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. 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]
Annamalai University
In association with Digiscape Gallery, Annamali University offers a 3-year bachelor of science degree program in digital publishing. Program courses cover graphic design, print publishing, electronic publishing, website multimedia, and e-learning. Sponsorship is available to selected students to continue their studies from their in-house university learning center. Students are often recruited by publishers for employment. [Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India]
The Art of Copyediting
Veteran editor Venkataraman Anantharaman offers more than 20 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]
The Author–Editor Clinic
The clinic provides instruction and mentoring for freelance editors seeking to expand their skills. The clinic's focus is on the developmental editing of long manuscripts of fiction and creative nonfiction. It offers online classes in developmental editing and about the business of editing, a mentoring program, and occasional Pacific Northwest–area seminars. [online]
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. [online | examination sites around the world]
Book editor and writing coach Tanya Gold
Tanya Gold teaches interactive online courses for editors who work directly with authors in the young adult (YA) and memoir genres and with independent (indie) authors. Courses include "Developmental Editing: Stepping Back to See the Big Picture," "Editing Memoir," "Editing Poetry," "Let's Talk YA: The Readers, the Market, the Conventions," "Working with Indie Authors," with more to come. If you sign up for her course newsletter, you'll get info about course release dates, and she'll provide sneak previews. You can read more about her 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]
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 biennal conferences. [at chapter and national conferences | self-study programs available]
Communication Central
Training programs offered by freelance writer, editor, and presenter Ruth E. Thaler-Carter for aspiring and current freelance writers, editors, and others in the communications field who seek advice and assistance in launching and enhancing their businesses. Each conference brings in new experts to do presentations. [Rochester, NY]
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, and degree programs in medical editing and writing
This page from the website of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) carries links to information on courses, certificate programs, and degree programs that teach the skills needed by medical editors and medical writers. [online]
Curtin University
Curtin offers a bachelor of arts degree in professional writing and publishing. Students learn to produce and edit feature articles, speeches, reports, discussion papers, history papers, humorous pieces, website content, creative nonfiction, media releases, and many other forms. They learn about copyright, censorship, plagiarism, and the ethics of writing in the public domain. Also, they undertake professional work placement with an industry employer in the final semester of study. [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. A medical writing certificate is among them. [Horsham, PA | 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.
Editorial Arts Academy
The Editorial Arts Academy teaches courses for freelance book editors. Course topics include developmental and line editing, copyediting and proofreading, expanding your business, and getting started as a freelancer. [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, self-marketing, writing, writing book proposals, book mapping, grammar, copyediting, developmental editing, substantive editing, sensitivity reading, editing memoir, medical editing, proofreading, indexing, client relationships, creating a business website, blogging, public-relations work, writing a résumé, basics of copyright and permissions, desktop publishing, PDF markup, pricing strategies, and newsletter production. [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]
"The Fastlane to Becoming a Medical Writer"
A blog post explaining how to get started as a medical writer or medical copyeditor. [online]
Federation University Australia
The university offers both a certificate in professional writing and editing. In the certificate program, students learn about copyright, how to establish a career in the creative arts industry, and to design and produce professional text documents. They enhance their writing skills across fiction and nonfiction, short scripts and narratives, and writing for children. In the diploma program, students learn writing and editing skills for novels, short stories, and popular fiction; industry laws and regulations; designing and developing text documents; advertising; and writing for the alternative publications. [Australia]
George Washington University
The 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 courses in the evenings at George Washington University's convenient Alexandria Graduate Education Center. Students can complete the degree in two years while working. [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 workshops on various topics, including those you request. Current workshops include "Crafting a Successful Academic Book Proposal," "Publishing Your First Book," "Podcasting for Academics," "Book Marketing for Academics," "From Research to Writing," and "Dissertation Writing Routines." [online]
Institute for American Thought
The Institute for American Thought offers a graduate certificate in professional editing. This program provides an interdisciplinary range of core and elective courses designed for graduate students who want to study the techniques and consequences of traditional editing procedures, learn how corrupted texts of the past can be recovered and disseminated for readers today, and explore how these procedures are evolving in reaction to the rapidly changing technical communications environment of the information age. [Indianapolis, IN]
Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts & Sciences
Johns Hopkins University offers both a graduate certificate in science writing and a master of arts degree in science writing. The graduate certificate involves 5 courses; the master's program involves 9 courses. The certificate's courses provide basic skills and an overview of the field. The master's degree, with a required residency and additional coursework, offers deeper, more sophisticated lessons, plus the additional career and job development of the thesis process and thesis course. The degree program also allows students to expand career skills into writing-related fields such as multimedia and communications. [Baltimore, MD]
