competition. If you are interested in being a judge, please contact us!

How 3MT Works

To enter, you must submit a slide and either a 1-page abstract of your talk or a 3-minute draft video geared toward a lay audience.

Please register at the blue button at the top of the page if you are interested in participating. Be sure to read through the Rules and Guidelines also before submitting your videos!

Competition Process

  • Students may submit their slide and abstract/video anytime before the First Round Submission Deadline for feedback. You can also request a 1:1 session during this time for immediate feedback or to go over your presentation with the Associate Director of Student Programs.
  • Research Communications Workshops offered by the Graduate Student Center will occur during the Fall and Spring semesters. See our Events page for details.
  • Student videos submitted by the First Round Submission Deadline are reviewed by a panel of staff for compliance with the eligibility requirements.
  • Up to 10 Finalists are selected for the live competition at least one-month before the Live Competition date.
  • A campus-wide competition between the finalists will be held on the Live Competition date. A reception will be held after the competition.
  • On the basis of these presentations, winners will be selected by the panel of judges and a “people’s choice” by audience members.
     

Judging and Selection

A panel of non-specialist faculty and staff judges will evaluate student presentations. Presentations will be evaluated based on clarity, comprehension, content, engagement, and communication.

Everyone who submits a video will receive a gift for participating! Please fill out the interest form above if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

All decisions of the judging panel are final.

Resources for Applicants

Want some help getting started? In need of Inspiration? Check out the resources below!

3MT® Resources

Past Penn 3MT® Competitions and Workshops

Research Communications Workshops

Additional Resources

2026 Penn 3MT Competition
2026 Competition Timeline
Rules and Guidelines
Apply
Contact

Have questions? Need more info? Fill out our contact form and our staff will get back to you!