MA (Literature and Publishing)

College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies, School of English and Creative Arts

Course Code: 1MLP1

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Course Overview
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Course Outline
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Course Overview

Please note that the applications for this course will be closed on 18th March 2025

Founded in 1995, this long-established and perennially popular MA remains Ireland’s only postgraduate programme dedicated to literature and publishing. It is a distinctive offering that explores the interfaces between writing and the marketplace, between literature and transmission, and between the aesthetic and material aspects of texts. Over the course of this year-long programme, students deepen their existing knowledge of literature while also developing new competencies in areas such as marketing, the practical elements of editorial and production work, and the business aspects of contemporary publishing.

This MA not only strengthens academic skills in literary analysis and research, it also places a strong emphasis on preparation for the professional world. Students participate in workshops dedicated to topics like finding internships, writing cvs and cover letters, developing interview skills, and maintaining a personal digital brand; they may also be offered Adobe InDesign training. In addition, it is possible to gain valuable, hands-on publishing experience by becoming involved with ROPES, a literary journal developed, edited, marketed, and produced by this programme’s students on an annual basis. This extracurricular project provides students with practical, cv-enhancing experience in areas including editing and copyediting, decision-making, project management, design, production, marketing, sales, promotion, and teamwork.

Students in this programme benefit from contact with numerous guest speakers from publishing and related industries who share their experiences and perspectives. Visiting speakers in recent years have included individuals from Tramp Press, O’Brien Press, The Educational Company of Ireland, Coracle Press, Skein Press, Gill Books, and Cúirt International Festival of Literature, along with many other companies and organisations. The programme also facilitates visits to libraries, cultural institutions, publishing houses, printers, or other relevant businesses. Some students volunteer with book fairs and literary festivals, and some become interns with Irish publishers.

The MA in Literature and Publishing not only seeks to prepare students for the varied demands of the professional world, but it also cultivates core academic skills in oral and written communication, textual analysis, critical thinking, and research. Students are encouraged to take an active approach to shaping their course so that it complements their prior academic credentials and work experience and reflects their individual interests.

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online here. Applications will not be considered until they are deemed complete. Applicants to this programme will be asked to supply the following supporting materials:

A personal statement of approximately 600 words.
A 1–2 page cv listing academic and professional qualifications and achievements.
Scanned copies of full university transcripts (informal print-outs of exam results will not suffice). Note: this is not required for applicants who earned their BA from University of Galway.
A scanned copy of a passport or birth certificate. Note: this is not required for applicants who were previously enrolled as students at NUIG.
Two academic references. This may take the form of: a) scanned letters of support from two academic referees; b) documents listing the names and full contact details for two academic referees who would be willing to provide a letter of recommendation if contacted by the programme director. Note: applicants who are a long time out of the education system and would struggle to find academic referees are advised to contact the programme director to discuss their situation.

Although admission to this programme is highly selective, there is not a single deadline for receipt of applications. Rather, applications are assessed and offers issued on a continuous basis each year until the programme has reached capacity. Early applications are welcomed and may enjoy a competitive advantage. In order to maximise eligibility for internal and external scholarship opportunities, non-EU applicants, in particular, are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Each year, a number of students in this MA programme are successful in securing scholarships from a variety of sources and schemes. All Irish and EU applicants with a 1.1 BA result (or international equivalent) are eligible for a partial tuition scholarship, and there are a number of internal and external scholarship competitions open to non-EU students. More information can be found here.

Minimum entry requirements for this programme include an NQAI Level 8 qualification with an overall degree result of H2.2 and with a H2.1 in one subject (or a BA with a 3.0 GPA or equivalent). In addition, a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent at least is expected of applicants whose first language is not English. Please note that admission to this programme is highly selective and meeting minimum achievement thresholds does not guarantee entry.

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

English Language & Literature- Top 150

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What Our Graduates Say

Damien Lynam | Commissioning Editor, Educate.ie

This MA gave me a good understanding of the publishing process and industry through a mixture of practical and more theory-based modules. I could then put that knowledge into action through the publication of ROPES. After completing the course I found that employers responded positively to the qualification and that it is well respected within the industry. This is evident by the number of MALP graduates I have come across at various stages of my career.

Tríona Marshall | Marketing and Publicity Officer, O'Brien Press

I had been interested in a career in publishing for years, so the MA Literature and Publishing seemed like a logical choice for me after my undergraduate degree. I was delighted with the variety of classes on offer, all of which were very different from anything I had studied previously, and many of which were practical in nature. Visits from industry professionals, as well as class trips to publishing houses and printers, gave us a fantastic insight into the publishing world. The publication of our own literary journal, ROPES, was challenging yet fascinating, and the hands-on experience of the publication process has proven invaluable in my current role. The value of the degree became clear to me when I was offered an internship in publishing shortly afterwards, which has since led to a full-time position.

Áine Mulloy | Innovation Designer, The Dock

After completing the MA in Literature and Publishing, I secured an events internship at Ashville Media before joining the Educational Company of Ireland (Edco) as a Market Research and Editorial Executive. While there, I studied part-time gaining a Postgrad Diploma in Digital Marketing. It was also during my years at Edco that I co-founded GirlCrew, an international social network for women that was scaled to fifty cities worldwide. As a founder I had many incredible experiences, including presenting a TEDx talk on race and representation and being named by Forbes as a Top EU Founder to follow. In 2019, I took a step back from the startup world to join The Dock, Accenture’s Global R&D and Innovation Centre as an Innovation Designer where I help clients solve complex problems. The MA gave me a good research grounding and a toolkit that includes critical thinking, a comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to problem solve.

Susan Bennett | Research Assistant, University of Galway

This course provides the perfect combination of practical and theoretical skills with good exposure to industry professionals through guest lectures (O'Brien Press, Tramp, Skein amongst others) and field trips (Penguin Ireland, RIA, Marsh's Library etc). It also offers support on CV preparation, interview and design skills as well as strong and interesting academic modules. The variety of options available meant that I could tailor the course to my own ambition and interests, resulting in the qualification that best suited me. A highlight of the course is the publication, entirely by MALP student colleagues, of the literary journal ROPES. This developed project management, teamwork and critical thinking skills while giving me valuable hands-on experience of the industry itself. The Masters in Literature and Publishing is a must if you are thinking of joining the publishing industry and gives graduates an excellent grounding for career development.

What Employers Say

Ivan O'Brien | Managing Director, The O'Brien Press Ltd

The book publishing world is hard to get into, with lots of applicants for every position. Graduates of the NUI Galway Masters in Literature and Publishing, the only Irish course which teaches directly about the industry, have demonstrated a real interest in and commitment to the world of books: we have employed several, and it has always been a good call! As an occasional guest lecturer, it is clear that the class are engaged and diverse. Their questions always show that they are learning in an environment that encourages exploration, and the real-world experience they get as part of the course means they know a good bit about the realities of the industry before they seek to work in it.

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