What is the Extended Essay?

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic.

Laurier students choose from the list of available DP subjects for the examination session in question.

Available courses are Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English Literature, French Language, Economics, Psychology and History.

The extended essay is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. Students produce a significant piece of appropriately presented and structured writing, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a coherent, reasoned manner, appropriate to the subject(s) chosen.

Students must attend three reflection sessions with their supervisor. The third session is a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, that follows the completion of their extended essay. An assessment of this reflection is made under criterion E using the reflection and progress form (RPF).

Key features of the extended essay

The extended essay is compulsory for all students taking the DP and is an option for course students.
The extended essay is a piece of independent research and writing on a topic chosen by the student in
consultation with a designated supervisor in the school.
The extended essay is presented as a formal piece of academic writing containing no more than 4,000
words accompanied by a reflective statement of no more than 500 words. The statement is included
on the RPF.
The essay is the result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student.
Students are supported by a supervision process recommended to be three to five hours long, which
includes three mandatory reflection sessions; the third and final reflection session is the viva voce, a
concluding interview with the supervisor.
The extended essay process helps to prepare students for the research-driven environment of
university or college.
The extended essay is externally assessed and, in combination with the grade for theory of knowledge
(TOK), contributes up to three points to the total score for the IB diploma (see figure 4).
A student must achieve a D grade or higher for the extended essay to be awarded the diploma.