Publishing Master of Professional Studies
The publishing industry has shown remarkable resilience in the face of rapid technological and economic change. Publishers, storytellers, and media companies have developed new platforms, audiences, formats, and technologies for how the written—and spoken—word is to be produced, distributed and consumed in the 21st century.
The MPS in Publishing program is designed for both current and aspiring publishing professionals. Students include career changers, post-bachelor and post-graduate students who have earned their degrees in other disciplines, and publishing professionals who seek to expand their skills and knowledge through high-level coursework. The curriculum covers editing and acquisitions, marketing and publicity, copyright and licensing, production, management and business, and technology and design (see also the Graduate Certificate in Publishing and the Graduate Certificate in Publishing Management program).
More than 450 MPS in Publishing alumni work in organizations throughout the U.S. in diverse publishing sectors. Program instructors are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in the publishing industry, whose goal is to prepare you for managerial and leadership positions across all publishing industry segments and specialties.
Program at a Glance
Complete in 2 Years
30-credit-hour, 2-year cohort program offered as a part-time program
Foundational Learning
Core coursework provides a broad foundation of the entire industry, regardless of method of delivery: book, journal, or digital
Multiple Tracks
Tracks focusing on professional roles: business & marketing, editorial, or technology & design
"Completing this program was a huge confidence booster for me. I took classes alongside colleagues at the beginning of their career, like me, as well as those who had worked many years in publishing and were looking to further their professional development. The insight of my classmates, as well as my professors - who were all professionals in their fields - helped me develop an understanding of the publishing profession that wouldn't be gleaned simply from studying a book."
Anna Borgholthaus
Class of 2016
Where Our Alumni Work
Trade Publishing
- HarperCollins
- Melville House Books
- National Geographic
- Penguin Random House
- Recorded Books
- Sourcebooks
- The Atlantic
- W.W. Norton
Associations & Societies
- AAAS
- American Geophysical Union
- American Chemical Society
- American Council on Education
- American Psychological Association
- American Society for Microbiology
- ASQ
Government & NGOs
- Economic Research Service
- Federal Reserve Board
- Library of Congress
- National Academy of Sciences
- U.S. Department of State
- World Bank
Research Institutions
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Cato Institute
- Gartner
- General Dynamics Information Technology
Scholarly Publishers
- Cornell University Press
- Elsevier
- Georgetown University Press
- John Hopkins University Press
- Oxford University Press
- PLOS
- Rowman & Littlefield
- Sage Publishing
- Stanford University Press
- Taylor & Francis
- Wiley
Where You'll Study
You have two options of where to study for the MPS in Publishing. You can either choose to study fully online or at our GW Education Center in Alexandria, VA where classes are offered in the evenings.
What You'll Study
The program integrates traditional print with electronic publishing topics, including editorial acquisitions, production and design, copyright law in print and cyberspace, marketing, distribution, management and business.
To earn your degree you must complete 30 credits, including 13 credits in required courses and 17 credits in elective courses.
- Required Courses
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- PSPB 6201: Book and Journal Publishing (3 credits)
- PSPB 6203: The Business of Publishing (2 credits)
- PSPB 6205: Copyright Law in Print & Cyberspace (3 credits)
- PSPB 6207: Marketing Strategies (2 credits)
- PSPB 6251: Fundamentals of Electronic Publishing (2 credits)
- PSPB 6281: Ethics in Publishing (1 credit)
- Business and Marketing Courses
- Editorial Courses
- Technology, Production and Design Courses
About the Faculty & Advisory Board
Our professional faculty and advisory board members possess diverse backgrounds and expertise, and serve in senior leadership positions throughout the publishing world.
- Publishing Faculty
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Our professional faculty hold leadership positions in a variety of publishing organizations and possess diverse backgrounds and expertise.
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Rebecca S. Benner, M.P.S., Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Al Bertrand, M.A., Princeton University; Director, Georgetown University Press.
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Gregory M. Britton, Editorial Director, Johns Hopkins University Press, and Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Virginia Veiga Bryant, M. Phil., Trinity College Dublin; Marketing and Sales Director, Georgetown University Press; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Jennifer Emmett, Instructor, Children’s Publishing and Media, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Tony Julien, M.A., Publication Design; Creative Director, 720 Strategies, and Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Michael Kalyan, Marketing Audience Segment Manager, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Kevin Mayo, Director, Product Management at Vbrick; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Janis Owens, Adjunct Professor, Book Design Course, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Iris Sanchez, M.F.A., Graphic Design; Creative Director, Carr Properties and Adjunct Professor, M.P.S in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Kimberly M. Schmelzinger, M.M., Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; Founder and Principal, Meanline Publisher Services; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Josephine E. Sciortino, M.A., M.P.S., Managing Editor, Canadian Science Publishing; Lecturer, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Eric S. Slater, Esq., J.D., New York Law School, Master of Journalism, Louisiana State University, B.S. Mass Communications, Virginia Commonwealth University; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Dean Smith, Director, Duke University Press; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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Puja Telikicherla, Licensing and Subsidiary Rights Manager, American Psychiatric Association Publishing; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University; M.A., Media Ecology, New York University
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Randy Townsend, M.P.S., Director, Publishing Operations, American Geophysical Union; Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing; Adjunct Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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John W. Warren, Director and Associate Professor, M.P.S. in Publishing, George Washington University.
