- About
- Apply
- Awards + Funding
- Graduate Students
- Life + Community
- Faculty + Staff
- Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies in Graduate Studies
Three Minute Thesis
Join us at the SFU Finals
15 graduate students (the best competitors from their faculty heats) are prepping their presentations to be crowned the best of SFU! You are guaranteed to learn something new, watch some entertaining presentations, vote for your favorite presenter, and meet incredible graduate students as well as some great judges!
One slide. Three minutes. Cash prizes. Give voice to your thesis in SFU's annual 3 Minute Thesis competition.
The Three Minute Thesis is about sharing your research story. An opportunity to explain the breadth and impact of your cutting-edge graduate work using an accessible format. Effectively communicating your research to a wide-reaching audience is crucial to engaging with others, bringing them into your expertise.
3MT challenges grad students to develop critical skills for their academic and professional journeys while also revealing the passion that led them to pursue their studies in the first place.
"Reflecting on the highlights of my graduate studies, I truly appreciate the experiences that allowed me to engage with other students and the broader university community. Competing in the 3 Minute Thesis and FAS Speak Out competitions has helped me connect with fellow graduate students, discover their fascinating work, and build friendships along the way."
— Dexter Lagasca Zamora, 3MT 2025 finalist
3MT News
-
Learn more about the Judges for the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Finals happening on April 9, 2026
-
SFU’s 2025 3MT winner, Yuxin Cao, an Archaeology master’s student, nearly talked herself out of participating; her inner critic told her she lacked confidence. Read how she overcame her fears and won the SFU finals!
-
Congratulations to Archaeology master's student, Yuxin Cao; Chemistry master's student, Joshua Yu; and, Mechatronic Systems Engineering master's student, Dexter Zambora
-
Learn more about the Judges for the 2025 Three Minute Thesis Finals happening on April 10, 2025
-
Saif Nayani, winner of SFU's 2023 3MT competition, shares why you should "just do it" and take the 3MT challenge this year
-
Interviews with Dana Lepofsky (archaeology) and Gerhard Gries (biology) reveal similar supportive approaches to preparing their students for 3MT.
-
3MT winner, Elana Varner, shares how she used her passion for knowledge mobilization to land a fellowship with the California Council on Science and Technology and some advice for future 3MT participants.
-
2022 SFU 3MT People's Choice winner shares the impact of 3MT since graduating from her MEng program.
-
2022 SFU 3MT Runner Up shares the impact of 3MT since graduating from her MASc program.
-
2022 SFU 3MT First Place winner shares the impact of 3MT since graduating from her Biological Sciences PhD program.
-
Sam Meraj, PhD student in Biological Science took home first prize; Adlin Alwyn, master's of Applied Sciences was runner up; and, Ghazal Mirabnahrazam, master's of Engineering Science was voted People's Choice. Watch their presentations.
-
We're thrilled to announce the winners of SFU's 2021 Three Minute Thesis Competition
-
We're thrilled to announce the winners of SFU's 2021 Three Minute Thesis Competition
-
-
Find out what our top 3MT participants from 2022 (Sam Meraj, Ghazal Mirabnahrazam, and Adlin Alwyn) learned from participating.
3MT SFU Final
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | Doors open at 5:00 PM, event 5:30-7:30 PM | SYRE Theater 1002
History of 3MT
Developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, the competition challenges higher-degree research students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just three minutes in language appropriate to a general audience. 3MT is not an exercise in trivializing or ‘dumbing-down’ research but forces students to consolidate their ideas and crystallize their research discoveries.
Since its incepetion, the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT competitions are now held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.