The Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program is designed for current and aspiring professionals. Publishing professionals sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge through high-level coursework; students also include post-bachelor and post-graduate students who have earned their degrees in other disciplines but desire careers in publishing. The master’s degree in Publishing integrates traditional print with digital publishing topics, including editorial acquisitions, production and design, copyright law in print and cyberspace, marketing, distribution, management and business. Taught by nationally and internationally recognized leaders, students master the skills required for traditional print publishing as well as online and electronic publishing.
- Our goal is to prepare students for managerial and leadership positions across all publishing industry segments and specialties
- Coursework includes editorial, acquisitions, production, design, copyright law, marketing, distribution, management, and business
- Courses use examples and case studies from trade, scholarly, academic, educational, children’s, graphic novels, and other publishing sectors.
- Assignments and activities emphasize “real-world” learning, active participation, group work; creative and analytical
Our professional faculty hold senior leadership positions in a variety of publishing organizations and possess diverse backgrounds and expertise, including Duke University Press, Georgetown University Press, American Psychiatric Association Publishing, American Chemical Society, Canadian Science Publishing, ASCD, 720 Strategies, and others.
More than 400 alumni of GW’s publishing program work in trade, scholarly and association, university press, library, professional, academic, educational, and children’s publishing, and many former students have founded their own publishing businesses.
As I worked to finish my program, the degree became not just about career progression, but also a direct path to a competitive advantage and a stepping stone ahead in an industry built on networking and reputation.”
—Jasmine Wallace, MPS in Publishing graduate 2014
A rise in interest in professional qualifications and certification, and a shift in publishing from “trade”—apprenticeship, learning on the job—to a “profession”—learning and applying a body of relevant skills and best-practices—help our students and alumni stand out above the crowd in applications and promotions.
Publishing critical to success, reach, and impact of nearly all businesses—many companies are not primarily publishers, yet publishing is critical to their business. This means that publishing careers and opportunities are much broader than many people realize. The goal of GW’s Publishing program is to prepare students for success in a wide range of publishing careers.
