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The College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
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Three Minute Thesis Competition

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3mt_web-01.jpg

We are eagerly anticipating the 2023 CPMS 3MT competition!

3MT, meaning “Three-Minute Thesis,” is an annual event that challenges students working on a graduate degree to present their thesis in just three minutes. And to make matters more interesting, the students must explain it using language that a non-specialist audience will understand.

The judges critique participants on how well they: 1) explain their research; 2) spark the audience’s desire to know more; and 3) communicate in language “appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.”

Each college on campus holds a preliminary competition, and one student from each college advances to the university-wide final round. The CPMS competition will be held Friday, March 3, 2023, in the Hinckley Center 3rd Floor Assembly Hall. To apply to be in our college competition, please visit https://forms.gle/GUmUFVAGExh3A2Co6 by Monday, February 6.

  • First place will receive $1,000
  • Second place will receive $750
  • Third place will receive $500
  • Honorary mentions will receive $50

The winner will advance to the university-wide 3MT competition, which will take place at 11 am on Thursday, March 15, in the BYU Varsity Theatre. The first-place winner of the university competition will receive $2,000; second place will receive $1,500; third place will receive $1,000; and the people’s choice will receive $500. We encourage students, faculty, and staff to attend the university 3MT event and support the competitors.