Publishing MA

Acquire the skills needed to thrive in publishing with the Publishing MA from City. Explore topics shaping the industry such as A.I., diversity, BookTok, fan fiction, and sustainability through modules led by industry experts and the opportunity to make a book, create digital prototypes and participate in our Publishing Salon.

London is the global heart of the publishing industry, and this MA makes the most of its London location to bring you a programme that aims to be commercially and professionally applied alongside giving you a critical understanding of the contemporary industry.

You will learn directly from past and present industry professionals how publishing is continuing to evolve alongside the digital revolution. Our programme gives you an applied understanding of how physical and digital texts are conceived, developed and marketed. This MA looks at the different sectors of the publishing industry, including commercial fiction and non-fiction publishing, childrens publishing, education and academic publishing.

Your learning will be directly influenced by your own publishing interests, allowing you to write assignments focused on a topic and sector of the industry of your choice. The ‘Working in Publishing module gives you the chance to apply for placement opportunities at leading London publishers to get hands-on real-world experience.

Different modules take you through the main areas of publishing, explaining the role of editorial, production, sales, and marketing, as they are understood in different sectors of the industry. The MA also examines the big challenges facing the industry, from diversity to sustainability, and, crucially, helps students to build their creativity and innovation skills, to better equip them for the world of work.

You will examine how digital and print publishing are no longer separate activities. Todays publishers must combine print and digital to produce innovative content that works across a growing variety of media forms for a wide variety of readers and markets. Citys MA places digital publishing and innovation at the heart of its curriculum.

By working on research-led and industry-led analytical assignments, you will develop key publishing skills in print and digital publishing that are core to most entry-level jobs in publishing.
Who is this course for?
If you are interested in exploring a career in the publishing industry, and you recognise that global publishing is undergoing dramatic change and you want to gain professionally relevant skills, our programme is ideal.

Your first degree might be from the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences and you could be a new graduate or have an amount of work experience.

We equip you with the knowledge and skills needed by the next generation of publishers.
Career
Our Publishing MA graduates develop careers in a variety of organisations, and most secure a publishing role within months of graduating.

This small selection of positions secured by our recent Publishing MA graduates shows the scope of potential global careers:

Contracts and Business Affairs Assistant, Penguin Random House
Marketing Assistant, Edinburgh University Press
Account Manager, Nielsen Bookscan
Publishing Executive at Finder
Content Executive, Original Travel
Contracts Assistant, Hachette
AI Annotation Analyst, Apple
Content Lead, Cambridge University Press.
Internships
We encourage you to undertake an optional work internship during your time here. An internship can give you an essential step towards your first career move.

You should have:

an upper second-class honours degree or the equivalent from an international institution
evidence of a commitment to a career in publishing
or evidence of research into the current publishing industry.
You are also encouraged to apply if you have relevant professional experience.