World Studies and Interdisciplinary Options

Most Extended Essays are written in a single DP subject, but the IB also offers an interdisciplinary route called the World Studies Extended Essay. This lesson explains what that option is, when it suits a topic, and how to decide between a single-subject essay and an interdisciplinary one.

What the World Studies EE is

A World Studies EE investigates an issue of global significance through the lenses of two different DP subjects. Rather than being registered in one discipline, it is registered as World Studies and must genuinely integrate two subject perspectives to illuminate a contemporary global issue. For example, a student might examine a public-health problem through both biology and economics, or a migration issue through both geography and a language and literature perspective. The