72 Extended Essay Topics for Students

72 Extended Essay Topics for Students

So, you decided to challenge yourself with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. You can’t deny that it’s challenging and more complicated than the AP program, but the game is worth the candle. After all, you would like to pursue a great career, so you would like to be enrolled in a prestigious college. Your IB diploma will definitely add some scores to your resume and would show that you are serious about your future.

An extended essay is an essential part of the diploma program. It’s a mandatory task that should be submitted by all students enrolled in IB. So, let's figure out what this assignment type stands for and why it’s important. We’ll also share extended essay topic ideas in different disciplines so you could find the one that is of great interest to you.

IB Extended Essay: Meaning and Perks

Before you embark on writing, it’s better to clarify what the assignment entitles. Your extended essay is not the same as an ordinary academic paper you write for the Literature class. It’s a well-researched independent investigation of the subject of your interest, which results in around a 4,000-word essay. 

Yes, you are right. In most cases, you select the topic by yourself, which is a great advantage and disadvantage at the same time. And you got it right again, it’s as long as 4 thousand words. But do not fall into despair. You will have a supervisor by your side who will be pushing you in the right direction and will be giving you valuable recommendations. 

Of course, it’s not one of the easiest essays you’ve ever written in your life, but let’s look at the task from the positive side. You’ll get so many perks when working on this academically challenging assignment:

  • obtain superior research and analytical skills;
  • get extra points during the application process over other candidates;
  • study the topic you enjoy in more detail;
  • master academic writing skill;
  • learn new things outside of the curriculum.

Are you intrigued? We bet you are dying to start your extended essay. But first things first. Let us show you how to pick the topic for your paper that would keep you motivated.

Quick Guide to Picking Exciting Extended Essays Topics

The IB program allows students to select one subject from six different discipline groups, which include:

  1. Language and Literature.
  2. Language Acquisition.
  3. Individuals and Societies.
  4. Experimental Sciences.
  5. Mathematics.
  6. Arts.

Thus, your topic should be related to one of the subjects you’ve selected within the IB group. But do not be attracted by the simplicity of the subject or its popularity.

You will be working on your essay for several months, so it’s better if you select the one that excites and motivates you. In this way, you won’t lose interest in your paper and will be working with a great level of satisfaction.

If you already know what subject to select, that’s good of you. But if it turns out that you are uncertain about your topic, you should start with narrowing your choice to a specific discipline and then brainstorming the things that fire you up the most.

Extended Essay Ideas for Popular Disciplines

The discipline seems to be too broad and you can’t think of the most attractive topic for your paper? Do not worry, we understand how confusing and important the step of picking the subject is. That is why we have created the lists of topics and grouped them according to disciplines to inspire you.

History Extended Essay Topics for Your Consideration

  1. Vaccination in the 19th Century in Europe: How It Was Carried and Reasons Why It Boomed.
  2. The Institution of Marriage in Elizabethan Era.
  3. The Greatest Explorers of All Ages.
  4. The Story of Pocahontas.
  5. Five Reasons for the Fall of the Ottoman Empire.
  6. A Closer Look at the Oldest Human Settlement.
  7. The Political Processes That Resulted in the US Constitution Ratification.
  8. The Life of Native Americans Before Christopher Columbus Discovered a New Continent.
  9. Examples of How Weather Impacted World History.
  10. The Reason for the Fall of the USSR and Its Consequences.
  11. The Impact of Mao Zedong in China’s History.
  12. The Most Fierce Epidemics in World History.
  13. The Rise and Fall of the League of Nations.
  14. The Most Popular Weapons During [Period].
  15. Viking Age in Northern Europe.
  16. The Main Stages of the Economic Development in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
  17. The Lifestyle of People in the Late Stone Age.
  18. Why Did the Schlieffen Plan Fail?
  19. Hitler’s Way to Dictatorship.

Captivating English Extended Essay Topics

  1. How the English Language Changed Over Time.
  2. Neologisms in the English Language and Why They Emerged.
  3. The Jargon Used in Harry Potter and What Effect It Makes on the Reader.
  4. The Evolution of a Politically Correct English Language.
  5. English Dialect in [State] and How It’s Different From the Standard Language.
  6. The Most Popular English Words That Were Borrowed by Other Languages.
  7. What Are the Reasons for Spelling Changes in the English Language?
  8. Will English Be Replaced by Spanish as a Lingua Franca?
  9. How Euphemisms Shape the Language Structure.
  10. The Story of French Words That Emerged in the English Language.
  11. The Connection Between the English Language Structure and the American’s Mindset.
  12. The Spelling Differences Between the American and British English Words.
  13. How the Choice of Words Set the Mood of the Novel.
  14. How Speech Simplifies English: Examples.
  15. Why Does the English Language Have a Fixed Word Order?
  16. How Gender Is Expressed in English.
  17. The Difference Between the Language, Dialect, and Variations.
  18. English in a Bilingual Society.

Enticing Psychology Extended Essay Topics

  1. Jungian Archetypes Traced in Famous Personalities.
  2. Maslows Theory of Motivation.
  3. How Phobias Change the Person’s Life and the Innovative Ways to Treat Them.
  4. Panic Attacks Tracked in Soldiers After They Get Deported From the Scene of War Actions.
  5. Social Development of a 3-Years-Old Kid.
  6. Bipolar Disorders: The Successful Treatment Cases.
  7. Effective Ways of Dealing With Negative Emotions.
  8. Is Sport an Effective Method of Fighting Stress?
  9. The Inclusive Education in Schools: Myth or Reality?
  10. The Effect of Bullying at School on the Future of the Person.
  11. A Teenager in the House: How to Effectively Communicate With a Teenager.
  12. The Peculiarities of Our Memory.
  13. How Marketers Use Psychology to Boost Sales.
  14. Conscious and Unconscious: Definition and Theories.
  15. Feelings and Emotions: Is There Any Difference?
  16. Separation With Parents: The Reasons Why It Should Happen.
  17. Creative Thinking: Features and Peculiarities.
  18. The Connection Between the Development of Speech and Consciousness. 

Stimulating Physics Paper Topics

  1. The Ways Gravitation Influences Our Lives.
  2. Maxwell’s Demon Theory: How a Thought Experiment Changed the Thermodynamics Laws.
  3. The Importance of Nikola Tesla’s Experiments.
  4. Artificial Light Sources: Characteristics and Types.
  5. A Fireball as a Unique Natural Phenomenon.
  6. Jet Engine: The History and the Principle of Work.
  7. How the Battery Works and Gets Recharged.
  8. The Ways of Obtaining Solar Energy.
  9. Edison or Swan: Who Was the First to Invent the Light Bulb?
  10. Atomic Particles: Are They Really Particles or Waves?
  11. The Dangers of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Radiations.
  12. Comparing of Air and Water Pressure.
  13. How Four Basic Physical Forces Interact With One Another.
  14. Famous Females in the Realm of Physics.
  15. The Blackbody Thought Experiment and Quantum Physics. 
  16. The Ways of Defining the Speed of Light.
  17. Why the Roller Coaster Doesn’t Have an Engine.