110 Extended Essay Topics

To test a student’s independent research, writing, and critical thinking skills, teachers will assign an extended essay writing assignment.

This type of essay will be one of the most detail-oriented essay writing formats, akin to writing a research paper. Not only do students need to choose a topic that is interesting to them and within the scope of their course work, but they also need to conduct in-depth research and analyze the information they find in regards to their topic.

To do so requires time and patience, as well as a solid understanding of not only writing an essay within specific parameters but also how to use writing styles such as MLA formatting and APA format.

Additionally, the format of an extended essay requires that it be at least 4000 words long. Anything under may risk a poor grade on the assignment, and anything too far over may do the same.

How to Write an Extended Essay

Students assigned an extended essay often feel frustrated before the writing or research process has even begun. Because of the required word count and the level of critical analysis that must go into the work, it is no easy task.

But with careful planning and execution, as well as a clear understanding of what is expected of them, students can complete this assignment with flying colors.

The following are some tips for completing an extended essay:

1) Choose a Topic

When choosing a topic for an extended essay, it is important to begin with a topic already familiar to the student.

This will make it easier for them to find information and conduct research on said topic. It also helps students who may not be as adept at critical thinking or conducting research from the beginning.

Choosing a topic that is too broad can lead to confusion when trying to frame a thesis statement and can ultimately result in a lower quality grade.

Most teachers will provide students with topics to choose from, but if they do not, it may be wise for the student to research popular or trending topics and then narrow down one that is interesting to them.

2) Conduct Research

Once the topic has been chosen, it is time for the student to conduct their research. There are several ways that students can do this, including using databases or access to books through a local library.

The key here is to use reliable sources to avoid leading the student astray with false information or data.

The research that is conducted needs to be relevant to the topic at hand so that it can be analyzed correctly in the essay.

3) Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is one of the most critical aspects of an extended essay. It acts as a guide for the rest of the paper and shows that the student can effectively think and write critically about their chosen topic.

The thesis statement should be a clear and concise sentence that states the position of the essay.

4) Draft the Body of the Essay

With a good understanding of the topic, reliable research, and a strong thesis statement, the student can begin drafting their essay’s body.

This will be where they put their thoughts and analysis into writing. The structure of the essay should mirror that of a research paper, with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

5) Edit and Revise

The final step before submitting the essay is to edit and revise it. This is where the student can clean up any grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

They can also further improve the flow and structure of the essay as well as strengthen their argument. The following checklist will help students ensure that they have met all of the requirements of writing an extended essay:

• Does my essay have a strong opening “hook” statement?
• Are the relevant terms and background information present in the introduction?
• Does my introduction end with a strong thesis that introduces my main argument?
• Does each of my body paragraphs start with a clear topic sentence that leads to the point of the section?
• Is each topic sentence of my body paragraph supported with factual evidence that I can cite?
• Does each body paragraph end with a transition statement that ties up the overall point and moves into the next paragraph.
• Does my conclusion restate my thesis in a new way?
• Does my conclusion contain an overall summarization of my main points without introducing new content?
• Does my conclusion wrap itself up with a thought-provoking statement, opinion, or piece of advice?
• Are all of the citations included and formatted correctly in my bibliography?
• Is there anything else in my essay that could be improved, such as grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes?
• Does my essay have a minimum of 4000 words?

If the answer to any of the above questions is a ‘no,’ the writer will need to go back and perform revisions so that each of these considerations is met.

Although it may seem like a lot of work, if the student follows these simple steps, they can be assured that they are on their way to writing a high-quality extended essay.

110 Extended Essay Topics

If you are struggling with finding a suitable topic that can be covered in at least 4000 words, here is a list of 110 extended essay topics that will help you.

