Rules For The Three Minutes Thesis Competition (3MT) Presentation and Judging Criteria

Rules For The 3MT Presentation

1. The presentation must be no longer than 3 minutes in length, or the competitor will be disqualified.
2. The presentation is considered to have begun when the student starts the presentation through movement or speech.
3. Presentations should include a single, static slide (no transitions, movement, or animation in the slide). You don’t need to have a slide. Slides are not compulsory.
4. No script or cue cards may be used during the presentation; students must recite their presentation by memory.
5. No additional props are permitted (i.e. costumes, musical instruments, lab equipment).
6. Presentations must be spoken-word (i.e. no poem, rap, song). Note that passages from songs, poems, etc. are acceptable if the presentation requires quoting from such sources, but it is recommended that you limit your use of such quotations.
7. No additional electronic media (sound or video files) are permitted within the presentation.

Judging Criteria

Each competitor’s presentation will be assessed according to the criteria listed below.  Please
note that each criterion is equally weighted.

1. Comprehension
   Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
2. Engagement
   Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
3. Communication
   Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to a non-
   specialist audience?