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The MA/MS in Book Publishing Handbook should be your first reference for matters pertaining to the curriculum, program policies, and other resources. You are also always welcome to email the interim Director of the MA/MS in Book Publishing, Dr. Kathi Berens (pub-director@pdx.edu) with any questions.
Overview of Program Requirements
The Master’s degree in Book Publishing is a 48-credit degree. Students are required to complete:
- 24 credits (i.e. 6 courses) of required foundational courses;
- 8 credits of Ooligan Press–related coursework, which can be completed through any combination of Publishing Studio (WR 574) and Publishing Lab (WR 575);
- 4 credits (i.e. 1 course) of electives designated with the prefix WR, which includes all Book Publishing courses;
- 12 credits (i.e. 3 courses) that may involve coursework in another discipline with advisor approval.
Required Coursework
The MA/MS in Book Publishing degree requires 48 credits of graduate-level coursework. Students gain a comprehensive view of the industry through the program’s required foundational courses. Students in the graduate program in Book Publishing are required to take six of these seven foundational courses, for a total of 24 credits. In order to be eligible for graduation, two of those six courses must be Introduction to Book Publishing and Researching Book Publishing. All foundational courses are also open to students in other programs, including undergraduate students.
Introduction to Book Publishing (WR 560) [Required]
Provides a detailed overview of the publishing process, organized around the division of labor, including introductions to contemporary American publishing, issues of intellectual commerce, copyright law, publishing contracts, book editing, book design and production, book marketing and distribution, and bookselling. Based on work in mock publishing companies, students prepare portfolios of written documents (e.g. book proposals, editorial guidelines, design and production standards, and marketing plans). Guest speakers from the publishing industry and field trips provide exposure to the industry.
Book Editing (WR 561)
Comprehensive course in professional book editing, including editorial management, acquisitions editing, substantive/developmental editing, and copyediting. Issues specific to both fiction and nonfiction books will be covered.
Book Design Software (WR 562)
Provides a strong base in the software used in the book publishing industry, focusing on Adobe InDesign. This class also explores Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat, as well as XHTML and e-book design. The course considers audience expectations through a range of hands-on design projects.
Book Marketing (WR 563)
Comprehensive course in professional book marketing. Issues specific to the marketing of fiction and nonfiction books in a variety of genres and markets will be covered. Students will do market research, produce marketing plans, write press releases, write advertising copy, and develop related marketing materials.
Business of Book Publishing (WR 564)
Comprehensive course in the business of book publishing. Topics covered include publications management, accounting, book production, distribution, and bookselling. Students learn how a variety of agents, including publishers, publishing services companies, distributors, wholesalers, bookstores, etc., are organized and function in the marketplace.
Digital Skills (WR 566)
This course gives students hands-on training in digital skills, and surveys some of the most important developmental trends in writing in various computational environments: webpages, computer programs, word processing programs, multimodal essays. Students learn core principles and methods of web design, template modification, program modification, DIY training, choosing a domain, loading digital objects to servers, the medial history and present-day uses of authoring software such as traditional word processing and non-linear, multicursal reading pathways.
Researching Book Publishing (WR 579) [Required]
Students will learn about qualitative and quantitative book publishing research methods and work through stages of their final research paper for the Book Publishing Master’s Program. Students will emerge from the course with a measurable, right-sized research question, a methodology plan, and sample paper outlines that refine their critical thinking skills. There will also be an industry-based research project that students develop and carry out.
Specialization Opportunities
Students in the graduate program in Book Publishing have the opportunity to specialize in an area of the publishing process. One of the ways they do this is by taking advanced, elective courses in areas such as editing, design, or marketing. Some of these elective courses require that you have taken a foundational course prior to enrollment. However, other elective courses are open to all students, including those in other programs and undergraduate students.
Areas of Specialization
Editing
- WR 472/572 Copyediting (prerequisite: Book Editing)
- WR 473/573 Developmental Editing (prerequisite: Book Editing)
- WR 410/510 Literary Agents and Acquisitions (no prerequisite)
- WR 527 Technical Editing
Design
- WR 471/571 Typography, Layout, and Production (prerequisite: Book Design Software)
- WR 410/510 Advanced Book Design (prerequisite: Typography, Layout, and Production)
Marketing
- WR 478/578 Digital Marketing for Book Publishers (no prerequisite)
Digital
- WR 410/510 Ebook Production (prerequisite: Book Design Software)
Other
- WR 476/576 Publishing for Young Adults (no prerequisite)
- WR 477/577 Children’s Book Publishing (no prerequisite)
- WR 465/565 Intellectual Property and Copyright (no prerequisite)
- WR 410/510 Bestsellers in US Books (no prerequisite)
Experiential Learning
Ooligan Press is a publishing house staffed by students in the graduate program in Book Publishing. Publishing four books a year and selling them in bookstores across the nation as well as online, Ooligan provides a hands-on experience that is not replicated in any other graduate program. Students participate in every step of the publishing process—from manuscript acquisition to editing, from design and production to marketing and sales—with guidance and supervision provided by expert faculty. Students take lessons from the classroom and apply them to real-world publishing challenges, resulting in numerous award-winning and bestselling books that span every genre.
Here’s how it works:
Publishing Studio (WR 474/574) and Publishing Lab (WR 475/575)
Publishing Studio and Publishing Lab are the credit-bearing courses associated with Ooligan Press. Students enrolled in these courses work for the publishing house in multidisciplinary assignments. Publishing Studio is a 4-credit course, while Publishing Lab is a 1-credit course; the two courses are identical in all ways, with the exception of the number of credits and, thus, the number of hours per week of Ooligan Press–related work that is required.
