- Master of Publishing
- Admissions to the MPub Program
- Masters Courses
- PUB 600: Topics in Publishing Management
- PUB 601: Editorial Theory and Practice
- PUB 602: Design & Production Control in Publishing
- PUB 605 Fall Project: Books Publishing Project
- PUB 606 Spring Project: Magazine/Media Project
- PUB 607: Publishing Technology Project
- PUB 611: Making Knowledge Public: How Research Makes Its Way Into Society
- PUB 800: Text & Context: Publishing in Contemporary Culture
- PUB 801: History of Publishing
- PUB 802: Technology & Evolving Forms of Publishing
- PUB 900: Internship Project Report
- PUB 899: Publishing Internship
- Faculty and Staff
- Awards and Financial Support
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Undergraduate Minor
- Undergraduate Courses
- 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 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)
- Undergraduate Courses
- Workshops
- General Information and Cancellation Policy
- Travel and Accommodation
- Financial Assistance
- Publishing Workshops
- Contact SFU Publishing Workshops
- Research
- News & Events
- Contact
Admissions to the MPub Program
Join our MPub cohort…
Application Deadline: February 1st
How to Apply
The application deadline is February 1 for the program beginning in September.
SFU application form and instructions are available online: https://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/future.html.
All 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).
As well as completing the online application form, applicants must upload to the online system the following items:
- A statement of aims and objectives, explaining how you imagine your future and how this particular program will help you get there, both personally and professionally (with no mention of how much you love books) (2–3 pages)
- Transcripts from all universities/colleges attended. Unofficial transcripts must be received by the application deadline. Official transcripts can arrive after the application deadline.
- An explanatory note on your prerequisite knowledge. See list of qualifications below.
- Three references. Applicants will be required to provide referee letters, with names and contact information, as part of the online application process. It is recommended that at least one referee be an academic.
- Your résumé or CV.
- Portfolio. Upload to the online application examples of your work in a portfolio that is concise and demonstrates the skills and passions you can bring to the program.
Your application package should clearly demonstrate how you meet the program requirements.
Your statement of aims and objectives should describe both how the program will serve your career and how your profile aligns with the program’s values.
Please see Making Your MPub Application Stand Out for tips from previous MPub students.
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites
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
demonstrate a background understanding of the publishing industry
Applicants for whom English is a second language must submit results for a TOEFL (minimum score 570 or computer based 230) and a TWE (minimum score 5). Alternatively, an International English Language Testing System, IELTS, result (minimum band score 7) may be submitted in place of the TOEFL and TWE.
Qualifications
Applicants to the Master of Publishing program must have a basic background in the areas listed below. They must demonstrate their proficiency in at least one of these areas in their application package and commit to completing modules in all other areas by September through the training materials listed in the resources section below.
Applicants must:
show evidence of basic accounting skills,
be familiar with the basic principles of marketing,
demonstrate basic competence in copy editing and proofreading,
be able to use professional publishing software (especially Adobe InDesign; Photoshop & Illustrator an asset) and have a basic knowledge of web development (HTML & CSS), and
enjoy teamwork, collaboration and the creative process.
RESOURCES
Candidates can acquire the necessary background for entry into the MPub program by completing the following courses at SFU, or their equivalents at other institutions:
PUB 372-4 The Publishing Process
PUB 375 Magazine Media Publishing
PUB 450 The Business of Book Publishing
ACCOUNTING
Students without basic accounting experience are encouraged to take courses through programs such BUS 251-3 Financial Accounting or Basic Accounting (or equivalent) through LinkedIn learning.
MARKETING
Students without basic marketing experience can take courses through programs such as BUS 343-3 Introduction to Marketing or Digital Marketing Foundations (or equivalent) through LinkedIn Learning.
COPY EDITING AND PROOFREADING
The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition), available in print or online at https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html.
Students without copy editing and proofreading experience are encouraged to enroll in short courses on these topics such as those offered at SFU through Continuing Studies.
COMPUTER SKILLS (Publishing software and web development)
Applicants must be able to use professional publishing software (especially Adobe InDesign, although Photoshop and Illustrator are an asset) and have a basic knowledge of web development (HTML & CSS).
Students should investigate course offerings on InDesign Essential Training (or equivalent) through LinkedIn Learning and HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals (or equivalent) through W3C/edX or LinkedIn Learning.
OUR VALUES
- Care
- Community
- Collaboration (teamwork; interdisciplinary and practice-based)
- Innovation (creativity; agility)
- Transparency (publicness; openness)
- Diversity
- Accessibility
- Professionalism
- Academic rigour
- Creativity
- Industry focus
- Design everything
- Linguistic abilities
- Management abilities
- Embracing new technologies
Residency
All courses during Terms one (September – December) and two (January – April) are held at SFU Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. The Term three internship (May – August) and Term four project report writing, supervision and evaluation (September – December) may be completed either in Vancouver or elsewhere. Residency in the Vancouver area is not a requirement for Terms three and four.
Letters of notification will be sent to all applicants as soon as possible after the admissions procedure is completed. PLEASE NOTE: All acceptances are for the time period specified in the letter of acceptance.
Awards and Financial Support are available for accepted students.
See our Frequently Asked Questions
Contact
To request more information on the Master of Publishing program, please contact:
Jo-Anne Ray, Program Advisor
Phone: (778) 782-5242
Fax: (778) 782-5239
Email: pub-info@sfu.ca
Address:
Program Advisor
Master of Publishing Program
Simon Fraser University Vancouver
515 West Hastings Street, Room 3576
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6B 5K3
Student Services
For general information on graduate regulations, fees, scholarships, awards, and bursaries, or to request a Simon Fraser University Calendar, please visit SFU Student Services.