The program in Cinema and Cultural Studies looks at film as a form of representation in and of itself and in relation to other disciplines such as literature, art, and theater. The CCS program is designed to show how cultural forms such as cinema and the other arts develop and interact with each other and with social, historical, and economic forces by emphasizing the emerging discipline now known as Cultural Studies. The program's core courses place strong emphasis on writing skills and critical thinking about film and other cultural forms. Students will also be taught "media literacy," the ability to read the many images we encounter every day in an age when images are being used for manipulation as never before. Students may have the opportunity to put their knowledge to practical use outside the classroom through internships in the film and advertising industries or through independent research.