University of Arkansas graduate students will have the opportunity to participate in the university's first annual Three Minute Thesis competition this spring. The academic contest challenges students to summarize their thesis or dissertation research within three minutes to a general audience.

The competition celebrates the discoveries made by graduate students and encourages them to communicate the significance of their research to the broader community in language that is understood by the general public.

Presenters will be judged on their ability to help audience members comprehend their research and their ability to engage the audience. In addition to the three-minute time limit, participants may use one static PowerPoint slide. Students may register to participate in the contest here. The registration deadline is Nov. 15.

Preliminary heats will be held in each of the academic colleges during the week of Feb. 8-12. First and second place winners at the masters and doctoral level will be selected from each college and receive monetary prizes. The first place winner from each college will advance to a university-wide final on March 11.

The Three Minute Thesis competition is sponsored by the Graduate School and International Education and was founded by the University of Queensland in 2008. The event will serve as the capstone to Graduate Education Week, which kicks off March 7.

An informational session for students interested in participating will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the Ozark Hall Graduate Student Lounge. For more information, contact Amanda Cantu at amandcan@uark.edu.