Departments
Skip to content
Extended Essay
The Extended Essay (EE) is a research paper requirement for the IB Diploma. Students enrolled in IB courses, but not taking the full IB Diploma are not required to complete the Extended Essay.
The EE is a 3,000 - 4,000 word investigation into an academic topic of the student's choice. While most students elect to write their EE in History or English, others have chosen Psychology, Dance, Philosophy, and SEHS (Sports, Exercise, and Health Science). Several other areas are also available, including but not limited to: Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, or an Interdisciplinary essay.
Of all the IB assessments, the EE is among the most authentic in terms of preparing for college level work. Students have approximately one year to write the essay and they work with a mentor to guide them through the process. They formulate a research question, gather resources to analyze the question and create a reasoned argument. It is precisely the type of work they will need to do while in college, albeit at a slower pace and with more guidance along the way.
Here are some examples of Extended Essays that students have done in the past.
An analysis of the role of women in To Kill a Mockingbird
Cambodian Genocide: to what extent did Pol Pot use ideology and group behaviors as a driving force to commit genocide?
An analysis of the Easter Rebellion of 1916
An analysis of feminism in The Lord of the Rings
An evaluation of thematic isolation in Beloved and The Scarlet Letter
The impact of Hollywood on the Cold War from 1949-1959
Soviet women in industry under Lenin and Stalin