Brad Cartwright

The Two Pathways for the New Extended Essay

Part 2 of 5

September 8, 2025

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a long and relaxing weekend!

This is part two of our five-part Monday Morning Series where we are breaking down the new Extended Essay guidance from the IB that takes effect for the Class of 2027. 

As I mentioned last week, this series is based on our upcoming supervisor training, Effectively Supervising the New Extended Essay, coming up on November 8th via Zoom. If you would like to join us for that workshop, we'd love to host you.

Okay, here we go. This week we are going to take a look at the two new pathways for the Extended Essay. 

One is called the Interdisciplinary Pathway and the other is the Subject-Focused Pathway. 

What that means is that every Extended Essay will go down one of these two pathways, which is super important for us as Supervisors to know right away.

The Interdisciplinary Pathway

The Interdisciplinary Pathway combines two IB Diploma subject areas. Students are asked to research and write their Extended Essay in an interdisciplinary way when they integrate the knowledge, concepts, theories, perspectives, or methods of two chosen DP subjects. 

In other words, elements of the two subjects are combined so they work together to effectively explore the research question.

In some ways, this is similar to the old World Studies Extended Essay in the sense that students are looking at two different subject areas and writing a combined paper. However, it is also very different. There is no separate Subject-Specific Guidance for this essay at all.  

When we get to the Subject-Specific Guidances, you will see that World Studies is not there.  So an Interdisciplinary Pathway essay will follow the Subject-Specific Guidance for the subject areas the student chooses. For example, if a student combines Economics and Theatre, then they would use the Subject-Specific Guidance for Group 3 (Individuals and Societies) and Group 6 (The Arts).

The power of this pathway is that integration allows students to write the kind of paper they really want to write, rather than being restricted to one subject area. 

Another key point...

The combination does not have to be even. If a student chooses Economics and Theatre, it does not need to be a 50-50 split. What matters is that the integration of the two subjects is sufficient to respond effectively to the research question.

And here is something really cool... 

The IB provides five interdisciplinary Frameworks to help students position and shape their ideas. 

These are not restrictive, and they are not assessed directly. They don't even show up in the Mark Scheme, but they can help students refine their research:

1. Power, equality, justiceTopics might include social movements, human rights, political transitions, or equity in education and healthcare.
2. Culture, identity, expressionStudents could explore migration, the role of social media, globalization, artistic expression, or the construction of identity in different contexts.
3. Movement, time, spaceExamples include urbanization, trade networks, transportation systems, or the impact of technology on how societies experience time and space.
4. Evidence, measurement, innovationEssays might explore public health data, scientific or technological innovation, economics, or the way knowledge is measured and used in different disciplines.
5. Sustainability, development, changeStudents could research climate change, economic development, population growth, sustainability policies, or environmental challenges.

These Frameworks are explained really well in the Subject Guide and are critical for us as Supervisors to know.

Ultimately, an Interdisciplinary Pathway essay should show the reader that the integration of two subjects was essential to answering the research question. 

And that is huge!

The Subject-Focused Pathway

The Subject-Focused Pathway is much more like what we did in the old guidance. 

Students research and write their Extended Essay using the knowledge, concepts, theories, perspectives, and methods from a single DP subject. Very much like before, they can write it in Economics, Biology, Math, Theatre, or Chemistry, etc.

This approach allows for deep exploration within the boundaries of one discipline (obviously). 

If a student’s idea fits squarely within one DP subject, then this is the best pathway. It provides an opportunity to build on classroom learning while also engaging in their independent research. This is where students challenge themselves, expand their thinking, and push beyond the boundaries of the syllabus...just as they did before.

One important note: Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) and Literature and Performance must be placed in the Subject-Focused Pathway. They cannot be used in the Interdisciplinary Pathway because these subjects already combine two disciplines. 

Choosing Between the Two

So how does a student choose? 

The answer always begins with the student's personal interest. 

Some ideas are naturally suited to the Subject-Focused Pathway, while others can be explored more effectively through the Interdisciplinary Pathway. Both pathways are equally valid and both can lead to excellent research. 

The key is that students choose the pathway that matches their research question and allows them to engage meaningfully with the process so they can write the paper they wan to write.

My Thoughts and Takeaways...

Freedom for Students: I love the addition of the Interdisciplinary Pathway. It gives students the freedom to write the paper they actually want to write. Daniel Johnson, sending you love out there, Daniel—once said he wished the Extended Essay could be a paper kids would love to write. This new pathway makes that possible.

The Power of Frameworks:  The Frameworks are beautiful. They give students a big-picture lens and help them see the meaning behind their essay. If you are writing about migration, you are really writing about movement of people. If you are writing about Economics, you are almost always writing about equality or inequality. And while they were designed for the Interdisciplinary Pathway, students can absolutely use them in the Subject-Focused Pathway too.

Read the Subject Guide Thoroughly...It is Excellent:  The subject guide does a great job of showing how students can decide between the two pathways. In the end, the research itself will point them toward the right path. This is another example of the freedom the new guidance gives students.

All right, my friends, we are rolling along.  That is part two of our five-part series on the new Extended Essay. 

Next Monday, in part three, we'll take a look at the new Mark Scheme and the changes that were made, and, most importantly, what that means for us as Supervisors.  They are significant so it'll be important to take a look.

I hope you have a great week,

Brad

Book a Custom Training for Your IB Faculty - If your school would like a tailored training on the updated Extended Essay guidelines, we’d love to help—onsite at your campus or live online—just send me an email at [email protected] and we’ll work together to make it happen.

Effectively Supervising the New Extended Essay - November 8th, 2025 - This focused and practical workshop is designed to help teachers confidently navigate the updated Extended Essay framework for the Class of 2027. Together, we’ll explore what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how to effectively guide students through both the Subject-Focused and Interdisciplinary pathways. 

Brad Cartwright

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