Study Details: MA 1 year 3 months full-timeMA Publishing combines theoretical and practical approaches to publishing media. Creative and entrepreneurial, this course will give you hands-on experience of multi-platform publishing. You’ll gain a holistic and critical understanding of print and digital publishing which you’ll put into practice through project-based working, developing creative content and exploring innovative ways to engage new audiences.
With the opportunity to specialise in magazine or book publishing through your choice of assignments, you’ll be introduced to concepts across both media, building your transferable skillset while exploring the evolution of publishing as a creative industry.
You’ll choose your own journey through the course, developing industry-facing and academic skills before completing a major project that suits your interests.
UAL is committed to ensuring that its students’ knowledge and skills are set within a contemporary personal and professional ethical framework in order they may make positive impact in practice particularly in relation to the UAL Principles of Climate, Racial and Social Justice. These principles help inform our approach to Publishing, developing an ethical awareness in our activity, understanding our impact on the climate and nature, valuing and promoting diverse audiences and identities, and recognising the role of publishing for advocacy and futures thinking.
The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, from all over the world.
Students are admitted on to the course having gained the necessary entry requirements. An Honours degree of 2:1 and above is required, or an equivalent international degree. In some circumstances a 2:2 is considered (this might be based on personal circumstances or strength of interest and clear capability to undertake the course as indicated in the application form and interview).
Educational level may be demonstrated by:
APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning)
Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.
For fees and funding information, please see website
Our MA Publishing graduates are highly prized by the international publishing industry, across both print and digital media. The course has an excellent record of graduates entering employment. The heritage of the College and our alumni cut across all sectors of communication, design and media professional practice areas, at home and internationally.
Typically, our graduates enter first level entry jobs across all of the different functional areas of publishing editorial, production, digital and marketing and sales. They are highly sought after by publishing employers because our graduates can hit the ground running and add value immediately. Accordingly, we find that their careers accelerate beyond the normal and they move up to executive and managerial positions quicker than most.
The transferable skills you will gain on this course can be applied to a wide range of management, media and communications areas, functions and sectors. These can be applied across the private corporate and SME sectors, or the public sector, including international and voluntary not for profit organisations. Some of our past graduates have started their own publishing micro-businesses, or have developed careers related to the digital communications sector.
Importantly, besides the traditional functions, the course equips our graduates with the adaptable skills to enter the new jobs that are emerging across media sectors, whether as a digital producer in a well-known book company, an online content editor for a global magazine or a digital marketer for a new media business.
Our graduates are often found taking up roles which require a publishing specialism within media and communications services, creative agencies and brands. Being flexible, having the ability to take the initiative and thinking ahead of the curve are key attributes for our graduates.
Autumn, Term 1
The first stage of the course introduces publishing theory and analyses aspects of content and audience. You’ll explore the publishing process from commissioning and copyright to marketing and production. You’ll learn critical approaches and make connections across your growing holistic understanding of publishing. You will learn about the environmental and social impacts of publishing, including systems thinking around publishing processes, decolonised approaches to publishing activity and the advocacy role publishing can play in bringing about change. You’ll start to explore aspects of research that will underpin your final project.
Spring, Term 2
The second stage of the course provides opportunities to develop creative and collaborative approaches to publishing. With the focus on projects, you’ll have the opportunity to put your learning into practice. Research, practical working and industry-facing activity continue through these units.
You'll have the opportunity to experiment, connect with other creative people and develop your thinking around future publishing applications. Through these actions you will undertake co-creative activities, demonstrating inclusivity and accountability.
Summer, Term 3 and Autumn, Term 4
Choices of output here allow you to explore an industry-facing publishing issue, question or problem, depending on your particular interests and personal approach.
You may choose to work on a dissertation, a research project leading to the development of an artefact or prototype, or a business strategy research document.
All choices will involve conducting primary research, applying methodologies that are taught as part of this unit; a critical and analytical approach, as appropriate to a higher level of study, will be reflected across these options ensuring this research stage is challenging and stimulating.
The unit commences with taught sessions in the first part of the summer term before you’ll continue to work independently on your project for the remainder of the course, with the support of your supervisor.