Program Overview

Master of Publishing Program

The Master of Publishing program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the publishing industry. The program offers a range of courses and streams, including trade publishing, scholarly communication, and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Admissions to the MPub Program

To be considered for admission to the Master of Publishing program, applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum second-class average (3.0 or greater GPA). Applicants must also demonstrate excellent skills in spoken and written English and a background understanding of the publishing industry.

• Prerequisites:
  • A bachelor's degree with a minimum second-class average (3.0 or greater GPA)
  • Excellent skills in spoken and written English
  • A background understanding of the publishing industry
• Qualifications:
  • Basic accounting skills
  • Familiarity with the basic principles of marketing
  • Basic competence in copy editing and proofreading
  • Ability to use professional publishing software (especially Adobe InDesign; Photoshop & Illustrator an asset)
  • Basic knowledge of web development (HTML & CSS)
  • Enjoy teamwork, collaboration, and the creative process

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit an online application and remit a non-refundable application fee of $90 CDN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $125 CDN (students with international transcripts) by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). The application deadline is February 1st for the program beginning in September.

• Required documents:
  • A statement of aims and objectives
  • Transcripts from all universities/colleges attended
  • An explanatory note on prerequisite knowledge
  • Three references
  • A résumé or CV
  • A portfolio

Master of Publishing Streams

The Master of Publishing program offers three streams: trade publishing, scholarly communication, and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Masters Courses

The program offers a range of courses, including:

• PUB 877: Special Topics in Publishing
• PUB 890: Professional Practices Seminar I
• PUB 891: Professional Practices Seminar II
• PUB 600: Topics in Publishing Management
• PUB 601: Editorial Theory and Practice
• PUB 602: Design & Production Control in Publishing
• PUB 603: Journal Management and Editing
• PUB 604: Technologies and Infrastructure for Academic Publishing
• PUB 605: Book Publishing Simulation
• PUB 606: Media Startup Simulation
• PUB 607: Publishing Technology Project
• PUB 611: Making Knowledge Public: How Research Makes Its Way Into Society
• PUB 631: Graphic Design: The Page and the Screen
• PUB 638: Design Awareness in Publishing Processes and Products
• PUB 648: Publishing and Social Change: Tech, Texts, and Revolution
• PUB 656: Institutional and International Event Planning and Management
• PUB 655: Online Marketing for Publishers
• PUB 800: Publishing and the Problem of Capitalism
• PUB 801: Theories of Publishing
• PUB 802: Technology & Evolving Forms of Publishing
• PUB 899: Publishing Internship
• PUB 900: Self-Directed Publishing Report
• PUB 901: Publishing Research Project
• Capstone Project Guidelines

Faculty and Staff

The program is taught by a team of experienced faculty and staff, including:

• Juan Pablo Alperin
• Leanne Johnson
• Amanda Lastoria
• John Maxwell
• Hannah McGregor
• Suzanne Norman
• Mauve Pagé
• Jo-Anne Ray
• Shamina Senaratne
• Scott Steedman
• John Willinsky
• Rowland Lorimer

Awards and Financial Support

The program offers a range of awards and financial support, including:

• Greg Younging Publishing Award Endowment
• The Rowland Lorimer Graduate Award for Excellence in Applied Research
• Ralph Hancox Memorial Scholarship

Undergraduate Minor

The program also offers an undergraduate minor in publishing, which includes courses such as:

• PUB 101: The Publication of Self in Everyday Life
• PUB 131: Publication Design Technologies
• PUB 201: The Publication of the Professional Self
• PUB 210W: Professional Writing Workshop
• PUB 212: Public Relations and Public Engagement
• PUB 231: Graphic Design Fundamentals
• PUB 331: Graphic Design in Transition: Print and Digital Books
• PUB 332: Graphic Design in Transition: Print and Digital Periodicals
• PUB 350: Marketing for Book Publishers
• PUB 355W: Online Marketing for Publishers
• PUB 371: Structure of the Book Publishing Industry in Canada
• PUB 372: The Book Publishing Process
• PUB 375: Magazine Publishing
• PUB 401: Technology and the Evolving Book
• PUB 410: Indigenous Editing Practices
• PUB 411: Making Knowledge Public: How Research Makes Its Way Into Society
• PUB 431: Publication Design Project
• PUB 438: Design Awareness in Publishing Process and Products
• PUB 448: Publishing and Social Change: Tech, Texts, and Revolution
• PUB 450: The Business of Book Publishing
• PUB 456: Institutional and International Event Planning
• PUB 458: Journalism as a Publishing Problem
• PUB 477: Publishing Practicum
• PUB 478: Publishing Workshop
• PUB 480 D100: Buy the Book: A History of Publication Design (STC)
• PUB 480 OL01: Accessible Publishing (OLC)

Workshops

The program offers a range of workshops, including:

• Publishing Talks, Lectures, and Seminars
• Management and Production Workshops
• Author and Independent Publishing Workshops
• Design, Software, and Production Workshops
• Editing Workshops

Research

The program is involved in a range of research areas, including:

• CISP – Journal Services
• Evolution of Scholarly Communication
• Scholarly Communications Lab
• History of Publishing
• Design Research
• Publishing as Social Change
• Publishing@SFU Researchers

News & Events

The program hosts a range of news and events, including:

• News & Announcements
• Events
• Jobs & Opportunities
• Editorials & Commentary
• Alumni Profiles
• Convocation Spotlight

Residency

The program requires residency in the Vancouver area for the first two terms, but the third and fourth terms can be completed remotely.

Values

The program values care, community, collaboration, innovation, transparency, diversity, accessibility, professionalism, academic rigour, creativity, industry focus, design, linguistic abilities, management abilities, and embracing new technologies.