Department of Communications, Media Arts and Theatre at Chicago State University

 

The Department of Communications, Media Arts and Theatre (CMAT) offers a BA in Media Arts with concentrations in media arts, public relations, and theatre. The program prepares students for careers in a variety of fields including:

• Public Relations
• Radio
• Television
• Performance
• Digital filmmaking and screenwriting
• Media entrepreneurship
• Social media
• Directing and acting
• Audio 

Internships and Partnerships

Every CMAT student can expect to complete one or more semester long internships. CSU-CMAT students have interned at Cinespace Studios, Chicago Med, Chicago PD, Empire, NBC Television, BET, Fox Big Ten Network, WTTW, WYCC, Media Process Group, Big Shoulders, RJ Dale, Flowers Communications, Fox Television, ABC Television, CBS Television, CLTV, WBEZ Radio, B96 Radio, Sports Radio, ESPN Television, Chicago Sun Times, WGN Radio, Chicago Office of Cable Communications, Showcase Television, Chicago Cable Access Corporation, Power 92 Radio, among others....

 

Digital Cinema students filming the original TV pilot The Chill.

Leo Burnett Advertising Partnership

CSU has developed a unique partnership with Leo Burnett Advertising. Students in CMAT can enroll in an advertising bootcamp course taught by executives at Leo Burnett. Upon successful completion, CMAT students can then apply for a paid summer internship at Leo Burnett.

Cinespace Studios Partnership

For students interested in careers in the film industry, CSU and Cinespace have partnered to offer CMAT graduates paid 6 month internships at Cinespace Studios. For more information, please contact Dr. Christine List at (773) 995-2280. 

Partnership with the Illinois Film Office

CMAT is partnering with the Illinois Film Office to manage the Illinois Film Workforce Training Program. The goal of the partnership is to increase diversity in the film workforce.

 

Sheila Brown, Former Executive Director of the CineCares Foundation with CMAT students Rhonda Nunn and Armani Winston awarded paid internships on "Chicago Med" and "Chicago PD" at Cinespace Studios.

Alumni

Our talented Emmy Award-winning alumni provide students with a network of successful creative individuals whose projects have been broadcast and streamed on platforms such on Hulu, HBO, and NBC Universal. CMAT graduates have gone on to work at international, national, and local media companies including:

• WVON
• Crawford Broadcasting
• Power92
• Flowers Communications
• Publicis Media Groupe 
• NBC Universal

Other graduates have been accepted to some of the top graduate schools in the country, including the University of Southern California School of Cinema Arts and the American Film Institute.

 

Award-Winning Faculty

Study with faculty who are among the best in their fields, including Christine Houston (NAACP Image Award for the NBC sitcom "227"),  Kamesha Khan (African American Theatre Alliance Award), Alvin Daniels (Hollywood Black Film Festival) and Christine List (Diversity in Cannes Film Festival).

 

Professor Khan, Director of CSU Theatre & Best Director, African American Theatre Alliance

Scholarships

CMAT students can apply for competitive academic scholarships. Other opportunities include paid internships, work-study, as well as federal and state grants.

 

CSU Theatre

CSU Theatre mounts a fall and spring production. For more information contact us at (773) 995-2280.

 

Scene from the Ten Minute Play Festival produced by CSU Theatre.