High schools and colleges often assign concept essays to students to promote abstract thinking and persuasive writing. Written to explain the merits of a concept and expand on the topic’s benefits, these essays require students to prioritize details and provide examples that prove their concepts’ validity within specific contexts.
For example, if a student is taking a marketing or business course, they may be assigned a concept essay to explain how social media can be successfully used in business. Here, they would have to provide specific examples of successful companies that have integrated social media into their marketing strategies.
Typically, these essays are assigned when students are asked to make judgments on a concept or topic within varying contexts. While not difficult to write in a conceptual sense, students often struggle to provide examples and prioritize the information provided in a way that effectively supports their arguments.
With this guide, students will be prepared with enough details to write an effective concept essay for any class assignment. Additionally, we’ll provide students with a list of 135 concept essay topics they can use to create their own concept essay.
Is Writing a Concept Essay Hard?
As stated previously, the overall process of writing a concept essay is not complicated – but it does require extensive outlining, organization, and attention to detail. In fact, outside of picking a topic, the most challenging part about writing a concept essay is choosing the appropriate examples to prove your point.
Many students struggle with this process because they either don’t have sufficient information about their chosen topic or cannot prioritize the information about that topic into a central argument. However, by prioritizing details and providing concrete supporting evidence, students can write an effective concept essay for any class assignment.
How Do I Pick a Topic for a Concept Essay?
To write an effective concept essay, you have to have a good idea. A good topic will pique your audience’s interest and give them a reason to continue reading your paper – but more importantly, it has to be supported by extensive evidence that proves the points you’re trying to make.
To find a good topic, students will often follow the strengths and weaknesses approach. Here, students start by identifying what they consider to be the strengths of a concept – whether it’s social media for marketing or going on vacation. From there, they’ll note these ideas as potential topics before searching for any possible weaknesses associated with those ideas.
From here, students will look for any examples that dis-prove their concepts – or provide them with an unplanned topic to research. For instance, if you were writing about the benefits of social media within marketing, your weaknesses may include cases in which companies utilized social media ineffectively or failed to gain any returns on their efforts.
Once you have your weaknesses, look for ways to turn them into strengths – or at least provide examples of how companies overcame these flaws. For instance, one weakness associated with social media may be that it’s not effective in all industries. One way to overcome this weakness would be to provide multiple examples of successful companies utilizing social media within different industries.
Whatever topic is settled on, by following this process, students can ensure that they have a topic that is interesting and supported with enough detail to write a strong concept essay.
What is the Structure of a Good Concept Essay?
While there isn’t one particular universal structure for writing a concept paper, there are some basic guidelines you can follow to make sure your essay follows an effective format:
Introduction
Start by providing general details about the concept or topic. Begin by summarizing why this concept is worth discussing and then transition into the way you will discuss it.
Body Paragraphs
Each paragraph should provide evidence that supports your claim while clearly explaining how these details relate to the overall argument of your essay. Each section should also be organized clearly so that they build off each other, creating a strong argument.
Conclusion
The conclusion is an extension of the introduction and should provide enough detail to summarize your thoughts on this particular topic. If there are any unresolved questions about the essay’s subject, raise them here before moving into your final remarks.
Helpful Tips When Writing a Concept Essay
Students may find it challenging to organize their information into a cohesive argument for this type of assignment. To make things easier, keep these tips in mind:
- Use Concrete, Relevant Evidence
- Don’t Disagree with Yourself
- Use a Thesis Statement
- Maintain an Objective Point of View
- Make Personal Connections to the Topic
- Be Honest and Ethical
- Avoid Generalizations, Overstatements, and Understatements
- Address Counterarguments
By following these tips throughout the writing process, a concept essay is sure to earn students a passing grade that will help them progress through their educational journey.
90 Concept Essay Topics
The following 90 concept essay topics will prove useful to students who are having trouble getting started on their concept essays.
