Education and Certification

Which is more important for editors, formal training or experience? Copyeditor Helen Schinske says both are valuable:

I think training did give me a leg up in a lot of ways. I had done a good deal of desultory proofreading and editing before going in for a formal certificate program, but the class work really consolidated and clarified a lot of ideas I'd been a bit vague on before. I'd never really had proper feedback on what I was doing—either there wasn't time or the customer didn't know any better than I did. In fact, I'd been doing a lot of things right, but it was a great relief to know they were right and to get official credit for what I knew. I also made a bunch of local connections in the business that have been quite important to me.

Probably nine-tenths of the benefit was psychological; if I'd had more chutzpah, I could have done just as well on my own. All the same, I really liked being part of a community of editors, and I liked getting pats on the back from my teachers. I came out of the training much more confident in my own ability to adapt and find my feet in the freelance world.

UK proofreader Louise Harnby believes that both training and experience are necessary.

Finally, it's important to understand the difference between a certificate program and certification. They are not the same thing.

American Medical Writers Association
The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) offers one of the most extensive continuing education programs available to professionals in the medical and allied scientific communication fields. AMWA courses and certificate programs are tailored for the profession, are continually expanded to broaden the options for both novice and experienced medical communicators, and meet the needs of both medical writers and medical editors. The newest program is the AMWA Certificate in Medical Editing, which is designed for beginning to mid-level medical communicators who want to enhance and fine-tune their medical editing skills. It comprises 11 activities that have been reviewed and selected by a special task force of AMWA Education Committee volunteers. AMWA also offers a credentialing certification process for medical writers. Writers who pass the certification exam are entitled to add the MWC designation (meaning "medical writer certified") after their name, and they are required to go through recertification every 5 years. Take a look too at the AMWA Essential Skills Certificate program. [at chapter and national conferences | self-study programs available]
The Art of Copyediting
Veteran editor Venkataraman Anantharaman offers more than 30 courses and webinars on editing, for individuals and for businesses and organizations. Topics include reference lists and citations, technical style, display elements, tables and figures, academic English, Microsoft Word (including Word's styles) and Microsoft Excel, book design, pre-edit analysis, editorial style sheets, grammar and syntax, and medical editing. [Chennai, India | online]
Australasian Medical Writers Association
The association's Professional Development Program offers a wide selection of high-quality workshops in the areas of evaluating clinical papers; health resources on the web; writing and designing web content; proofreading for medical writers; information, knowledge, and evidence in medicine; public relations techniques for medical communicators; technical writing skills; tables, figures, and references; evidence-based medicine: the basics; biotechnology for medical writers; law of defamation for medical writers; writing about medicines; writing for magazines; statistics for medical writers; and social media for medical writers. [at national conferences and other meetings throughout the year]
Board of Editors in the Life Sciences
Editors in the life sciences can obtain certification of their proficiency by taking the rigorous 3-hour examination offered by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS), entitling them to use the "ELS" designation after their name. This certification assures clients that they are dealing with highly skilled editors and that such editors follow a code of ethics. Certification renewal is required every 5 years. [online | examination sites around the world]
Book editor and writing coach Tanya Gold
Tanya Gold teaches interactive online courses for editors about the business and craft of editing. Courses include "Working with Indie Authors," "Editing Memoir," "Developmental Editing Strategies," "Exploring 'Passive' Income," "Coaching Writers," and more. They also provide business coaching for editors. If you sign up for their courses newsletter, you'll get info about course release dates, exclusive discounts, and sneak previews. You can read more about their history as an educator. [online]
Bookjobs.com
If you're still working on your degree, an internship may be the perfect way to experience the inner workings of the publishing industry. Some are paid, many offer college credit, and all provide invaluable knowledge that may help you get your foot in the door when it comes time to look for a full-time job. Bookjobs.com is sponsored by the Association of American Publishers. [online]
