The Extended Essay is a unique opportunity for students to engage in independent research. As part of the diploma each student chooses a topic that interests them and undertakes an in-depth 4000-word study. The scholarly apparatus that the essay demands – including citations, bibliography, abstract – is a very effective preparation for university dissertations, projects and theses. It is a distinctive feature of the IB Diploma, and universities regularly comment positively on the scope, depth and structure of argument that the Extended Essay inspires.

Examples of recent Extended Essay titles include:

Is the Limonene in oranges and lemons the same optical isomer and how does the amount of limonene in these two fruits compare?

How does Jonathan Swift in Gulliver's Travels and A modest Proposal portray children and to what effect?

How successful has Singapore's electronic road-pricing strategy been in solving transport problems in the Central Business District?

Why did the United Nations respond in the way that it did to the Rwandan Crisis of 1994 and to what extent was the response consistent with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide 1948?

How can we model the motion of a single stage rocket in one dimension after a vertical launch?

Is utilitarianism an adequate ethical system with which to decide upon assisted suicide?

What has been the impact of computer-aided design upon architectural design within London?