2026 Three Minute Thesis Finals

Join us for the Three Minute Thesis Finals, where the 10 graduate student finalists will compete to present their cutting-edge research in just three minutes! Finals will be live, in-person at Sonja Haynes Stone Center in the Hitchcock Multipurpose Room on October 20 at 4 p.m.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition in which participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. It is designed to assist graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. This event is the final round of the competition, featuring 10 graduate student presentations.

The winner will receive a $1000 prize and the opportunity to represent UNC-Chapel Hill at the 3MT competition in Arlington, VA, March 17-19, 2027 as part of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools annual conference. The “People’s choice” prize will be awarded to a finalist chosen by the audience.