The Critical Essay course is designed for Writing and Literature Majors, Minors, or students in adjacent programs to prepare for the critical component of their Senior Thesis Project. Students will submit a substantive critical essay of 15-20 pages to fulfill the Literature component. This will be a sustained analysis of a single author, work of literature, or topic of the student's choice with the advisor’s approval. It may take the form of a manifesto, ars poetica, theoretical study, or research. The essay will also offer a contextualization for the creative project, a framework in which the student presents their poetry, graphic images, stories, novel, etc., as an integral part of the project overall. Thus, the critical essay complements the creative project.