The IB offers two EE 'pathways': The subject-focused pathway or the interdisciplinary pathway. There are few things worth thinking about before launching into an interdisciplinary EE: Which language will you write it in? Who will supervise it? What subjects can you draw from? Must you take one of these subjects? How does one 'integrate' two subjects? Must there be a balance between these subjects? 

Check out the slide show below. Also use the following handout to determine in the interdisciplinary EE is a right fit for you. 

Handout: So you want to write an interdisciplinary EE?

Google Slides: The Interdisciplinary EE

A few caveats
  • Students may only write an interdisciplinary essay in English, Spanish or French.
  • Students may not write an interdisciplinary essay on Environmental Systems and Societies or Literature and Performance (these subjects are already interdisicplinary)
  • It's recommended but not required that students take at least one of the subjects they are writing about.
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Last modified: Sunday, 22 February 2026, 10:03 AM