Boston University's Editorial Institute
The institute offers a master of arts degree and a doctoral degree in editorial studies. Its Editorial Institute was formed with the conviction that the textually sound, contextually annotated edition is central to the intellectual life of many disciplines. [Boston, MA]
Boston University Online
The university offers a master of science degree in health communication. From significant contributions in disease prevention to groundbreaking campaigns in health awareness, and through efforts to improve physician–patient relations, health communicators are in demand and critical to the facilitation of public awareness and understanding of health-care issues. This online program is designed to shape progressive health communicators, equipping them with the tools needed to effectively shape public and personal health literacy. [online]
Brigham Young University
The university offers a bachelor's degree program in editing and publishing. The major and minor are offered in the traditional format, so there are no online study options yet. [Provo, UT]
Cālamo & Cran
Cālamo & Cran has been offering Spanish-language courses in proofreading, copyediting, and other levels of editing since 1997. Courses are taught by editorial professionals. Topics include professional editing, editing reports, creating e-books, project management, intellectual property, copyright issues, editing graphic novels, translation (English to Spanish, Spanish to English, French to Spanish, legal documents, economics, literary works), video-game localization, graphic design and layout, practical computer and business skills for freelancers, web-content writing, and medical writing. [various locations]
California State University, Chico
The university's certificate in literary editing and publishing provides training in editing, copyediting, selection standards, publishing procedures, graphics, printing technologies, and marketing and distribution of literature. [Chico, CA | online]
Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) offers training courses to help editorial freelancers and in-house staff members improve and develop their skills. CIEP courses cater to the whole range of experience, from beginners to established editors who need to update and extend their existing skills. The course about medical editing is online and self-assessed, and it is open to both CIEP members and nonmembers around the world. [Online]
Council of Science Editors
The Council of Science Editors (CSE) offers the Publication Certificate Program in scholarly publication management. Program participants attend CSE annual conferences, CSE webinars, and CSE short courses (offered during annual meetings) and then conduct and submit a research project for evaluation by the CSE Education Committee. Partipants must be CSE members. [at chapter and national conferences]
Coursera
Coursera, a social entrepreneurship company, partners with top universities to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. The courses are designed to help students master the material through online lectures by world-class professors, learning at their own pace and reinforcing concepts through interactive exercises. Courses cover topics in many areas, including the humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, and computer science. [online]
Courses, certificate programs, tutorials, and webinars about medical editing and writing
This page from the website of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) carries links to information on courses, certificate programs, tutorials, and webinars that teach the skills needed by medical editors and medical writers. [online]
Curtin University
Curtin offers a bachelor's degree in professional writing and publishing and a major that counts toward a master's degree in professional writing and publishing. Students learn to produce and edit materials useful in the news media, corporate communicates, publishing, and local government and public service. They learn about evaluating information resources, to communicate effectively, about the diversity of cultural knowledge and practices, and about editing, proofreading, marketing, and interior book design. Also, they undertake major projects and may have the opportunity for professional work placement with an industry employer. [Bentley, Australia]
Drug Information Association
The Drug Information Association (DIA) offers training courses that serve the needs of both beginners and those seeking to further develop advanced skills in a variety of disciplines. Courses about working with medical publications are among them. [Washington, DC | online]
Editcetera
Editcetera offers workshops and online training on editor–author collaboration, rates and estimates for freelancers, introduction to copyediting, developmental editing, and other topics. Custom training is also available. [Berkeley, California | online]
Editor Training Database
The Editor Training database is a compilation of editor training offerings offered by experienced editors. There are courses in using specific editing software and tools, in running an editing business, in manuscript markup and formatting, in how to find clients, in doing specific types of editing, and more.