Concept Essay Topics About Business & Marketing
- The benefits of incorporating cloud-based solutions into modern-day businesses
- An investigation into the obstacles of promoting products through social media marketing
- A comparison between the benefits and drawbacks to outsourcing customer service
- Examination of how fast food restaurants are using online platforms to increase their customer base
- The impact of online video games on players’ mental health
- The pros and cons of utilizing personalized ads for business purposes
- Insight into the ways businesses are using social media to effectively promote their products without becoming too invasive
- Comparison between social media marketing practices in small and large-scale companies
- Examination of how technology is affecting the quality of today’s modern-day workforce
- How online platforms have revolutionized traditional brick and mortar retail shopping
- The importance of advertising products in a time when consumers are overwhelmed by information
- Examination of the issues associated with marketing products through Facebook
- The benefits of using video conferencing platforms to increase the quality of customer service
- Why marketing products via Instagram is becoming increasingly popular among businesses
- How emerging social media platforms are changing the way online marketers promote their products
- The importance of hiring employees with disabilities and how companies can successfully integrate them into the workforce
- Examination of whether social media marketing is more effective than traditional marketing strategies
- How consumer behaviors are changing due to online platforms and how businesses can alter their strategies to accommodate these changes
- The pros and cons of using digital billboards for advertising purposes
- Why brick and mortar stores cannot compete with online retailers and what benefits this imbalance has on consumers
- Examination of how wearable technology is transforming the way we market products to customers
- A look at how businesses are using social media to gain a deeper understanding of their target audiences
Concept Essay Topics About Education & Learning
- A comparison between the efficiency of traditional education and homeschooling
- An analysis of whether standardized testing is effective for measuring a student’s knowledge
- An investigation into how school lunches could be made healthier without increased costs
- Examination of why it may be beneficial to shorten the school year by a few weeks
- An analysis of the pros and cons of student-led conferences
- Comparison of how technological advancements can help solve common problems in today’s modern education systems
- An investigation into the reasons why students aren’t pursuing higher education and what can be done to change this pattern
- The benefits and drawbacks of replacing traditional schooling with online education
- An exploration into how social media is transforming the way we learn
- Examination of whether today’s students are better educated than previous generations
- The benefits and drawbacks of allowing students to choose their own classes to graduate on time
- A study of various ways educators can use technology to improve learning outcomes for their students
- Comparison of the pros and cons of encouraging students to learn a second language at an early age
- Examination of whether reading is becoming obsolete as social media platforms gain popularity among today’s youth
- Comparison of the pros and cons of incorporating more practical skills into school programs
- A study of ways schools can effectively teach self-discipline without resorting to violence
- Examination of how high school can be made more efficient through workforce-based learning opportunities
- An analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of abolishing homework in favor of alternative assignments
- Comparison of how technology is challenging the way we learn and how future generations may benefit from its use
- Examination of whether or not participating in sports helps or hinders academic development
- An investigation into the factors that lead to students dropping out of high school early on in their education
- Discussion about ways educators can encourage students to take education more seriously
- Comparison between private schools vs. public schools in terms of academic success
Concept Essay Topics About Art & Music
- Comparison of how artistic styles have evolved throughout history
- Exploration into whether or not artists can be successful based on their unique talents alone
- Examination of various ways music can be used for therapeutic purposes
- An analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of using contemporary art in public spaces
- Discussion about how changing technology has impacted the way we view and appreciate art
- An evaluation of the various ways music can influence our moods and emotions
- A comparison of how individuals from different cultures perceive music differently
- An investigation into whether or not musicians should be divided into types based on their musical style
- Comparison of the pros and cons of learning a musical instrument vs. a dance
- A study of how musical preferences can shape our personalities and identity
- Comparison of the pros and cons of allowing musicians to express themselves freely without censorship
- Comprehension skills can be improved through listening to music compared with other forms of learning
- Examination of various ways artists have added meaning to music throughout history
- Discussion about how contemporary artists can be viewed as entrepreneurs in today’s society
- The impact of digital music and its effect on the music industry over time
- Different types of musical talent that allow one to become successful both in and outside of the music industry
- An analysis of whether or not the United States’ educational system is adequately preparing students for the music business
- A discussion about how musicians are perceived by society compared to any other professional industry
- The many ways technology is changing the way we listen to music
- Art vs. Music: Why Students Should Choose One or the Other When Pursuing Higher Education
- An analysis of why art education programs have begun to disappear from public schools around the nation
- An evaluation of why more companies are currently seeking art and design graduates instead of musicians
- The benefits and drawbacks of going to a music school compared with a traditional university
- Examination of what it takes to be a successful musician in today’s society
- Different types of careers an individual can pursue after studying music at the university level
- An evaluation of whether or not one can bond more with family and friends through music compared to art
- Why does the United States need to emphasize arts education in the school curriculum?
- The pros and cons of attending an online school for music education vs. a traditional college program
Concept Essay Topics About Science & Technology
- How science has evolved throughout history and what we can learn from this trend
- The pros and cons of living in a world that is constantly advancing at such a rapid pace due to technology
- Analysis of how technological advancements have challenged our understanding of who we are as a society
- How our understanding of the universe has changed since we have been able to travel into space
- Examination of the pros and cons of allowing artificial intelligence to take over functions traditionally performed by humans
- Pros and cons of allowing robots to play an impactful role in our daily lives
- Comparison of the different types of jobs that will exist in the future due to technological advancements
Concept Essay Topics About English & Literature
- Discussion about the pros and cons of replacing literature classes with online reading modules
- Examination of why books are still more valuable than eBooks in today’s society
- The benefits and drawbacks of studying English at an early age compared to waiting until one is older
- An evaluation of whether or not it is important for an individual to read in today’s society
- Comparison of the pros and cons of using literature to predict future events in society versus using another form of media
- Why it is beneficial for an individual to learn different languages when living in a diverse community
- The pros and cons of incorporating more novels into the school curriculum compared with other forms of reading material
- Comparison of the pros and cons of reading literature in traditional book form over an electronic device
- Crafting a thesis about whether or not it is better to study English in college rather than high school
- The benefits and drawbacks of learning computer programming skills compared with studying English at an advanced level
Using any of these 90 concept essay topics to jumpstart your essay writing process is sure to help you get started on doing your own research on a well-written, informative, and persuasive concept essay.
