Before we look at some extended essay topics, we first need to understand why students should worry about writing an extended essay.

Established in 1968, the IB (International Baccalaureate) is a global educational foundation that provides students 3 to 19 years old with several educational programs. Over a million students from 4650 schools worldwide have been following the International Baccalaureate programs across 152 nations as per the records of 2017. Out of the total schools, 1700 of such schools are in the United States alone.

Students between the age of 16 and 19 can appear for one of the four International Baccalaureate Programs, which is a Diploma level program. 2016 witnessed over 150,000 students appear for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program exam. Writing an extended essay is one of the most important aspects of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program exam and has a huge weightage on the final score.

What is an extended essay, and what is its purpose?

Before looking at extended essay topics, we first need to understand what an extended essay’s purpose is. One of the core parts of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program exam is the extended essay. To test the student’s research abilities, this essay can be around 3500 to 4000 words long. If students have a low score in the IB extended essay paper or the theory of knowledge paper, their chances of getting the IB diploma becomes slim. On the other hand, a good score means that the student has a high chance of success in their college application.

Though the IB sets the deadlines, the schools have the freedom to set their internal deadlines that students need to follow. The work and presentation of this assignment can last over several academic terms. It includes choosing the extended essay topic for the assignment, submitting proposals, researching information, preparing the first draft, etc.

The layout of an IB extended essay

Before discussing popular extended essay topics, let us first understand the proper structure of an extended essay. The essay can be divided into the following parts.

• Title page: The section is used to pose the main research question. For example, can changes in A be affected by changes in B, the registered subject, the category, subject and theme of the essay, including the total word count of the essay.
• Contents page: Use this page to list a table of contents using the headings and subheadings that you have used in the essay. Also include the proper page numbers for easy navigation.
• Introduction: The section is used to introduce the topic to the readers and discuss the research’s scope and focus.
• Body: It is the main section of the essay where you present your discussions, arguments and analysis on the topic. The structure of the body paragraphs depends on the type of essay, but you will need to provide enough evidence to support your arguments.
• Conclusion: Provide a complete summary of the essay in conclusion and state the outcomes achieved by this research. Also, use this section to pose open questions to the readers.
• Bibliography and references: It is the final section of your essay. Use this section to cite all the sources that you have used to gather data for the essay. The citation style will depend on the discipline that you are in.

Other sections like methodology can also be added if required. You can also add an Appendix section to include any secondary information that you might want to add. However, this is not added to the total word count. Also remember, that there is no need to add an abstract section starting from 2018. Adding it will unnecessarily add up to the word count, so it is good to skip it.

Choosing good extended essay topics

Now that you are familiar with an extended essay and its proper format let us look at some great extended essay topics. Taking up six subjects is mandatory for IB students. One subject must be selected from each of the six subject groups. The only exception is that students can substitute a subject from the art section with any other subject from the remaining five.

Extended essay topics can be chosen by the students as long as they fall in a course from any of the six subject groups. Let us first look at the six groups.

• Group 1: Studies in language and literature- this can include the student’s native language, literature and language, literature and performance.
• Group 2: Language acquisition- It can include a supplementary language.
• Group 3: Individuals and society- It includes subjects like humanities, Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS), World Religions, Geography, Economics, Psychology, Social and Cultural Anthropology and Global Politics, Philosophy, Business Management, History and Environmental Systems and Societies.
• Group 4: Experimental sciences- It includes subjects like Design Technology, Sport, Exercise and Health Science, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems, Societies and Nature of Science, Computer Science, and Biology.
• Group 5: Mathematics- This includes Mathematics, Mathematical Studies and advanced Mathematics.
• Group 6: Arts- Music, Dance, Theatre, Visual arts, Film and Foreign Languages.

You always prefer to choose extended essay topics that you like since you will need to work on them for several months, perfecting them. Choosing a challenging extended essay topic is fine but ensure that the risks are reasonable. It is a good idea to choose a narrow topic that can be covered well in 4000 words.

Have brainstorm sessions and shortlist several extended essay topics to select an interesting one. Use the internet or other resources to get inspiration about your extended essay topic. You could very well come across a topic that interests you.

Choosing the perfect extended essay topic is not the only challenge while writing the essay. You will also need to ensure that your writing is clear and you have used proper formatting for the essay; remember to proofread several times to ensure that there are no errors in your essay.

100 extended essay topic ideas

Here is a list of several extended essay topics that you can use for your next assignment.

Extended essay topics for biology

1. Endosymbiotic theory- How eukaryotic cell organelles evolved from prehistoric bacteria.
2. Fungi- Similarities on a metabolic and molecular scale with plants and animals.
3. The theory that supports the evolution of life from the ocean floors near hydrothermal vents
4. Present theories and evidence supporting the biological mechanisms responsible for the growing rate of allergic diseases in developed nations
5. The use of relative frequency of blood groups from different geographic regions to track the migration of early humans
6. How breeding over the centuries have helped to domesticate dogs.
7. How several organisms use magnetoreception for navigation.
8. Modelling entire organisms in using computers: The benefits and advances
9. How have adaptive traits evolved in humans over the years?
10. Finding traces of Neanderthal DNA in European people.

