A Story Behind Extended Essays

EE or Extended essays are research written works composed of students under the control and supervision of their advisors. Together with the Theory of Knowledge, IB extended essays are required to complete the IBD program and get a diploma. 

IBDP corresponds to The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. It is designed for high school students worldwide to give them more opportunities to acquire knowledge and be accepted to colleges. 

To obtain an IB diploma, students chose six subjects, which fall within six subject categories of the curriculum, i.e., one subject from each category: 

  • Studies in language and literature – involves courses on 1st or Native language, Literature, and Literature performance;
  • Language acquisition – refers to 2nd language learning, and offers about 80 languages to learn;
  • Individuals and societies category now comprise Geography, Economics, Business Management, History, ITGS, Psychology, Social and cultural anthropology, World religions and Philosophy;
  • Sciences –includes Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Design Technology, etc.;
  • Mathematics group offers three courses in Mathematical studies, Mathematics, and Further mathematics;
  • The Arts are subdivided into Music, Theatre, Dance, Film, and Visual Art. It’s worth mentioning that the category Arts is optional for students to choose from. If students don’t feel like being part of this sphere, they can select the 6th subject from the rest of the compulsory categories. 

Your extended essay topic should be aligned with one of the six subjects you study, but it can cover any aspect of the course. 

Ideas for Extended Essay Topics 

For most people writing essays is a tedious and stressful process. Others like composing different types of essays until it comes to an IB extended essay. Here even A-students start feeling dizzy and confused. Why is it so?

To start with, the size of an extended essay must be about 4000 words. It may take a good deal of time to write such a volume.

The second point is research – students must conduct and describe it in their extended essays in the proper format and style. Apart from being time-consuming, IB extended essays evoke another fear in students’ minds – they have a direct impact on their diploma. 

That is why we are going to help you select the right topic for the extended essay to make it interesting both to write and to read.

And here, we rush to the rescue with our 60 ideas for extended essay topics.

10 Geography Extended Essay Topics

  • What to expect from Vesuvio volcano in the 21stcentury;
  • The tourist trade in Thailand before and after the tsunami of 26th December 2004;
  • The mystery of Bermuda Islands;
  • The state of Siberian forests;
  • Causes of smog in the biggest cities of the world and its consequences;
  • Reasons for tourism growth in Bali;
  • Tornado causes in the USA;
  • Gulf stream behavior in the years to come;
  • Restoration of animals living environment after fires in Australia;
  • Natural disasters of the 21st century.

10 Literature Extended Essay Topics

  • The connection between Jane Austen’s books and modern feminism trends;
  • The role of Dr. Watson in the reader’s perception of Sherlock Holmes;
  • The idea of beauty in Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”;
  • Comparison of women characters in the novels of Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen;
  • Presenting characters in the book and movie “Murder on Orient Express” by Agatha Christie;
  • Subjective causes of crime in Süskind’s “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer”;
  • Images of the oak and the sky in Dostoevsky’s “War and Peace”;
  • The topic of loneliness on Chekhov’s stories;
  • The concept of friendship in the book “Tom Sawyer”;
  • The notion of undivided love in 19th-century poetry. 

10 Language Extended Essay Topics

  • Most common figures of speech in Byron’s works;
  • Frequency of hyponyms in English idioms;
  • Translation of proverbial phrases;
  • International words in different languages;
  • Neologisms in literature;
  • Influence of the Roman empire on the English language;
  • Origin of words denoting household stuff;
  • Main English dialects around the world;
  • The difference in speech of native speakers and English learners;
  • Effect of international trade on language.

10 Economics Extended Essay Topics

  • Influence of coronavirus 2020 on the travel industry;
  • Consequences of Brexit for the European Union;
  • Most attractive resorts for tourists in summer and winter;
  • Secrets of the economic success of Singapore;
  • The Arab Emirates before and after the discovery of oil deposits;
  • Denmark as the happiest nation on the planet;
  • Changes in the Polish economy after joining the European Union;
  • The interrelation between educational reform in Canada and economic growth; 
  • Professions of the future and their impact on the global economy;
  • The problem of unemployment in developing countries.

10 History Extended Essay Topics

  • Wives of Henry VIII of England;
  • Investigation of Richard Plantagenet’s remains: the right for the crown of the House of Tudor;
  • Bombing attack in Pearl Harbor;
  • Alternative theories of WW2;
  • Social reform of Roosevelt’s New Deal;
  • Mary, Queen of Scots vs. Elizabeth I;
  • West and East Germany after WW2;
  • Comparison of the communist regime in different countries;
  • Women figures in world history;
  • Education in the Middle Ages in Europe;

10 Film Extended Essay Topics

  • Most popular films with a low budget;
  • What unites Tarantino movies?
  • Computer technologies for making special effects;
  • Books made into movies: success and failure;
  • Most popular films among youth;
  • BBC Films as an educational tool;
  • Comparison of movies about Sherlock Holmes;
  • Australian actors in Hollywood;
  • Political themes in modern movies;
  • Cities, which became popular with tourists due to filming.

Simple Guidelines 

Marks for the extended essay and the Theory of Knowledge influence your final score, and hence, the chance to receive a diploma. So, it’s important to treat this work seriously and meet all the demands. Below there are several tips aimed to help you with your extended essay:

  1. Topic. Even though students decide on Extended Essay topics themselves, be careful to select the topic you are really eager about. It will help you to show good results, unlike when you don’t feel the topic. 
  2. Style. EE refers to academic writing. That is why you must adhere to the formal style of writing while working on your extended essay.
  3. Advisor. Don’t select the advisor just because you like this person. Opt for a teacher, who has intimate knowledge of your chosen extended essay topic and can consult you in-and-out. 
  4. Time. The deadline for EE is decided by the IB committee, but the earlier you start preparing for your essay, the better. 
  5. Help. Don’t neglect attending consulting sessions with your extended essay advisor. Together you may come up with a draft list of extended essay topics, select the best one, and discuss recommended literature. 

You can always get help with your extended essay from our professional team of writes. Just contact us whenever you feel desperate with your writing process. 

A Skeleton for Extended Essays

Due to the required volume of words, some students may consider the structure of extended essays so complicated to cope with. However, you shouldn’t be afraid of it – typically extended essays consist of the following six sections:

  • Essay title page specifying not only the titlebut also the curriculum category of the essay and a number of words.
  • Table of content, where you list titles of extended essay chapters and corresponding pages. 
  • Introduction, where you describe the point of the research and issues to be discussed.
  • The essay body is the main and biggest part of your essay. It consists of several sections. There you write about your research, provide arguments, and analyze. 
  • The conclusion is meant to summarize and highlight the results of your research.
  • A list of references is a part where you provide sources, which were used during the research.

Essays from Experts 

In this article, we did our best to make it easier for you to embark upon your extended essay. In the event you find it difficult to deal with this task, need advice, or help to compile your thoughts, don’t hesitate to contact our experts in writing. Their eye for details and creative mind will contribute to your important writing assignment. 

Our writers can help you chose an ideal extended essay topic and develop it into a masterpiece. They can also write an IB extended essay on the topic you have already selected and consult with you about the plot in the course of work. You may participate in the process or not, but you will definitely be happy with the end product.