By the time they graduate, students in Southern’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies are experts in their fields — and many have completed a culminating research or creative project to prove it. It’s a significant achievement. While there are no hard-and-fast rules, those completing a master’s degree may spend several semesters researching and refining a thesis, and doctoral students typically devote years to their dissertations.
Now imagine condensing that scholarship into a three-minute presentation — making it clear and compelling to a general audience while using only a single slide to illustrate your work. Forget other visual props or second chances. Even one second over, and you’re disqualified.
Welcome to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Launched in 2008 by the University of Queensland in Australia, the competition is now held in more than 85 countries. Students from over 900 universities participate, and this year, for the first time, Southern’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) joined the competition.
“Honestly, it came from watching our students do remarkable research and wanting more people to know about it,” says Rabia Hos, dean of the SGPS, of choosing to join the internationally recognized competition. The graduate school provides support through a dedicated 3MT website and workshops on plain-language writing, message crafting, and best practices.
The competition builds on Southern’s demonstrated commitment to supporting student research. Southern is the first and only university in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Research 2 (R2) classification. The university is also ranked among the top three research universities in Connecticut by Research.com, alongside Yale University and the University of Connecticut. In March, Southern added a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected interdisciplinary honor societies, underscoring continued achievement in graduate education and scholarly recognition.
“Some of the world’s most respected research universities participate in the 3MT, and we wanted SCSU to have a seat at that table,” says Hos. “With our R2 status, we knew we belonged in that conversation. We’re proud to be leading the way as the first in the Connecticut State University system to bring this competition to our campus, and that means something. It signals to the world that serious, impactful research is happening right here at SCSU.”
The competition was an immediate hit with the Southern community. The finals, held on Feb. 19 in the School of Business’s new home, drew a standing-room-only crowd. Seven graduate finalists represented each of Southern’s colleges, including arts and sciences, education, business, and the health and human services. Correspondingly, the presentations covered a wide range of research topics — from office dynamics to Black girl surfing. In addition to bragging rights, the students competed for up to $500.
A Winning Experience
“My research aims to make the invisible visible,” says Keith Smith, who studied the lived experiences of diversity, equity, and inclusion leaders at Connecticut independent schools. Smith, a doctoral student in educational leadership who works at The Country School in Madison, Conn., won Southern’s doctoral-level 3MT final and will represent the university at the 2026 Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools regional competition. The event brings together institutions of higher education from across the Northeast and parts of Canada. The virtual competition, hosted by Concordia University, takes place on April 22.
Smith embraced the opportunity to summarize his dissertation, which runs about 98 pages. “It sounded like a great opportunity to challenge myself,” he says. “It was a perfect way to drill down some thoughts. It helped me with the final stages of my dissertation writing.”
Dean Hos agreed that the competition brought significant benefits to the participants, including “confidence, clarity, and community.”
“When you can distill years of research into three minutes, you’ve truly mastered your subject,” she notes. “But beyond the skills, there’s something personal about it; students leave knowing their work matters and that people around the world want to hear about it. That’s something no classroom can fully teach. We’re elevating SCSU regionally, nationally, and internationally, and our graduate students are the ones leading that charge.”
More on the 3MT competition
More on the School of Graduate and Professional Studies