Editor’s Essentials
The organization offers a 13-week course for beginners: Essentials of Language Editing. The course focuses on grammar, punctuation, style, and using Microsoft Word in academic publishing, and it provides students with opportunities to practice editing. In addition, the organization offers several shorter courses: English Spelling & Its Variants (focuses on the differences between American English and British English), Subject–Verb Agreement (focuses on the nuances that govern subject–verb agreement), Article Usage (focuses on articles in English), and Pronoun Agreement (focuses on agreement between a pronoun and its antecedent). [Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | online]
Editorial Arts Academy
The Editorial Arts Academy teaches courses for freelance book editors. Course topics include developmental and line editing, copyediting and proofreading, and marketing your editing business. [Montpelier, Vermont | online]
Editorial Freelancers Association
The EFA hosts one-day workshops, webinars, and classroom and online courses designed especially for editorial freelancers. Past courses have covered such topics as getting started as a freelancer, compiling an editing portfolio, coaching writers, being a beta reader, writing book proposals, grammar, copyediting, developmental editing, substantive editing, line editing, providing editorial feedback, using macros, sensitivity reading, editing memoir, editing children's picture books, editing romance, medical editing, medical-legal editing, proofreading, indexing, client relationships, creating a business website, blogging, marketing your editorial business, writing a résumé, basics of copyright and permissions, desktop publishing, PDF markup, pricing strategies, and editing for diversity, equity, and inclusion. [online]
Editorial Inspirations
Editorial Inspirations hosts classes in editing, grammar, indexing, using macros, and marketing for editorial freelancers. They are hands-on, interactive courses providing detailed discussions. [in person and online]
Editors Canada
The Editors Canada certification program is based on four rigorous examinations covering four core areas of skills and knowledge set out in its four-volume publication Meeting Professional Editorial Standards. The examinations are designed for editors with at least 5 years of full-time experience. An editor who passes all four examinations is accredited as a certified professional editor. EAC membership is not required of those who wish to take the examinations. For independent study, the EAC offers four certification test preparation guides. [testing at various sites across Canada]
Emerson College
Emerson's master of arts degree in publishing and writing provides an overview of the publishing industry, from acquisition to writing and editing, design, production, promotion, and distribution. Participants may also take courses in literature, writing workshops, and teach college composition, or they may intern at a literary agency, magazine publisher, or book publisher. [Boston, MA]
George Washington University
The university's master of professional studies (MPS) degree in publishing gives students a solid background in all areas of publishing. 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. Designed for current and aspiring professionals, including post-bachelor and post-graduate students who have earned their degrees in other disciplines but desire careers in publishing, the program offers participants two choices: learn fully online or take evening courses in person at the university's Graduate Education Center. Students can complete the degree in two years while working at a job. [Alexandria, VA]
Grammar Lion
Grammar Lion offers an online grammar refresher course taught by Ellen Feld, who has taught college courses online and in the traditional classroom. She has experience as a newspaper reporter and copy chief, personal essayist, website reviewer, and writing coach. Students complete the course at their own pace, taking a total of 4 to 12 weeks. The course covers parts of speech; contractions and possessives; subjects and predicates; sentence fragments and run-ons; shifts in person, tense, and structure; capitalization and punctuation; and much more. The instructor answers individual questions by email and within an online discussion board. [online]
Humber College
Humber's Creative Book Publishing graduate certificate program combines creativity and entrepreneurship with the only opportunities in Canada to specialize in literary agenting and rights management and publishing technology. Program courses are taught by working professionals and visited by industry experts and published authors, which allows students to make valuable contacts. After studying foundational publishing courses, including business models, acquisitions, contracts, copyright, technology, creativity, operations and content management, students choose three of four specializations: editorial, marketing, literary agenting and rights management, and advanced technology. In the final weeks, students are organized into model publishing companies from the ground up, including such aspects as business plans, publishing lists, book jackets and covers, websites, and marketing campaigns. This intense capstone assignment provides an unprecedented knowledge base that prepares graduates for a successful career in publishing. [Toronto, Ontario, Canada]
Ideas on Fire
Ideas on Fire offers virtual and in-person workshops on various topics, including those you request. Current workshops include "Writing a Successful Book Proposal," "Finding the Right Publisher for Your Interdisciplinary Book," "Book Marketing for Academics," "Book Marketing for Academics," "Starting an Academic Podcast," and "Writing and Publishing an Interdisciplinary Book." The agency's transnational team of developmental editors, copyeditors, indexers, researchers, and teachers work at the cutting edge of knowledge production, fostering the ideas and texts that build racial, gender, sexual, disability, and environmental justice. [online]
