Welcome to the home of BU’s 3MT competition!
What is 3MT?
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an internationally celebrated program in which graduate students learn to share their work with non-specialist audiences in only three minutes.
Participating doctoral students will practice their communicating skills in three workshops that lead up to a final competition on March 31st—and the top three winners will receive prize money!
RSVP today!Why participate?
- Dig deep into the “why” behind your research and build—or rediscover!—your motivation.
- Share your work with students, faculty, and staff from across campus.
- Craft a strong pitch to prepare for interviews and networking conversations.
- The top three winners will receive prize money! (1st place: $1000; 2nd place: $500; Crowd choice: $500).
Eligibility requirements
- Must be enrolled in a doctoral program at BU (PhD, EdD, MD/PhD, DMA, etc.)
- Must be advanced (completed required coursework and passed doctoral candidacy requirements)
- Must have data/results for the presented project (including IRB approval or IRB exemption if relevant)
- Must have prior advisor approval for participation
- Must have permission to share results in the 3MT competition from relevant collaborators
Participation requirements
- Register before February 20.
- Registrations are currently CLOSED. Email gradpd@bu.edu with questions.
- Attend two or three communication workshops (details below).
- Attend a two-hour practice session to give and receive peer feedback.
Timeline
| Dates | Event |
| February 11 or 12 | Workshop 1: The Elevator Pitch |
| February 20 | Deadline for students to register for 3MT. Registrations for 2026 are now CLOSED. Please email gradpd@bu.edu with any questions. |
| February 26 or 27 | Workshop 2: Communicating with a Broad Audience |
| March 3 or 5 | Workshop 3: Public Speaking |
| March 17 or 18, or 20 | Practice sessions. Virtual and in-person options available. |
| March 20 | First-round 3MT Competition Videos will be uploaded and scored by a panel of expert judges. The top ten finalists will compete in the Final Competition on 3/31! |
| March 31 | Final 3MT Competition The top ten finalists will compete live! 2pm–4pm Photonics Colloquium Room (8 St. Mary’s St., 9th Floor) RSVP today! |
3MT Communication Workshops
Participants must attend at least two of the following workshops.
Each workshop has an in-person and virtual option:
- Workshop #1: The Elevator Pitch
- Wednesday, Feb 11, 1pm–2pm (in-person): Register for the 2/11 workshop
- Thursday, Feb 12, 4pm–5pm (virtual): Register for the 2/12 workshop
- Workshop #2: Communicating with a Broad Audience
- CANCELLED for weather:
Tuesday, Feb 24, 1pm (in-person): Register for the 2/24 workshop - Thursday, Feb 26, 2026, 10AM–11AM (virtual): Register for the 2/26 workshop
- Friday, Feb 27, 9am–10am (virtual): Register for the 2/27 morning workshop
- Option 3: Friday, Feb 27, 1PM–2PM (virtual): Register for the 2/27 afternoon workshop
- CANCELLED for weather:
- Workshop #3: Public Speaking
- Tuesday, March 3, 9am (in-person): Register for the 3/3 workshop
- Thursday, March 5, 9am (virtual): Register for the 3/5 workshop
Workshop participants will receive a badge upon completion that can be posted to social media to celebrate the accomplishment!
3MT Practice Sessions
Practice your three-minute thesis talk to a small group of peers and receive real-time feedback.
Register for a group practice session.
- Tuesday, March 17, 1pm-3pm (in-person)
- Wednesday, March 18, 9:30am–11:30am (in-person)
- Wednesday, March 18, 3pm-5pm (in-person)
- Friday, March 20, 3pm-5pm (virtual)
If these times do not work for your schedule, please email gradpd@bu.edu, and we will find another practice time for you.
Questions?
Email gradpd@bu.edu.
We look forward to hearing from you!