Publishing and English Literature MA

The focus of the publishing side of the MA is on contemporary publishing, with a particular focus on independent publishing, small presses and emergent themes in writing. You will engage with a diverse and inclusive range of creative and critical texts in a variety of forms, enhancing your knowledge of the current publishing landscape. You will develop creative skills surrounding the reading, generation, selection, development and publication of new texts.

Meanwhile the literature side of the course will focus on theoretical, political, social and cultural currents in contemporary literature, broadly defined as the literature of the twenty first century. Our diverse and inclusive syllabus champions the voices of writers who have been culturally marginalised. You will be supported and encouraged to develop as a literary critic who challenges and questions texts and the wider literary context.

York is a fantastic place to be if you love books and reading. There is a rich literary history in the city, and each year, the city celebrates its literary heritage with the York Literature Festival, for which our department organises many events. We are also instrumental in the annual York Big City Read with our partner institution, York Explore.

You will be encouraged to take a professional approach to your study and attend the variety of events provided by the York Centre for Writing, which include visits from agents, publishers, editors and writers and fosters an important sense of belonging and community. You will also have opportunities to take part in field trips.

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time. This allows you to fit your studies around other commitments.

If you choose to study full time the course will take 1 year to complete. You will study:

• 5 compulsory modules

If you choose to study part time the course will take 2 years to complete and the modules will be split across both years.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

Your study will be divided equally between the Publishing and Contemporary Literature elements of the course.

You will be encouraged to take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of literature. This means that you could study a range of texts, such as a film or media adaptation of a text, or considering a specific performance of a play in comparison to the  original source material. 

Your learning will be collaborative and taught through peer workshops. Class sizes are kept to small, intimate groups to enable collaborative practice so that you can share and workshop ideas effectively. Your workshops will also include students studying on the Publishing and Creative Writing MA and Publishing MA courses.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

In your third term you will undertake a project module which can take the form of collaboration with a writer, a critical publishing project, or a work placement. This project is introduced early in the course to give you plenty of time to prepare and negotiate it with your supervising tutor. 
Your Dissertation is the analytical and critical culmination of your MA. This is the time when you will completely take charge of your own learning, while being supported throughout the dissertation by a series of specialist writing workshops.

Qualifications

We are open to considering previous degrees in the Humanities, Arts, Sciences and Social Sciences or other related subjects.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you do not have traditional qualifications, you might be able to provide evidence of professional experience in the subject as an alternative way to meet the entry requirements. This is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Appropriate references and records of employment would need to be presented to support your case for admission. 

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to this postgraduate course is:

• £8,600 for full time study
• £4,300 per year for part time study

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2025 - 2026 entry

The tuition fee for 2025 entry to this postgraduate course is:

• £11,800 for 1 year of full time study

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Publishing and Contemporary Literature take you?

This MA will prepare you for a career in the varied and exciting world of publishing. You will also leave with transferable skills in:

• Project management
• Copywriting
• Editing
• Marketing, PR and communications
• Collaboration

Alumni stories

Visit our YSJ Snapshots blog to see what our past students from across the University have done with their York St John degrees.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £5,000 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2023).

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.