Institute for American Thought
The Institute for American Thought, a research center within Indiana University–Purdue University, offers a graduate certificate in professional editing. The program covers the fundamental theories and methods involved in the practice of scholarly editing and other more general applications of professional editing. The program is taught in a laboratory-style environment and includes related technological applications found at the center of commercial and scholarly publishing today. [Indianapolis, IN]
Institute of Professional Editors Limited
The Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) is the professional association for Australian and New Zealand editors. It exists to advance the profession of editing and to support and promote Australian and New Zealand editors. The IPEd offers an accrediation examination about every 2 years. Its primary purpose is for editors to gain accreditation. However, past candidates have reported that preparing for the exam is beneficial in itself, as it improves their editorial skills and knowledge. The IPEd also offers opportunities for continuing professional development through courses and through its biennial conferences. [at chapter and national conferences | self-study programs available]
Jadavpur University
The university offers a postgraduate certificate course in editing and publishing. [Kolkata, India]
Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts & Sciences
Johns Hopkins University offers a master of arts degree in science writing. The program involves 9 courses. A required on-site residency and additional coursework offer deeper, more sophisticated lessons. Students hone reporting techniques such as interviewing scientists and identifying credible sources, and they receive extensive feedback on their writing. [Baltimore, MD]
Langara College
Langara College's Publishing Explorations course teaches the basics of publishing in various formats and media. Through hands-on projects, students work with existing content and create new content, learn about publication planning and various forms of publishing media, and are introduced to common software used to create publications. The college also offers the Modern Digital Publishing microcourse, in which students learn both the creative and technical aspects of digital publishing. They begin by exploring what a digital publication is and then develop the knowledge and skills to make one of their own using type, photos, video, and sound. Students create a multimedia digital publication for their final project. [Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada]
Macquarie University
The university offers a graduate certificate in editing and electronic publishing. It's designed for practicing editors who are looking to consolidate and expand their skill set into new areas of publishing, or for students entering the award with more limited editing experience wanting to gain a qualification that will aid their employment prospects in the industry. It provides the academic tools to make informed decisions about preparing a text for publication, using linguistic knowledge including grammar, cohesion and regional variation. [North Ryde, Australia]
Mediabistro.com
Mediabistro.com offers online courses for editors, writers, television producers, graphic designers, book publishers, people in production, and circulation departments—in industries including magazines, television, radio, newspapers, book publishing, online media, advertising, public relations, and graphic design. [New York, NY | online]
Michigan State University College of Law
The College of Law offers the Intellectual Property, Information & Communications Law program to provide students with a solid foundation in cutting-edge legal issues through innovative and interdisciplinary curriculum while promoting a global understanding of the fastest growing legal specialty. [East Lansing, MI]
National Association of Science Writers
The association offers a number of workshops and conferences throughout the year, as well as web space for individual pages for freelance science writers and articles in Science Writers Magazine about science writing. [New York | online]
New Jersey Institute of Technology
This polytechnic university offers a master of science degree in professional and technical communications. Students learns about information development, visual design, information design, technical editing, text encoding, proposal writing, social media, health communications, and more. [Newark, NJ | online]
"New Medical Writers Toolkit"
An in-depth article explaining how to get started as a medical writer; quite useful also for those who want to get started as medical editors. [online]
The New School
The New School offers a master of arts degree in creative publishing and critical journalism. It trains students in the traditions of criticism, theory, and critical writing. It offers a variety of studio courses and working experiences. Students learn about the many forms of contemporary print and online publishing in New York City, including books, magazines, journals, alternative media, print-on-demand, and small-batch publications. In addition, they learn about the process of designing, editing, and distributing journals and books containing intellectually serious work across print and online platforms. [New York, NY]
New York University
