Graduate students at Missouri Western State University will participate in a Three Minute Thesis competition at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25 in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. The competition is free and open to the public.
Six graduate students in education, human factors and usability testing, and information technology assurance administration will present three-minute summaries of their capstone projects to the audience and a panel of non-specialist judges.
“The Three Minute Thesis competition celebrates the exciting research and applied projects conducted by Missouri Western graduate students,” said Dr. Ben Caldwell, dean of the Graduate School. “Those participating will have an opportunity to practice their presentation and communication skills, and the audience will get a glimpse of the fascinating work our graduate students are doing.”
Competitors will explain their research in three minutes, using language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. They can use one static PowerPoint slide, but no other props or visual aids. Judges will evaluate the presenters’ comprehension and content as well as engagement and communication. Awards will be presented for first prize, runner-up, and a peoples’ choice award selected by the audience.
The Three Minute Thesis competition was developed by the University of Queensland in 2008. In following years, the competition spread to other Australia and New Zealand universities, and is currently offered at more than 350 universities worldwide.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.