Extended essay topics for psychology

1. Analyzing prominent historical figures through the lens of Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs.
2. The effect of an abusive childhood while growing up.
3. How unstable are memories, and how easy is it to alter memories while replaying them?
4. Treating phobias using novel methods.
5. Cognitive Behavioural therapy for self-help therapies
6. How to take control over your dreams?
7. How multiple personality disorder is accelerated by trauma.
8. Spaced Repetition: its importance in learning and modern productivity tools that use this method.
9. Focused and diffuse model of learning and their differences

Extended essay topics for English

1. Analyzing the sources and origins of new words in English (Neologism).
2. How do the rules of language and grammar shape our thoughts and ideas themselves?
3. Tracing the origin and evolution of naturalized English words from ancient Sanskrit.
4. The systematic differences between American and US English
5. The different words assimilated from other languages during the colonial era that has gained popularity
6. The evolution of the English language and the influence of French on English
7. The general systematization of distinctive patterns in phonetics is found in American English.
8. Word ranking according to the popularity that has been borrowed in English from foreign languages.
9. The learning curve involving English when compared to other languages.
10. The most borrowed Spanish words into the English language

Extended essay topics for literature

1. The distinctive writing style of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
2. Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut: An analysis of the postmodern elements.
3. The use of artificial languages in literature: Limitations, features etc.
4. Macbeth: The analysis of supernatural elements.
5. The evolution of how an ideal woman is portrayed in literature.
6. Kafka’s Metamorphosis and depiction of human nature.
7. Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon: Analyzing the idea of intelligence being a gift and a curse.
8. The major misinterpretation of Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse.
9. Interpreting Bob Dylan’s literature Nobel prize and the potential controversy.
10. Various literature Nobel prize winners and the major stylistic innovations brought by them.

Extended essay topics for geography

1. Analyzing the geographical evidence that supports the theory of the origin of species put forward by Charles Darwin.
2. The effect of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef and extensive coral bleaching
3. The effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the ecosystem of the Caribbean Sea
4. Unsuitable irrigation techniques result in salt accumulation in the soil.
5. The impact of climate change on the oceanic currents
6. How to prevent major power outages due to solar storms?
7. Neanderthal extinction and its link with the super-eruption of Mount Vesuvius
8. The impact of climate change on the stability of polar vortex
9. Thawing of the permafrost in Siberia and the methane volume that is waiting to be released
10. How has the use of fertilizers impacted the ecosystem of the Mississippi River?

Extended essay topics for history

1. The significance of the discovery of the Rosetta stone.
2. Analysis of the oldest human civilizations using carbon dating and archaeological data.
3. Black people’s right to property during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War.
4. Corruption and deception to pass the 13th Amendment by Lincoln.
5. Analyzing the reasons why western nations were able to dominate the world throughout history.
6. Estimating the deaths due to the pandemic after the Spanish colonizers landed in South America.
7. The evolving rhetoric of Roosevelt during World War 2 about going against the Nazis.
8. Nazi Germany’s dual invasion of USSR and Poland in 1939.
9. The history of the Terracotta Army and its representation of the ancient Chinese civilization.
10. How the Japanese used human-piloted torpedoes during the second world war.

Extended essay topics for physics

1. Quantum Entanglement and the experimental evidence supporting it.
2. Recreating the solar, nuclear reactions back on Earth as means of harnessing limitless energy.
3. Prince Rupert’s drops and the amazing physics behind it.
4. Earth’s magnetic field and the underlying physical mechanisms that are involved.
5. How the Big Bang is supported by the discovery of the cosmic microwave background.
6. Supporting the theory of an expanding universe by studying the redshift of light travelling from distant galaxies.
7. The generation, propagation, and detection of gravitational waves.
8. How do space telescope arrays work?
9. Laminar flow and its physical properties that allow implementation in the field of biosecurity, decoration, etc.
10. Explaining the phenomenon of flashing lights before some earthquakes.

Extended essay topics for Film

1. Chaplin’s films and the elements of social protests portrayed in the films
2. Guy Ritchie’s filming techniques.
3. How does the rating in IMDb translate to national and international awards?
4. Depiction of masculinity in Fight Club and the evolution in modern times
5. How cinematography manipulates timelines in several ways?
6. The distorted portrayal of science in Sci-Fi films
7. The innovative technique of moving cameras is used in films like the Matrix
8. How modern-day computers help in creating films.
9. Why are films shot at 24 frames per second, and how to avoid the “Soap-opera” effect?

Extended essay topics for economics

1. How NAFTA impacts the corn producers of Mexico?
2. How having functional democratic institutions is linked with economic wealth worldwide.
3. How China was able to propel its economy using modern strategies and advantages.
4. How have offshore financial centres become a significant cause of obscurity in global economics, and how to impose transparency.
5. Handling taxes in a corporate world.
6. Classifying the world’s largest corporations.
7. Global economics and the effect of an ageing population
8. How was South Korea able to turn around its economy?
9. The recent discovery of huge rare metal deposits in Japan and its implications
10. The implications of AI on the jobs and the economy of the

Extended essay topics for world religion studies

1. Representation of Jesus Christ in Islam and Judaism.
2. How is Buddhism focused on understanding human nature and experiences?
3. The branches of Buddhism and the main differences.
4. The different religions of the world and the common elements shared by them.
5. The various myths surrounding the formation of the universe.
6. The idea of Heaven and Hell in Christianity.
7. How various religions across the world interpret life after death.
8. The importance of missionary behaviour in expanding religions.
9. How differences between Buddhists and Christians in their outlook towards science.
10. The idea of good vs Evil in humans across the religions of the world.

With 100 great extended essay topics to choose from, find the one that interests you the most and get started with your IB extended essay.

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