This required seminar will examine the elements of the essay form to prepare for the written component of their MFA thesis. The course will take students through the stages of researching and writing a thesis: defining the field of research, formulating a thesis question, developing a bibliography, detailing artistic process, organizing material, revising, and preparing a scholarly manuscript. The class will review research and style components of a well-constructed thesis text, making use of exemplary papers from past years.