We are the NUMBER ONE Centre of Excellence in Publishing Education*
* MSc Publishing was the first and only publishing course in the UK to be accredited by the Professional Publishers Association. We were also awarded the Creative Skillset Tick, awarded to practice-based courses which best prepare students for a career in the industry.
The University will be open and ready to welcome you on Monday 7 September 2020.
Greyed-out information in the following FAQs relates to things that may be affected due to COVID-19. Please visit our University page for up-to-date information: https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/coronavirus.
We hope the following programme information will help you. And you can talk to one of our Postgrads about her experience: Chat with Jennifer, from Vancouver, Canada
A: The full-time course is studied over one year. It is also possible to study part-time over two years.
Q: How many days will I be in class?
A: As a full-time student, you will be in class up to 4 days a week, at various times. (Usually, we try to operate on a 3-day week.)
Please don’t ask if classes are compulsory – this is a postgraduate degree!
Q: Are there any taught night classes?
A: No. At present our Publishing Masters programme is taught during the day (no evening classes), although we do attend and organise publishing social gatherings and events where attendance is required.
Q: How difficult is the programme for a non-design or non-technical person?
A: MSc Publishing is structured to be accessible to any student from any background (with the required entry qualifications).
Q: Is there a reading list I can get before the programme begins?
A: Yes. When you matriculate, you can access a reading list and resources via our Virtual Learning Environment. Other resources are listed in each of the module handbooks. You do not need to buy books prior to beginning your publishing studies, as all of the necessary texts are available from our campus library (as books and eBooks).
Q: Are there established links between this course and industry?
A: Yes. Our Postgraduate Publishing degree is taught by industry professionals and academic experts. It is endorsed by industry organisations such as the Professional Publishers Association, Creative Skillset, and Publishing Scotland. Our programmes are supported by the publishing industry in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Guest speakers by industry professionals are a feature of the programme. We also go on site visits and excursions to critical industry events – for example, the annual London Book Fair, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Magfest, etc.
Staff are members of various professional organisations, including: Scottish Print Employers Federation, SHARP (the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing), APE (the Association for Publishing in Education), Women in Business, etc. We are actively involved with a number of organisations such as: Publishing Scotland; Professional Publishers Association, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature; Scottish Centre for the Book (SCOB); and Scottish PEN. We are Academic Partners of the International Magazine Centre.
Q: What do I need to get onto the programme?
A: We are looking for a good classification (2.1) at degree level or the equivalent. Relevant industry experience may also be taken into account. As MSc Publishing involves close work with texts, editing, copy writing, etc, a good level of written and spoken English is required.
Applicants whose native language is not English should visit the university website (see: entry requirements): http://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-publishing-postgraduate-fulltime
Q: Is my first degree relevant?
A: Yes. Since we recognise that Postgraduate Publishing attracts individuals from a wide range of disciplines, we do not specify the subject of your first degree and we attract students with a wide range of experience.
Q: How do I apply?
A: Visit our University website:
Full time: http://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-publishing-postgraduate-fulltime
Part time: http://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-publishing-postgraduate-parttime
Q: How many places are there on the MSc programme?
A: Usually around 40.
Q: Are there any funds or bursaries available?
A: Most of our students are self-financing.
See: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/funding/Pages/Funding.aspx
Q: Edinburgh Napier has a number of campuses, where will I be based?
A: Postgraduate Publishing is located at Merchiston Campus.
Q: Does Edinburgh Napier have student accommodation?
A: Yes, but this is limited. Visit the main University website: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/accommodation/about-our-accommodation
Q: Can I meet with someone to discuss the programme?
A: Yes. Formal Open Days take place throughout the year. Please go to our website www.napier.ac.uk for more information and follow the links to Postgraduate Open Days.
MSc Publishing – Industry Accredited Postgraduate Degree 