The New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies' Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts offers a wide variety of classes in the publishing field, including a master of science degree in publishing (digital and print media). With a goal of exposing students to "real-world, real-workplace" scenarios, the curriculum focuses on the creative and content development components of the industry, including editing for print and for a wide range of the content-rich digital sites and video, as well as key business functions such as marketing and publicity, sales, and business development. In addition, the university's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute offers the Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program. Aspiring reporters, authors, editors, producers, videographers, podcasters, coders, and social media managers (and various permutations thereof) who complete the intensive program receive a master of arts degree in journalism with a concentration in science, health, and environmental reporting. A key focus is reporting, writing, and editing features and news for magazines and online sites, but students also dive into all forms of modern journalism. They also learn entrepreneurial skills, such as marketing their own editing and writing services, and are taught data mining and analysis. Finally, there is the Certificate in Professional Copyediting, Proofreading, and Fact-Checking. It is offered fully online and must be completed within 3 years of declaring candidacy for the certificate. [New York, NY, and online]
Northeastern University
The university offers a master of science degree in media innovation and data communication. The program focuses on the current revolution in data storytelling and computational methods in media work; the rapid evolution in video, animation, and augmented/virtual reality technologies; and social networks and digital analytics. Graduates are trained to become leaders in media firms and outlets engaged with cutting-edge technologies and innovative digital startups, as well as a broad range of media and communications organizations across the rapidly evolving digital economy. [online]
Oxford University Press India
The press offers a publishing internship. It runs 8 weeks, from April through June. Candidates should have a master's degree. Participants develop and edit subject-specific content, liaise with freelancers and external vendors for content and book layout, proofread, check for factual accuracy, create solutions to exercises, work on creating and checking lesson plans, create photo logs and illustration briefs, and perform additional tasks. [Noida, Kolkata, and Chennai, India]
Pace University
The Pace University graduate publishing program, which grants a master of science degree, is offered through the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and is designed for publishing professionals who would like to extend their knowledge of the field. The program provides comprehensive training in every important area of publishing, including book and magazine production and design, financial aspects of publishing, information systems, technology, digital issues, e-books, web development, rewriting and line editing, marketing, book sales and distribution, publishing ethics, and legal aspects. The Dyson College also offers a graduate certificate program in publishing and an accelerated program that results in a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master of science degree in publishing [New York, NY]
Poynter Institute
The institute offers online journalism and media training programs, as self-directed courses, group seminars, and webinars, for journalists, bloggers, freelance writers, and journalism students. Courses cover such topics as editing, tools for editing, editorial integrity, grammar, legal issues in journalism, social media strategies, mobile reporting, accuracy and verification, multimedia storytelling, writing tight, website analytics, headlines for digital and mobile media, writing for clarity, and trimming content for different spaces. Take a look at the Poynter certificates in editing. [St. Petersburg, FL | online]
The Publishing Training Centre
This organization offers online training programs in publishing. Courses cover such topics as editing, copyright and permissions, picture research, editorial project management, editorial freelancing, project management, book production, journal production, digital publishing, marketing, and publicity. [London, England | online]
Queen's University
Queen's University offers the online course Editing in Academic & Professional Contexts The course introduces the levels of editing—substantive, stylistic, and copyediting—and how to apply these skills to academic and professional documents such as reports, essays, articles, and newsletters. In addition, the university offers the online Professional Editing Standards Certificate program. The certificate program's 5 courses are taught by editors at the top of their field. The program is designed for intermediate and advanced editors of English from all geographical locations. It is based on the Editors Canada Professional Editorial Standards and can be used as preparation for the Editors Canada certification exams. [online]
RMIT University
The university offers an associate degree in professional editing and writing. During the program, students work alongside fellow students passionate about reading and writing. They also learn from teachers and mentors who are leading practitioners in their fields. It also offers a master's degree in writing and publishing and a graduate diploma program in editing and publishing. [Melbourne, Australia]
The Seagull School of Publishing
The Seagull School of Publishing offers a certficate course in editing and book design. Participants complete assignments, receive hands-on training, converse with publishing professionals from India and elsewhere in the world, and go on field trips. The course is supported by the Seagull Foundation for the Arts. [Calcutta, India | online]