Extended Essay Topics About History

13. The role of women in the French Revolution
14. The impact of the Black Death on European society
15. The effects of the Industrial Revolution on child labor
16. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire
17. The causes and consequences of World War I
18. The origins and effects of the Cold War
19. The causes and effects of the French Revolution
20. The causes and effects of World War II
21. The process of industrialization in Victorian England
22. The impact on African Americans from Jim Crow laws
23. Impact of the French and Indian War on Native Americans
24. The reasons for the Crusades

Extended Essay Topics About Literature

22. Literary analysis essay on a poem by John Donne
23. The theme of death in Hamlet by William Shakespeare
24. Compare and contrast the two versions of Cinderella
25. The use of satire in Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
26. The psychological effects of isolation in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
27. The role of women in Japanese society as depicted in The Tale of Genji
28. The impact of war on the individual in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
29. The effects of betrayal in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
30. The power of love in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Extended Essay Topics About Psychology

31. The nature vs. nurture debate with regards to intelligence
32. Schizophrenia: its causes and symptoms
33. The effects of different parenting styles on a child’s development
34. The link between caffeine and anxiety
35. The impact of video games on behavior
36. The benefits of positive reinforcement in the classroom
37. The use of hypnosis as a form of therapy
38. How to deal with stress and anxiety
39. The different schools of thought in psychology

Extended Essay Topics About the Sciences

41. The impact of climate change on marine life
42. The effects of pollution on plant life
43. How does the human body fight infection?
44. What is photosynthesis, and what are its benefits?
45. The challenges of space exploration
46. Genetic editing: pros and cons
47. The benefits of vaccinations
48. The history of forensic science
49. The effects of a changing environment on life expectancy
50. Why outer space is considered to be a vacuum

Extended Essay Topics About Business and Economics

51. How different types of incentives affect performance in the workplace
52. The relationship between inflation and unemployment in the economy
53. How does the stock market function?
54. The decision-making process in business
55. What are different career paths available to someone with a degree in economics?
56. Who were some of the famous economists throughout history?
57. Market structure and pricing strategies of monopolies, monopolistic competition, and perfect competition
58. The effects of globalization on trade
59. The reasons for imports and exports
60. Government influence on economic growth

Extended Essay Topics About Education

61. The effects of homework on academic success
62. Does standardized testing actually work?
63. How does the structure of an educational system affect student performance?
64. Student discipline in the classroom: its effectiveness and alternatives
65. How does one become a teacher?
66. What is an alternative to global education?
67. The contributions of famous philosophers to the educational system
68. Teaching styles: their effects on student learning
69. Why is the Common Core important for students?
70. How can creativity be nurtured in the classroom?

Extended Essay Topics About Religion

79. The effects of religious beliefs on morality
80. The different types of religious affiliations
81. What are some common misconceptions about certain religions?
82. How do other cultures view Christianity?
83. What is the relationship between science and religion?
84. Who were some of the most influential religious figures throughout history?
85. The similarities and differences between the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
86. The reasons for religious extremism
87. How is religion used as a form of identity?
88. How can faith be reconciled with reason?
89. Why does something need to be believed without evidence?
90. How do different religions portray Heaven and Hell?
91. How has the use of Hell become less popular in certain religions?
92. What does the concept of God mean in different religious traditions?
93. The impact of religious literacy on empathy
94. How has atheism become more acceptable in society?
95. The origins of human morality according to religion, science, and philosophy
96. What is the relationship between moral behavior and self-interest?

Extended Essay Topics About Health

100. The health benefits and risks of using social media
101. How does the human body fight disease?
102. What are the different stages of cell development?
103. What are the causes and symptoms of anxiety and depression?
104. How does stress affect the body?
105. What is an Eating Disorder?
106. What are the benefits of using aromatherapy?
107. How does physical activity improve mental health?
108. What is the relationship between sleep and mental health?
109. The benefits and risks of using supplements
110. How does genetics affect human health?
111. What are the side effects of taking medications?
112. The impact of drugs on the human body
113. The reasons for organ donations and transplants
114. How does obesity affect health?
115. What are some common side effects of prescription drugs?
116. What are some natural remedies used to treat asthma?
117. The effects of electronic cigarettes on human health
118. The relationship between sleep and diabetes in humans
119. Can someone be a vegetarian or vegan and still get all of their essential nutrients?
120. How do different cultures view health differently?

Extended Essay Topics About Math

100. The different types of numbers and their properties
101. The history of mathematics
102. What is the difference between a function and a relation?
103. Is math discovered or invented?
104. What are some famous geometric shapes?
105. What is the golden ratio?
106. How do fractals relate to Chaos Theory?
107. Non-Euclidean geometry
108. The four basic operations and their properties
109. How do algorithms work?
110. What is the difference between a prime number and a composite number?

With any of these 110 Extended essay topics, students can start developing a researched-based piece of writing that will demonstrate their ability to write well, think critically, and engage in complex intellectual inquiry.