MBA Dissertations
Different subject disciplines may emphasise features, but, generally speaking, an essay is really a continuous written piece, arranged in clearly demarcated paragraphs, in which an argument (a clear type of thought) is developed, in reaction to some central question or proposition (thesis). The line of argument is based on evidence you've acquired through good research, which you have to analyse, and which assists or contradicts the different perspectives explored in the course of that argument. The essay then reaches a conclusion within the final section, which pulls together the threads of your argument, supporting, qualifying or rejecting the original Dissertation.
It's worth bearing in mind that the academic essay is not a written piece designed to reproduce information available elsewhere, but new things and expressive of the individual abilities to analyse and synthesise.
Additionally, the process of academic writing will, of itself, enable you to learn, by enabling you to work with concepts and information relevant to your subject, and thereby working on your intellectual skills.