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- Advisory Board
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The Advisory Board for the GW Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program hold professional senior leadership positions in trade, academic, and scholarly publishing, providing support and advice to the program, its curriculum, and the development of new initiatives.
Advisory Board Members (2020-2022):
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Dr. Philippa Jane Benson, Principal, PJB Global Consulting; Managing Editor, Managing Editor, CABI Agriculture & Bioscience;
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Walter Biggins, Editor-in-Chief, University of Pennsylvania Press;
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Becky Brassington Clark, Director of Publishing, Library of Congress;
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Geneva Henry, Dean of Libraries and Academic Innovation, The George Washington University;
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Barbara Kline Pope, Director, Johns Hopkins University Press;
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Jed Lyons, President and CEO, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, National Book Network;
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Dennis Johnson, Publisher, Melville House;
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Gita Manaktala, Editorial Director, The MIT Press;
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Niko Pfund, President, Oxford University Press US;
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Chris Reid, Director of Publishing and Product Development, AAAS;
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Liesl Riddle, Dean, College of Professional Studies;
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Elda Rotor, Vice President and Publisher, Penguin Classics, Penguin Random House Group USA;
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Josephine Sciortino, Managing Editor, Canadian Science Publishing; GW Publishing Alumnus, 2019; Adjunct Professor in GW Publishing program;
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Dean Smith, Director, Duke University Press; Adjunct Professor in GW Publishing program;
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Randy Townsend, Director, Publishing Operations, American Geophysical Union; Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing.
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Admissions Information
To be eligible for the program you must have earned an undergraduate degree, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning.
Please note that this program is not eligible for students to apply for an F-1 or J-1 international visa.
Deadlines
Applicants that have complete applications are eligible to request an application fee waiver by 11:59 p.m. on the Priority Deadline.* To request an application fee waiver, contact your program representative before submitting your application. Fee waiver details. Applications received after the Final Deadline will continue to be processed, space permitting.
- Costs & Aid
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Graduate tuition and fees at the George Washington University are comparable to the national average for private universities. These costs, set by the GW Board of Trustees, generally increase from year to year and may vary by program and location.
Please use this information as an estimate based on current tuition rates and fee structures. Total tuition and fees will vary according to the courses taken and the timeframe in which you complete your coursework.
Tuition & Fees
2022-2023 Rates in Effect for Summer 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Terms
Curriculum: 14 courses (typically completed in two years), 30 credits 30 credits @ $1,075/credit hour: $32,250 Registration fees:
6 registration sessions @$35 each$210 TOTAL: Tuition + fees $32,460 Other Costs to Consider: Application fee (one time): $80; Matriculation fee (one time): $200; Books: Approximately $50-$100/course. The costs of travel, meals and accommodations (if applicable) are not included in the tuition or fees.
Graduate tuition and fees at the George Washington University are comparable to the national average for private universities. These costs, set by the GW Board of Trustees, generally increase from year to year and may vary by program and location.
Please use this information as an estimate based on current tuition rates and fee structures. Total tuition and fees will vary according to the courses taken and the timeframe in which you complete your coursework.
Tuition & Fees
2022-2023 Rates in Effect for Summer 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Terms
Curriculum: 14 courses (typically completed in two years), 30 credits |
30 credits @ $1,075/credit hour: $32,250 |
Registration fees: 6 registration sessions @$35 each |
$210 |
TOTAL: Tuition + fees |
$32,460 |
Other Costs to Consider: Application fee (one time): $80; Matriculation fee (one time): $200; Books: Approximately $50-$100/course. The costs of travel, meals and accommodations (if applicable) are not included in the tuition or fees.
"As I worked to finish my program, the degree became not just about career progression, but also a direct path to a competitive advantage and a stepping stone ahead in an industry built on networking and reputation."
Jasmine Wallace
MPS in Publishing graduate, 2015
Peer Review Manager, American Society for Microbiology
Contacts
Cheryl Scott-Mouzon
Assistant Director,
Recruitment & Admissions
571-553-0192
[email protected]
Schedule an Appointment
John W. Warren
Director and Associate Professor
Masters of Professional Studies in Publishing
703-299-6782
[email protected]