Students in the graduate program in Book Publishing are required to take 8 credits of Ooligan Press–related coursework, which can be completed through any combination of Publishing Studio and Publishing Lab. For graduate students looking to enroll in WR 575: Publishing Lab, there is no prerequisite. For undergraduate students looking to enroll in WR 475: Publishing Lab, the only prerequisite is any 300-level Writing class. However, Publishing Lab is a prerequisite for Publishing Studio for all students.
Want to know more about Ooligan Press? Visit the publishing house website, where we present a professional face to the world, including to readers, writers, and book industry professionals.
Other Opportunities
Dual Degree
It is possible for a student to undertake two Master’s degrees at the same time, combining Master’s in Book Publishing with other master’s degrees such as:
- MA in English
- MFA in Creative Writing
- MA/MS in Technical and Professional Writing
A dual degree allows for an overlap of the credits required for two Master’s degrees. The specific credits to be accepted for both degrees must be approved by the departments involved and may not exceed one-third of the required credits for a degree. If the two Master’s programs have different total credit requirements, the one-third limit is determined by the smaller total credit requirement. Only coursework can be shared between two Master’s degrees; internship, practicum, project, thesis, or other culminating activity cannot be shared. Students working toward dual Master’s degrees must be admitted to the second degree program no later than one term prior to the term in which the student graduates from the first degree program.
For more details, please contact the English department at grdstudy@pdx.edu.
Internships and Independent Study
The graduate program in Book Publishing recognizes that internships and independent study can be a valuable means of expanding the curriculum and allowing students to pursue special interests.
Cooperative Education/Internship (WR 404/504)
The graduate program in Book Publishing has internship agreements and longstanding relationships with many small presses, literary non-profits, magazines and journals, providers of publishing services, and so forth. (Currently enrolled students have access to a database of these relationships.) The Book Publishing program adheres to the standards and rules set forth by PSU’s office of Advising and Career Services. Students should be familiar with the definition of an internship to judge whether an opportunity fits the criteria.
In Cooperative Education/Internship arrangements, students typically complete relevant professional duties for a business or non-profit, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, and present a reflection on their work experience to the sponsoring faculty member. They must also submit a letter of evaluation from their internship supervisor.
Cooperative Education/Internship coursework applicable to the degree is limited to 9 credits in the graduate program in Book Publishing; however, in any given term an internship may be taken for between 1 and 4 credits, depending on the number of hours worked. One credit equals 40 hours, 2 credits equals 80 hours, 3 credits equals 120 hours, and 4 credits equals 160 hours. PSU has four terms per year: Fall (late September–early December), Winter (January–March), Spring (April–early June), and Summer (late June–mid-August). Internships can fall within these terms or can span terms, as long as the total hourly commitment is met.
To receive credit for an internship, students first secure the internship, then determine how many credits the hourly commitment will earn. Each term, WR404/504 Internship is offered by the English department. Before attempting to register, the student should email the faculty member teaching this course in the term in which credit will be earned for permission to register. This class meets every other week and focuses on professional development. If the scheduled class time interferes with a student’s other courses or work schedule, the student should contact their advisor for alternative arrangements.
Writing and Conference (WR 405/505)
In Writing and Conference arrangements, students conduct independent research and present their results and analysis in a final paper submitted to the sponsoring faculty member. Writing and Conference coursework applicable toward the degree is limited to 12 credits in the graduate program in Book Publishing; however, in any given term a Writing and Conference may be taken for between 1 and 4 credits, depending on the scale of the project being undertaken.
Students wishing to pursue independent study should seek the approval of a faculty member willing to undertake the arrangement. Please keep in mind that faculty choose to take on these courses on top of their regular workload. To register, a student must fill out a By Arrangement Request form, have it signed by the faculty member, and leave it with English Department staff to be signed by the Chair and forwarded to Registration.
Study Abroad
Edinburgh – Summer Term
Come and expand your book publishing knowledge to new international heights in the beautiful bookish city of Edinburgh! Scotland may be known for its kilts and bagpipes, but it also has a rich historical and contemporary book publishing scene. Scotland is home to approximately 105 publishing companies, including award-winning publishers such as Canongate and DC Thompson, and also home to bestselling authors past and present like J.K. Rowling, Kate Atkinson, Irvine Welsh, Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Robert Louis Stevenson. The first encyclopedia in English (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1768), the precursor company to Harpercollins (now one of the biggest trade publishers), and the largest international book festival in the world are all native to the city of Edinburgh.
The city of Edinburgh will be our classroom as we focus on building critical skills for understanding and working within an international book environment, particularly in Scotland. This two-week course incorporates guest lectures, hands-on workshop visits, event participation, and small group discussions in addition to traditional classroom time. Time spent observing and analyzing the book processes and agents within the Scottish publishing industry will be interspersed with bookish site visits (and yes, the birthplace of Harry Potter will be one of them) and attendance at the Edinburgh Book Festival. As the world grows increasingly globalized and interconnected, so does the publishing world, so that to be an informed and experienced publishing professional in the United States, it is ever more important to know how the publishing industry operates in international contexts like the UK. It is an excellent opportunity to get hands-on experience with the Scottish book publishing industry.
Priority applications are due in January and all applications are due in March. Apply here.