150+ Latest English Discursive Essay Topics for University Students

Feeling the pressure to find a higher English discursive essay topic that’s both engaging and academically sound? You are not the only one. We know that stare-at-the-screen moment when you're trying to choose a compelling debate that will really let you showcase your critical thinking. It’s tricky, but finding the right topic is the crucial first step towards an essay that truly shines.

Here at Locus Assignments, we are keen to guide you through this crucial part of your college life. The following blog is not merely a list but an ultimate guide towards acing the discursive essay, along with highly relevant and modern topics, practical tips on writing, and some reliable support to fall back on.

What Is a Discursive Essay?

A discursive essay is the kind of academic writing that examines numerous sides to a problem. It presents counterarguments and arguments neutrally. In contrast to persuasive essays, which attempt to make you believe in one opinion, with discursive essays, you are allowed to view all the perspectives before coming up with your final decision. This will make you think and research critically and develop logical arguments, which will be helpful in school and the workplace.

A discursive essay is aimed at providing information and making you think. It allows the readers to come up with their own conclusions from the evidence. Such essays are provided by teachers in college as they make students learn difficult content, compare various perspectives, and describe their results concisely. Learning how to write discursively will get you a lot of English essay assignments and help you perform well in the classroom.

Why Write a Discursive Essay?

The numerous learning advantages of writing discursive essays do not end with completing homework. They assist you in applying an equal perspective because they cause you to consider numerous points of view of a subject. It will build your research confidence since you have to locate and analyse evidence in numerous locations. The discursive essays also enhance critical thinking, which makes you experience analysing arguments, identifying errors in reasoning, and using ideas to persuade people.

Particularly, these essays are necessary in college courses and exams, as they demonstrate that you can think critically and describe complex concepts. They also equip you with the real situations where you have to consider various views and make intelligent decisions. When you do an English discursive essay, you learn the skills that enable you to succeed in school and at your new job.

How to Write a Discursive Essay — Essential Structure

An organised discursive essay is a crucial way of making your points clear and convincing. The following is a step-by-step tutorial on how to compose a persuasive essay:

Introduction  

Start with an intro that grabs the attention of the reader, such as a question or an interesting fact. Provide a bit of background to make the reader know what the topic is. Write down the central idea in the paper, then articulate the key points that you will address so that the reader is made aware of what to expect.

Body Paragraphs  

Talk about one main idea in every paragraph and support it with facts, statistics, opinions of experts or real examples. Present both sides of the argument, acknowledge the points against you and explain why you believe that one side of the argument is stronger. Insert clear transitions to pass between one point and the other and have the essay flow.

Conclusion  

Conclude by summarising the key points and repeating your key argument with some evidence you provided. Conclude by making a wise remark, but note that other opinions may exist. Then write nothing new, but support what you have already written.

150+ Latest English Discursive Essay Topics for College Students

This is a broad selection of categories to assist in choosing useful, relevant and interesting topics. These are the advanced English discursive essay themes that can be used by students doing various courses and at various levels.

Social and Cultural Issues Discursive Essay Topics 

• Is social media reducing real human connection?

• Should cultural appropriation be considered a punishable offence?

• Does celebrity culture influence young people too much?

• Is cancel culture doing more harm than good?

• Should governments do more to preserve cultural heritage?

• Should public spaces be redesigned to encourage community interaction?

• Is migration beneficial for host societies?

• Do reality TV shows damage public taste and values?

• Should traditional festivals be modernised to stay relevant?

• Is urbanisation eroding local customs and traditions?

• Should parents be held responsible for children’s online behaviour?

• Does mainstream media misrepresent minority communities?

• Is there too much focus on youth culture at the expense of the elderly?

• Should cultural institutions be required to represent diverse voices?

• Does consumer culture harm social relationships?

• Should art and culture receive more public funding?

• Is fashion culture promoting unrealistic body standards?

• Do influencers have a social responsibility to be truthful?

• Should language preservation be prioritised over globalisation?

• Is binge-watching changing how we experience storytelling?

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Education Discursive Essay Topics

• Should university education be free for all UK students?

• Are traditional exams an outdated form of assessment?

• Does online learning reduce academic motivation?

• Should gap years be encouraged for all students?

• Should universities prioritise practical skills over theoretical study?

• Should student mental health services be compulsory at every university?

• Is vocational training undervalued compared with university degrees?

• Should schools teach critical thinking as a core subject?

• Are standardised tests fair for diverse learners?

• Should university rankings influence student choice?

• Does homework improve learning outcomes at the university level?

• Should academic publishing be open access for all students?

• Is plagiarism detection software doing more harm than good?

• Should students be taught financial literacy as part of the curriculum?

• Is the SAT/ACT-style testing relevant to UK admissions?

• Should universities offer guaranteed paid internships to students?

• Are lecture recordings weakening lecture attendance?

• Should academic credit be awarded for online micro-courses?

• Is the rise of short courses changing the meaning of higher education?

• Should universities ban attending lectures remotely without permission?

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Technology and Innovation Discursive Essay Topics

• Is artificial intelligence a threat to human jobs?

• Should the use of facial recognition technology be banned?

• Are smartphones making people less productive?

• Should AI be allowed to make ethical decisions?

• Does technology improve or damage mental health?

• Should social media platforms be regulated like publishers?

• Is tech addiction a public-health crisis?

• Should schools ban mobile phones during lessons?

• Do self-driving cars pose more risks than benefits?

• Should governments subsidise broadband access for all citizens?

• Is cryptocurrency a safe investment or a speculative bubble?

• Should tech companies be responsible for misinformation spread on their platforms?

• Are wearable health trackers a useful medical tool or a privacy risk?

• Should genetic editing technologies be heavily regulated?

