Program Overview

Introduction to the Publishing Certificate Program

The Publishing Certificate Program at The City College of New York was established in 1998 on the initiative of best-selling author and CCNY graduate Walter Mosley. The program offers a variety of courses and seminars to undergraduates and non-matriculating students, providing them with the knowledge, professional skills, and contacts necessary to enter the publishing industry.

Program Overview

The core curriculum is taught by book professionals who are leaders in their fields. A special concern of the Program is the issue of diversity in the book publishing industry and its impact on cultural production and national and global markets. Drawing on CCNY's racial, ethnic, and class diversity, and its proximity to the national center of the book industry, the PCP is uniquely situated to address this industry-wide concern.

Curriculum

The curriculum covers editorial, sales, publicity, and marketing, subsidiary rights, digital and audio publishing, and production and design. Courses are grouped by professional area; students are encouraged to develop a track of studies that will provide specialized knowledge and allow them to respond to the dynamic and constantly evolving interaction of publishing departments.

Courses

Editorial Courses

• ENGL 32501: Introduction to Publishing - introduces students to various roles at publishers of trade books, including the role of the author, agent, and acquiring editor at manuscript stage, and how books are made and sold.
• ENGL 32502: Publishing Practicum - students simulate the complete book-publishing process from contract negotiations to bound book.
• ENGL 32600: Books for Young Readers - a look at the world of publishing for children and young adults, covering all aspects of a publishing house and the business.
• ENGL 32700: The Editorial Process - an in-depth look at the editorial process from a corporate and employment-seeking perspective.
• ENGL 32800: Fundamentals of Copyediting and Proofreading - students learn the key functions of the copy editor and the proofreader in the context of the book publishing workflow.
• ENGL 32801: Legal Issues in Publishing and the Arts - a course covering crucial clauses in an author-publisher contract, intellectual property issues, and other legal aspects of publishing.
• ENGL 32803: Global Publishing - offers a comprehensive exploration of international book export, examining key aspects of book production and organizational dynamics.
• ENGL 33800: Digital and E-Book Publishing - delves into the transformative impact of the digital revolution on the publishing industry and reader behaviors.

Marketing and Advertising Courses

• MCA 20900: Introduction to Public Relations - an introductory course on the practice, concepts, and theories of public relations.
• MCA 21000: Introduction to Advertising - introduces students to the advertising industry, analyzing, evaluating, and simulating advertising campaigns.
• MCA 36200: Public Relations Writing - students examine message dissemination and how to write public relations plans and corporate-directed communications.
• MCA 36300: Advertising Copywriting - focuses on solving marketing problems through copywriting, writing, editing, and evaluating copy.
• MCA 37500: Advertising Management - an introduction to basic management in advertising, focusing on economic, social, and legal aspects.
• MCA 37600: Advertising Planning - applies principles of advertising management to specific problems and case studies.
• ECON 21250: Principles of Marketing - examines the distribution and sale of goods and services from production to consumption.

Design Courses and Internship

• ART 29500: Typography - an introduction to typography as form and its relation to graphic communication.
• ART 29510: Graphic Design Concepts - explores the relationship of type and image in graphic design, strengthening conceptual and visual skills.
• ART 29520: Illustration - a course on aspects of contemporary illustration in various media.
• ART 39510: Electronic Design I - an overview of design for print media, including page layout and integration of text and image.
• ART 39512: Production - production for digital media distribution channels, developing projects from ideation to delivery.
• ART 39540: Design: World Wide Web - development of HTML documents and images, designing and prototyping a logical hierarchical information structure.
• ART 49510: Electronic Design II - a continuation of Electronic Design I, covering contemporary design styles and issues in information design.
• ENGL 31003: Independent Study: Publishing Internship - a mandatory internship for students who have completed four publishing courses with at least a 3.0 average.

Admission and Enrollment

• Incoming Publishing Certificate only students not enrolled at another CUNY should apply via the CUNY undergraduate admissions application, choosing the Publishing Certificate from the drop-down menu.
• Students enrolled at another CUNY should follow the transfer directions, choosing the Publishing Certificate from the drop-down menu.
• Continuing CCNY students may register for PCP courses via CUNYFirst and add the Publishing Certificate to their academic programs by adding the "plan" in iDeclare.
• Transfer students should follow the directions for transferring to The City College of New York to complete their undergraduate degree and the Publishing Certificate.
• New students can start their application to The City College of New York and the Publishing Certificate Program through the student application hub.

Program Benefits

The CCNY Publishing Certificate Program is the only public college in New York City that offers a professional certificate to undergraduates at no additional cost. For non-degree students, the cost per credit hour is less than half what it is at other stand-alone publishing programs, making it the most affordable program in the city for people with diverse economic backgrounds hoping to gain a foothold in the industry. The program partners with literary agents and publishing houses to give students additional support and mentoring, with approximately 50% of graduates having worked in publishing for at least one year and at least 30% of graduates employed as editors, designers, and publicists in publishing.