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University offers both an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in publishing. The undergraduate degree provides the foundation for students to take jobs in publishing or allied cultural industries, to pursue advanced professional education, or to pursue further publishing and cultural industries inquiry. The Master of Publishing (MPub) program is the only program in Canada to offer a postgraduate degree in publishing. In the full-time 16-month program a cohort of MPub candidates learn practical skills from faculty and guest industry professionals, within a rigorous academic environment. Students build a portfolio of work of a professional caliber in publication design, marketing, technology, cultural policy, management, and editorial. [Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada]
Simon Fraser University Editing Certificate
SFU's part-time, online editing certificate program will take students' skills to the next level and prepare them to join the world of publishing and freelance editing. Those who are not ready to apply to the certificate program can take editing courses and workshops one at a time. [online]
Society for Technical Communication
The Society for Technical Communication (STC) offers webinars, seminars, and online courses on many aspects of technical communication (both writing and editing), including use of social media, building your business as a self-employed technical communicator, working with metadata, service-oriented management, using infographics, interviewing subject-matter experts, doing contract work, information organization, working with information metrics, XML standards, virtual security, and technical English. The organization also offers three levels of professional certification. [at chapter and national conferences]
Swinburne University of Technology
The university offers several courses, degree programs, and certificate programs in professional writing and editing. [Victoria, Australia]
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences offers a master of science degree program in science and technology journalism to prepare students for careers as reporters, writers, and editors specializing in the coverage of science, technology, and medicine. Each student's choice of courses is geared to his or her interests and goals. Students choose between an internship track and a thesis track. [College Station, TX]
Thieme
Thieme, an STM (scientific, technical, medical) publisher for more than 100 years with offices in New York, Stuttgart, and Singapore, offers internships (year-round, full time or part time, from 10 weeks to 6 months, with a stipend to cover transportation expenses and lunch, flexible office hours, and possibly academic credit) with hands-on publishing experience in the areas of journals, marketing, e-product development, and sales. An interview is required for acceptance into the program. [New York, NY]
Toronto Metropolitan University
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University offers an extensive array of online and distance learning programs. Among these are the business of book publishing, copyediting, substantive editing, stylistic editing, scholarly and reference publishing, literary rights management, magazine production and editing, publicity and journal production and writing. In addition, the Chang School offers a fully online certificate in publishing. [Toronto, Ontario, Canada | online]
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta offers multiple courses in the areas of writing, publishing, and editing. [Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | online]
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta's Centre for Studies in Book Publishing offers a 1-year postgraduate diploma in book publishing studies. In addition to the academic program, faculty members provide consulting in business development. There are also short-term courses available in editorial techniques, copyright, rights management, book production and design, warehousing and inventory, book promotion and publicity, book distribution, sales and marketing, electronic publishing, and translation techniques. [Calcutta, India | online]
University of California Berkeley Extension
The Berkeley Extension offers a four-course certificate in editing for those who want to begin a rewarding editing career, rise to a management position in publishing, or apply editing expertise in a related profession. There are also certificates available in writing and technical communication. [Berkeley, CA | online]
UC San Diego Extension offers a copyediting certificate program that provides a solid grounding in the tools and techniques of copyediting and introduces several advanced topics required for a successful career. Topics covered include copyediting and grammar. Besides the required courses, there are recommended courses on editing as a business, marketing editing services, digital skills for editors, and social media for editors. The program is designed to be completed online in 9 to 12 months. UC San Diego Extension also offers a certificate program in medical writing to equip scientists and others with a strong biomedical and/or life sciences background to write for scientific audiences in peer-reviewed journals, regulatory documents, medical education materials, and research grant proposals. [San Diego, CA | online]
University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies
The Graham School offers certificate programs providing professional credentials in editing and in medical writing and editing. It also offers courses related to publishing and editing. Topics include acquisition editing, manuscript editing, developmental editing, substantive editing, acquisitions editing, medical editing, publication ethics, and freelancing in medical writing and editing. The University of Chicago is the home of the renowned Chicago Manual of Style, produced by the University of Chicago Press. [Chicago, IL]
University of Denver Publishing Institute
The Publishing Institute is an intensive, full-time, four-week, graduate-level course that devotes itself to all aspects of book publishing. It offers workshops and teaching sessions on editing, marketing, acquisitions, university presses, scholarly publishing, children's books, book packaging, and independent publishing, conducted by leading experts from all areas of publishing. The institute provides career-development sessions to prepare students for finding positions in publishing and for ongoing career support. [Denver, CO]
University of Houston–Downtown
The university offers a master of science degree in technical communication. The program is designed for medical writers and editors, science writers and editors, grant writers, technical editors, communication managers, public relations specialists, and instructional design professionals. [Houston, TX]
University of Melbourne
The university offers a master's degree in creative writing, publishing, and editing. The program has a practical focus aimed at building knowledge and skill sets across a broad spectrum of writing, publishing, and editing, including digital writing and publishing, fiction and nonfiction writing, print production, advanced editing for books and magazines, and writing for young adults. It is designed for those who work in the creative writing, editing, and publishing industry or have recently completed an undergraduate degree.[Melbourne, Australia]
University of New England
The university offers a course called Publishing Practice. It offers an overview of publishing in print and online media and examines different sectors of publishing, modes of production (books, newspapers, etc.) and modes of writing and editing (generating copy, subediting, proofreading). It covers desktop and self-publishing and legal and ethical issues of professional practice. [Armidale, Australia | online]
University of New Hampshire Online
Several industry-related courses are offered online, including some on editing and some on publishing. [online]
University of the Sciences
The university offers a master of science degree in bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes. The program focuses on the life sciences, which is helpful to medical writers and medical editors. Students also learn multiple computer programming languages. [Philadelphia, PA]
University of South Australia
The university offers an undergraduate course called Advanced Editing and Publishing. Students consolidate their skills in the close editing of a wide range of texts, preparing manuscripts for publication, and current issues in copyright. They apply these skills by working with an industry partner on a practical editing project and networking with professional organizations such as the Society of Editors, the Australian Society for Technical Communication, the Macquarie Style Council, and Writers SA. [Adelaide, South Australia]
University of Southern Queensland
The university offers master of arts degree in editing and publishing. Students extend their qualifications and experience within the publishing industry, with a focus on ethical, management, and legal elements of professional editing and publishing to supplement your research project. A research project provides the opportunity to produce a large-scale editing and publishing project to further enhance students' portfolios. There is also a graduate certificate program in editing and publishing, a graduate diploma of editing and publishing, a master's degree in editing and publishing, a master's degree in research, and a doctor of philosophy degree in research. [Toowoomba, Australia]
University of Technology, Sydney
The university offers a graduate certificate in editing and publishing, available only to students who live in Australia. Students will develop and critically revise their own and others' work and will understand the place of writing in contemporary cultural formation. They will gain general skills in creative writing in fiction or nonfiction and a critical knowledge of cultural and aesthetic debates. Students will also develop specific industry-based skills in book editing and publishing. [Sydney, Australia]
University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education certificate programs
The University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education Certificate in Editing offers students a chance to advance their understanding of the editorial process and apply their knowledge to editing a wide variety of print and online publications. They explore the relationship between editors and writers, as well as the art of proposing editorial changes. They enhance their own writing skills while learning to collaborate in developing the best copy for the target audience and target type of publication. University of Washington Professional & Continuing Education also offers the Certificate in Professional Technical Writing, which teaches practical applications and fundamental concepts in technical communication. Students study information design, software user assistance, editing practices, layout and production, and software applications. [Seattle, WA]
Whitireia Publishing
This organization offers a graduate diploma in publishing (applied). The year-long program teaches the whole publishing process, from manuscript to bookstore. Developed and run in partnership with publishers, the course is modeled on an apprenticeship. At its heart are practical experience, mentoring, and industry contacts. [Wellington, New Zealand | online]