Langara College
Langara College's publishing diploma program teaches students to use the latest publishing tools and techniques in a collaborative environment that cultivates the professional attitudes and creativity needed to excel in a publishing career. Students develop the comprehensive knowledge of print and digital publishing needed to excel in a publishing career. [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 for science writers and about science writing. [New York | online]
New Jersey Institute of Technology
This master of science degree in professional and technical communications includes digital layout and graphics, information development, usability testing, advanced research methods, and technical editing. [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 that teach students the skills necessary to design, edit, and distribute journals and books that contain intellectually serious work aimed at general readers. In addition, there is the New School Publishing Institute, a week-long intensive in which participants acquire the foundation necessary to break into the world of New York City publishing or launch a venture. Led by a publishing veteran and featuring visits from some of the top CEOs, publishers, agents, and publicists in New York City, the institute offers students and professionals an accelerated and immersive course of study engaging with one of the most popular creative industries in the city. [New York, NY]
New York University
The New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies' Center for Publishing 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 16-month 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 now offered fully online and must be completed within 3 years of declaring candidacy for the certificate. [New York, NY, and online]
Northeastern University–San Francisco Bay Area
The university offers an online master of science degree in technical communication for technical writers and communicators or those looking to break into the field with a passion for technical communications. Courses emphasize enhancing skills in developing and editing technical content and help students understand the editor's role in technical publications through the lens of legal, cultural, and ethical interpretations. [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 hands-on training in every important area of publishing, including marketing strategies, book and magazine production, financial applications, and information systems. The Dyson College also offers a graduate certificate program in publishing and a program that combines a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master of science degree in publishing [New York, NY]
Poynter News University
This organization 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 social media strategies, mobile reporting, accuracy and verification, multimedia storytelling, writing tight, website analytics, shooting with a smartphone, headlines for digital and mobile media, writing for clarity, and trimming content for different spaces. Take a look at the Poynter ACES Certificate in Editing. [St. Petersburg, FL | online]
The Publishing Training Centre at Book House
This organization offers online and classroom-based training programs in publishing. Courses cover such topics as editing, copyright and permissions, picture research, editorial project management, editorial freelancing, book production, journal production, digital publishing, marketing and publicity [London, UK | 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]
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 21 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]
Simon Fraser University Summer Publishing Workshops
The SFU workshops offer a chance to learn from and work with more than 100 of Canada's top editors, writers, marketers, designers, publishers, and new-media moguls. They will challenge and guide students through an intense educational experience. [Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada]
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 editorial, production, marketing, sales, accounting, and Internet and information technology. 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, and journal production and writing. In addition, the Chang School offers a fully online certificate in publishing. [Toronto, Ontario, Canada | online]
University of Alberta Extension
The University of Alberta Extension offers multiple courses in the areas of writing and editing, with topics including grammar, substantive editing, writing for various audiences, technical writing, and social media. [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 noncredit courses related to publishing and editing. Topics include acquisition editing, medical editing, manuscript editing, onscreen editing (sometimes called editing electronically), developmental editing, and grammar. 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, children's books, book packaging, and independent publishing, conducted by leading experts from all areas of publishing. During the final week, the Institute provides career-development sessions to prepare students for finding positions in publishing. [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, with a focus on books and ebooks in the Australian context as affected by a changing international publishing environment. examines different sectors of publishing (industry, in-house, etc), modes of production (books, newspapers, etc) and modes of writing and editing (generating copy, sub-editing, proofreading). It covers questions of drafting, layout, and design; desktop and self-publishing; and legal and ethical issues of professional practice. [Wright Village, Australia]
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]
Yale University
The Yale Publishing Course is an intensive, week-long program of international scope geared to rising leaders in publishing. Participants are challenged to deeply analyze their own work by examples of how best-in-class publishers handle every aspect of their business, from editorial, marketing and business strategies to digital transformation, and they will extend their abilities with new frameworks and skills in leadership, consumer-insight-driven marketing, and techniques for innovation. An open, interactive learning environment nurtures engagement and connection throughout the course. [New Haven, CT]