Publishing

Name: Publishing, MA
Price: £9,000 per year GBP

Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2024

Delivery

In-person

Want to work in an award-winning commercial publishing business? Study our MA Publishing and gain real-world experience at our on-site indie publisher, UCLan Publishing.

Our MA Publishing is the only UK postgraduate publishing course to have an operating publishing company. We have an established list of award-winning books, authors and illustrators. You'll learn about the fundamentals of successful list building and what this looks like in the wider publishing industry.

You'll get access to all resources at this Northern independent publisher. You'll also get to work on live briefs throughout the academic year.

The curriculum is filled with opportunities. These include:

Meet our authors, our team of professionals and take part in book launches
Trips to book fairs
Presenting to industry professionals
Meeting industry guest speakers
Accessing industry mentoring
Networking with alumni now working in Publishing

UCLan are members of the Northern Fiction Alliance. UCLan Publishing was shortlisted for Small Press of the Year Regional Finalist by The British Book Awards (2023).

Why study with us

We have an extensive network in industry – working across different genres and publishing houses – who visit regularly to support student learning.
This is a highly vocational MA programme designed to support CV building. It's ideal for those needing more work experience or for career changers.
We are the founders of the Northern Young Adult Literary Festival. An Arts Council funded festival designed to make Children’s and Young Adult books more accessible to an audience in the North. The festival has had prestigious authors attend. From Juno Dawson, Holly Bourne, Melinda Salisbury, Matt Killeen, Patrice Lawrence to Yaba Badoe.

Interested?

Download

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Student buying a book in the UCLan Publishing Bookshop

What you'll do

We provide opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the world of Publishing. You can opt to take part in our mentoring initiative. Gain alumni and/or industry mentoring to build a network for your professional development. We have also taken students on trips to London Book Fair and Bologna Book Fair.
Students will work on a live project for their MA qualification. This means working with an author to produce a book to professional standards. Where possible, we also work interdisciplinary and this has included working with Illustration, Creative Writing, Photography, Film and TV, Animation and Acting.
The curriculum has been designed so every component is incredibly practical. This is to help you develop a wide range of soft and hard skills sought after in industry.

Modules

Compulsory modules

These modules are set and you have to study these as part of your course.

Digital Publishing

This module will help you to understand digital publishing, identify new markets, and explore the idea of partnership and opportunity with publishers. You’ll be equipped with digital skills for success in the industry (such as InDesign and Photoshop) and develop an understanding of rights management issues in relation to digital content and their implications for digital publishing.

Module code: JN4401

Communications: Working in Marketing, Publicity and Sales

The Editorial Department

The Major Project: The Live Brief

This module spans the academic year and is your opportunity to work with an author and/or illustrator to a live brief and produce a book to professional standards. We aim to publish all the major projects under the UCLan Publishing brand. The project covers all aspects of the publishing business. This includes: editing, project management, cover design, typesetting and creating a marketing and publicity plan.

Module code: JN4414

UCLan Publishing: Work Skills and Entrepreneurship

The Rights Department

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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I love the way that I am involved in the production of each book as it comes into being.

Philip Caveney

Author

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students working in uclan publishing on computers — Publishing House

Two students read books inside UCLan's book shop — UCLan Publishing bookshop

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Alexa has been teaching Publishing at UCLan since 2016. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Association for Teaching and Learning and is a key member of the senior strategic team for growing the independent publishing business, UCLan Publishing. Prior to UCLan, Alexa worked i…

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What really makes the course worthwhile is that UCLan has its own publishing house alongside everything. The highlight so far has been being involved in decision-making within the business.

Stephen Alty

MA Publishing
United Kingdom

What jobs can you get with a Publishing degree?

UCLan has a rich history of teaching publishing and helping graduates to get jobs in industry and related fields. Examples of our graduates' career paths include:

Sales Manager
Senior Brand Manager
Senior Commissioning Editor
Publishing entrepreneur
Project Co-Ordinator
Contracts Assistant
Head of Rights
Editor
Publisher

Fees and funding

2024/25

Full-time£9,000 per year

Part-time£1,000 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£16,900 per year

Additional costs

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Carers Bursary
If you need extra support because you have unpaid caring responsibilities alongside your studies.
Find out more about Carers Bursary
Sports scholarships
We offer student athletes support and opportunities for their playing careers whilst they study a high-quality degree.
Find out more about Sports scholarships
Alumni Loyalty Discount
UK students with a previous award from us will receive 20% tuition fee discount.
Find out more about Alumni Loyalty Discount

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Working with UCLan and their students is creative pleasure. They offer a uniquely hands-on insight into the whole world of Publishing, from concept right through to the finished book in a bookshop.

Amy Cooper

Freelance Designer

Industry links

Learning and assessment

Classes are a mixture of class discussions, guest speakers and group work (dependent on the topic). Assessments are highly practical and relevant to industry. For example, creating an eBook, presenting a marketing and publicity campaign or editing a podcast.

• Digital Publishing: explores the rapidly evolving digital landscape. This equips you with practical skills (Adobe suite). You will be involved in creating, sharing, managing and publishing digital content within a supportive environment.

• The Editorial Department: allows you to learn all aspects of the editorial process. Gain experience with commissioning to line and copy editing. A highly vocational module and the teaching is supported by professional editors.

• Communications, Working in Marketing, Publicity and Sales: Learn about very important departments. Understand the role each plays towards supporting sales and reaching an audience. Also learn how to professionally market, publicise and sell books.

• The Rights Department: selling Rights is a crucial component for business. For this module, we often take students to the London Book Fair to meet our Rights team. You will see Rights being bought and sold live in-action.

• UCLan Publishing: Work Skills and Entrepreneurship: taught throughout the academic year. This module has live briefs from UCLan Publishing across all departments. You can use these to build a portfolio of work to show employers.

• The Major Project: The Live Brief: working closely with industry mentors in Editorial, Design and the Head of UCLan Publishing. An opportunity to work with an author on a manuscript to be published by UCLan Publishing.

Interested?

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This course is based in the School of Arts and Media

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

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Publishing

Why study with us

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What you'll do

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Digital Publishing

Communications: Working in Marketing, Publicity and Sales

The Editorial Department

The Major Project: The Live Brief

UCLan Publishing: Work Skills and Entrepreneurship

The Rights Department

Hear from our published authors

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Academic expertise

Hear from our students

What jobs can you get with a Publishing degree?