• Will virtual reality change the future of education?

• Are smart cities an invasion of privacy?

• Should there be international rules for AI warfare?

• Is open-source software superior to proprietary models?

• Should children be taught coding as a core skill from a young age?

• Do online dating apps help or hinder meaningful relationships?

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Ethics and Morality Discursive Essay Topics

• Should euthanasia be legalised in the UK?

• Is animal testing justified for medical research?

• Is cloning ethically acceptable?

• Should assisted suicide be a personal choice?

• Is it moral to use genetic engineering in humans?

• Should reparations be paid for historic injustices?

• Is it ethical to monitor employees’ emails for productivity?

• Should wealthy nations be morally obliged to help poorer nations?

• Is capital punishment ever morally defensible?

• Should organ donation be opt-out rather than opt-in?

• Are surveillance measures justified to prevent terrorism?

• Is affirmative action fair or discriminatory?

• Should businesses be held morally accountable for their supply chains?

• Is it ethical to use personal data for targeted advertising?

• Should parents have the right to genetically select certain traits?

• Is it moral to keep animals in zoos for conservation?

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Health and Environment Discursive Essay Topics

• Should unhealthy foods have stricter regulations?

• Are vegan diets better for the environment?

• Should plastic be banned worldwide?

• Is climate change the biggest threat to humanity?

• Should governments enforce fitness programmes?

• Should sugar be taxed more heavily to reduce consumption?

• Is public smoking bans an infringement on personal freedom?

• Should vaccinations be compulsory for school attendance?

• Are single-use plastics the responsibility of consumers or producers?

• Should cities introduce congestion pricing to reduce pollution?

• Is wildlife conservation more important than economic development?

• Should governments subsidise renewable energy for households?

• Is meat consumption the main driver of climate change?

• Should mental health be treated with the same urgency as physical health?

• Are e-cigarettes a helpful quitting tool or a public-health risk?

• Should large corporations be fined for exceeding carbon targets?

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Politics and Law Discursive Essay Topics

• Should voting be compulsory in the UK?

• Is democracy the best form of government?

• Should prisons focus on rehabilitation over punishment?

• Are current UK laws effective in reducing cybercrime?

• Should freedom of speech have limits?

• Is the UK’s electoral system fair and representative?

• Should politicians face stricter conflict-of-interest rules?

• Is national security an adequate excuse to limit civil liberties?

• Should hate speech be a criminal offence?

• Is decentralisation the answer to regional inequalities?

• Should referendums be used to decide major policy issues?

• Are lobbyists too influential in modern politics?

• Should the voting age be reduced to 16 for general elections?

• Should there be term limits for members of parliament?

• Is political campaigning on social media ethical?

• Should international law have more power over sovereign states?

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Media and Communications Discursive Essay Topics

• Is traditional journalism dying in the age of social media?

• Should social platforms be legally liable for user content?

• Does media bias shape public opinion more than facts?

• Are sensational headlines damaging public discourse?

• Should news outlets be required to separate fact from opinion more clearly?

• Is influencer marketing undermining trust in advertising?

• Should anonymised whistleblowers be better protected by law?

• Are podcasts replacing traditional radio and TV news?

• Is citizen journalism a reliable alternative to professional reporting?

• Should media literacy be mandatory in school curricula?

• Is government control of state media ever justified?

• Do celebrity endorsements distort the credibility of news?

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Business and Economy Discursive Essay Topics

• Should corporations be required to publish salary ranges?

• Is gig economy work exploitative or empowering?

• Should the minimum wage be a living wage?

• Are trade tariffs useful in a globalised economy?

• Is capitalism compatible with environmental sustainability?

• Should shareholder profits be capped in certain industries?

• Are banks doing enough to prevent financial fraud?

• Should consumer debt be more strictly regulated?

• Is remote working good for long-term productivity?

• Should business education focus more on ethics than profit?

• Is corporate social responsibility just PR?

• Should multinational corporations be taxed more heavily in the UK?

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Science and Society Discursive Essay Topics

• Is space exploration worth the cost?

• Should human trials for experimental treatments be more tightly regulated?

• Is nuclear power a viable solution to climate change?

• Should stem-cell research receive more funding?

• Are scientific experts given too much influence over public policy?

• Does the replication crisis undermine trust in modern science?

• Should scientific findings be made simpler for public understanding?

• Is amateur science (citizen science) valuable to research?

• Should gene patents be allowed?

• Are scientific advances outpacing ethical frameworks?

• Should governments invest in longevity research?

• Is the precautionary principle appropriate for new technologies?

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Youth and Lifestyle Discursive Essay Topics

• Should social media profiles be allowed in job applications?

• Is student nightlife culture harmful to studies?

• Should young people be encouraged to vote more?

• Is part-time work during study damaging academic performance?

• Should universities ban single-use cups on campus?

• Are student societies important for personal development?

• Should youth sports funding be prioritised over elite training?

• Is student activism effective in bringing social change?

• Should young people have mandatory civic education?

• Is the cost of living crisis affecting student mental health?

• Should student accommodation be more tightly regulated for safety?

• Is travelling abroad during study years beneficial to future careers?

• Should students be taught practical life skills at university?

• Is the trend for micro-internships useful or exploitative?

• Should campuses be more environmentally sustainable?

• Are loyalty reward apps influencing student spending habits?

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Conclusion

Choosing a discursive essay topic that genuinely interests you makes research and writing more engaging. Remember to present your arguments and counterarguments with balanced research, and follow the tips shared for clear, structured essays. Higher English discursive essay topics challenge you, but they can also be rewarding if done well.

If you seek reliable online assignment help or want expert advice from an assignment helper, then contact Locus Assignments today. We are here to help you choose the right topic and construct essays that reflect your best work!