Located in Chicago, the nation's third-largest media market, CMAT offers direct access
to internships with our industry partners, including Cinespace Studios, Leo Burnett
Advertising, Zeno Group, Paramount/MTV's Storytellers Lab, WVON, V103, WGN, Coalescence
Theatre Company, Perceptions Theatre Company, and more.
Through our partnership with CSU's Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and
Creative Writing, students have access to writing workshops and conferences featuring
luminaries in literature, journalism, and publishing. Internships and study abroad
programs in France, Spain, and Taiwan offer real-world experience, preparing students
to enter their chosen fields with confidence.
Partnerships
Cinespace Studios
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,
CMAT students can contact Professor Derek Dow at ddow@csu.edu.
Leo Burnett Advertising
CSU has developed a unique partnership with Leo Burnett Advertising. CMAT students
can enroll in an advertising bootcamp course taught by executives at Leo Burnett.
Upon successful completion, students can then apply for a paid summer internship at
Leo Burnett.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
CSU Theatre
CSU Theatre is the department's theatre-making component, producing plays on campus
and collaborating with professional theatre companies. CSU Theatre has performed at
venues like Chicago Dramatists and the Chicago Architecture Center. Productions are
hosted in the fall and spring. For more information, contact us at 773-995-2280.
CSU Cinema
Each year, students in the CSU Cinema practicum write, shoot, and edit original award-winning
film productions.
CSU Cinerma films have screened at the Gene Siskel Film Center, Berlin Indie Film
Festival, and other festivals.
WCSU Radio
The Department of Communication, Media Arts & Theatre established WCSU Radio in 1994
as a student-driven broadcast platform with a mission to provide engaging, multicultural
programming across music, fine arts, public affairs, news, and sports. All WCSU Radio
operations are led by Chicago State University students and alumni.
For more information, contact the radio station General Manager Troi Tyler at 773-995-2832
or stream WCSU globally on iHeart Radio.
CSU TV
CSU-TV gives students experience in sports broadcasting, sports media, and multicamera
television production.
Through the CSU-TV Practicum, students film live athletic events, provide play-by-play
and color commentary, and produce news and other programming both in front of and
behind the camera.
Gwendolyn Brooks Center
The Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing, founded in
1990, is inspired by the late Gwendolyn Brooks, a Distinguished Professor of English
at CSU, former Poet Laureate of Illinois, and the first African American to win the
Pulitzer Prize. The mission of the Brooks Center is to strengthen the humanities in
general and promote the study of Black writers to a local, national, and international
community of students, faculty, and the general public.
Programs and services
The Center is a literary and cultural center invested in researching, teaching, and
disseminating information about acclaimed Black writers, especially the life and works
of Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000).
Ms. Brooks had a special commitment to young writers from Illinois primary and secondary
schools. Through her commitment and efforts, young writers were given the opportunity
to be celebrated for their creative talents. Ms. Brooks enhanced, enriched, and embraced
language on an international scale. She was awarded over 75 honorary doctorates and
was a sought-after speaker known for her giving, compassionate spirit.
Programs and Services:
Poetry month festival
Gwendolyn Brooks Birthday Celebration
Brooks Fellows: Master Classes
GBC Writers Conference: Produces the Warpland Literary Magazine, a bi-annual literary
journal of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University. Founded in 1994
and revived in 2025.
Warpland Literary Magazine submissions:
Poetry: up to 5 poems
Fiction: up to 5,000 words total
Non-fiction: up to 5,000 words total
Visual art: up to 5 pieces (no AI art)
Contact warplandliterary@gmail.com for more information.
Internships
Every student completes an internship, ensuring graduates leave with real-world experience
and a strong professional network. Internship locations have included:
Cinespace Studios
Chicago Med
Chicago PD
BET
Fox and NBC
Big Ten Network
US Senator Dick Durban, Office of Communications, Illinois Film Office, Chicago Office
of Cultural Affairs
WBEZ, WVON, WGN and V103 Radio
Leo Burnett, The Arc, Flowers and Publicis Groupe in Advertising and PR
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