Postgraduate Course
Publishing and Contemporary Literature MA
Build essential skills and knowledge needed in the publishing industry, while also studying the latest literary texts, issues and cultures.
Learn about the many different roles, processes and aspects of the publishing industry. Extend your knowledge and understanding of contemporary literature. Deepen your skills by meeting with industry professionals. Get involved with literary festivals to further develop your skills and to engage with an external literary partner.
York campus
- Duration – 1 year full time, 2 years part time
- Start date – September 2025, September 2026
- School – School of Humanities
Minimum entry requirements
2:2 honours degree in a related subject
Interview If your degree is in an unrelated subject
Tuition fees
UK 2025-26 £8,600 full time
International 2025-26 £11,800 full time
Course overview
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.
Course structure
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
Credits: 30
Compulsory module
On this module you will explore the different models of practice in publishing, from conception to distribution, examining key roles involved in the publication of a book, used by both large corporations and small presses. Using case studies, you will examine the variety of professional roles involved in publishing, broadening your understanding of the industry and the processes within it.
Credits: 15
Compulsory module
On this module we will introduce you to the study of the contemporary and to postgraduate level work. You will explore a small number of recent literary texts, which will be chosen on the basis that they invite discussion about existing socially, politically and culturally pressing matters, and allow you to develop your thinking, writing and discussion abilities. Topics may include:
- Climate change and ecocriticism
- Contemporary social justice movements
- Literature and (post) truth
- Literature and economic inequality
Credits: 15
Compulsory module
On this module you will discuss current genre theory and the critical issues surrounding it, while discovering major contemporary genres. This is a 5 week module on which you will examine recently published texts and analyse genre in the early 21st century. You will have the opportunity to discuss a range of issues that may include:
- Contemporary genre theory
- Genre as a publishing and bookselling tool
- New sub genres emerging in poetry, prose and drama
- The relationship between innovative form and genre
Credits: 30
Optional module
Throughout this module you will learn about the challenges faced by publishers in today's industry. The topics we cover include:
- The economic issues surrounding commissioning
- The relationship between publishers and agents
- Intellectual property, sale of rights and copyright
- The challenges faced by smaller publishers, such as funding
Credits: 15
Compulsory module
On this module you will examine and question speculative fiction within a contemporary context. Speculative fictions include fantasy, utopias, dystopias, and (post)apocalypses, as well as works that blend and disrupt traditional genre boundaries. You will explore how reconfigurations of bodies, subjectivity and spatiality are represented in, and constructed by, the selected texts, through a range of perspectives and contexts including:
- Postcolonial and decolonial theory
- Gender and queer theory
- Afrofuturism and afropessimism
- Futurology and posthumanism
Credits: 15
Compulsory module
Towards the end of your studies, you will reflect both on contemporary literature and on your learning journey. You will have the opportunity to debate contemporary issues with your peers and colleagues, actively combining the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout the course. Topics examined on the module may include:
- Affect and post critical reading
- The relationship between contemporary literature and the Academy
- Trauma, contemporaneity and futurity
- Nostalgia and popular culture
Credits: 30
Compulsory module
On this module, you will undertake a self determined project, supported by a supervisor. This project could take the form of:
- A negotiated work placement or internship with a publisher
- A collaborative project with a writer, group of writers or an organisation to produce a publication
- A research project on an aspect of the publishing industry
The project is introduced early in the course, giving you plenty of time to prepare and negotiate content with your supervisor.
Credits: 60
Compulsory module
On this module you will undertake an piece of independent research in a postgraduate-level topic that has been negotiated with your supervisor. This is your opportunity to demonstrate the research and writing skills that you have gained while on the course. Your will be able to tailor your project to your particular area of interest, based on the specifics of your course.
Teaching and assessment
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.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
Minimum entry requirements
2:2 honours degree in a related subject
Interview If your degree is in an unrelated subject
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.
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.
Fees and funding
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.
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.
Tuition fees
UK 2025-26 £8,600 full time
International 2025-26 £11,800 full time
Alumni Scholarships
If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.
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.
Career outcomes
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
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 £6,500 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2022).
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.