I decided to stay on with the University of Stirling after getting my first degree (BA Hons in English Studies) because I wanted to expand my range of skills more before attempting to get into the job market. From my years here at Stirling I have found the campus a very relaxed and friendly place, and the teaching excellent.

I decided to choose to go into Publishing specifically because I knew I wanted my next degree to still be related to literature, as it is something I am very passionate about. Having an interest in the publishing industry, I talked to some of the people in charge of organising the course as well as comparing the course at Stirling to those held in other parts of the country. I was pleasantly pleased to discover that out of the other courses offered in several universities, I favoured Stirling the most.

The curriculum for the MLitt in Publishing Studies is challenging and interesting, providing students with a wide array of practical and theoretical skills ranging across public speaking, through report writing and market research.

I’ve greatly appreciated the chance to work with so many fellow students from all over the globe, and the chance to take part in this course.

I am a Bulgarian student doing my postgraduate degree in Publishing Studies at Stirling University. This being Stirling’s Centre for International Publishing and Communication we, international students, are more the norm than the exception.

Although my previous degree is in accounting, after spending a few years working as an accountant I discovered that I am more interested in words than numbers! So, here I am in Scotland, learning (and not only in theory but in practice as well) how to create books – everything from commissioning the author, to designing the product and sending the title to the printers. What the programme has done so far is to broaden my expectations. Publishing, after all, is not only about editing and I find that the software classes appeal to me the most. The first semester was exciting and challenging (everything my accountancy job wasn’t) and I can’t wait to see what the second semester will offer.

Ina Garova

I am an International student and came from Shanghai, China. I heard from my friends that the publishing studies learning environment is outstanding. All of teachers are very kind and keep patient for international students, help us overcome the barriers in terms of language as well as culture. There is no doubt that it can attract international students to choose publishing studies and enjoy this wonderful learning environment. Now, I am enjoying this course, not only for the professional knowledge but also for the practical skills I have learnt from here. Everyday is new for me.

Hi, my name is Christina O’Brien and I am currently studying on the MLitt in Publishing Studies course at the University of Stirling. When I finished my undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Glasgow, I wasn’t really sure what direction to take career-wise. I knew that I wanted to take a break from studying to travel, so I took myself off to Korea to teach English for a year… which soon became two. I had a fantastic time there, but I knew that it wasn’t really ‘real-life’, and that I really needed to make some decisions about what my ‘real-life’ was going to be.

I had always toyed with the idea of journalism and had written for the university paper in Glasgow, but I knew that my true love had always been books; why had I not thought of publishing as a career before? Before long I was spending all of my breaks – in between teaching Korean 5th graders the ‘In, on, under’ song – researching postgraduate courses in publishing. The Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication jumped out to me at once. The centre has an excellent reputation and I am so glad I made the decision to study here; I love the course so far. The modules are very interesting and have a great mix of theory and practical knowledge. The staff too are fantastic; they all have professional experience in the publishing world and this really translates into how the course is taught.

Christina O’Brien

I am an international student from Thailand with an Architecture undergraduate degree and background in publishing company. I found the MLitt in Publishing Studies at University of Stirling, which covers complete aspects of publishing process, will benefit my further career in publishing business so I decided to broaden my experience here.

The program contains both historical and current issues of publishing in the UK and global scale. It also gives some clues about what it is going to be in the future. Teaching staff are very experienced and lectures are up-to-date. They are enable me to see the bigger picture of publishing business both development and problem which are happening in my country. Visiting speakers from wide variety parts of the business give me interesting perspectives as well.

The study environment is very international. I meet people from different places with different backgrounds around the world. I learn not only publishing knowledge but also various cultures and languages. (I have tried many international foods from friends.) Moreover, the university is incredibly beautiful. The calm and natural atmosphere support my concentration in study and improve my health.

As a writer and publisher, I discover many benefits from the program. I am please to say that studying here is valuable experience in my life.

Publishing is my accidental career. It never crossed my mind during my first degree of studies that I was going to be in publishing. I joined publishing in 2002 and since then I have never turned back. It amazed me the first time I got into it and continues to amaze me until now. Being in publishing demands our understanding on multi disciplines, skills and technologies and it involves dealing with many people from scholars, editors, designer, printers and traders.  My enthusiasm for publishing has brought me to Stirling and I found that the MLitt in Publishing Studies here is as great as it is reputed.

The UK perspective on publishing somehow is different from Malaysia and MLitt in Publishing Studies has helped me a lot in exploring new perspective in the book industries.  I believed that I have and will gain a lot more from the courses that involved various programmes and task provided by the instructors and department.

My aim and hope is to be able to apply all the knowledge and experienced acquired in Stirling to my career establishment in Malaysia

Ever since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go into the publishing industry and my Bachelor in English Studies seemed like the first logical step. Coming from an international background, I always thought that I would continue my education and do my master’s course outside of Scotland and spread my wings a little. However, having nearly completed the first semester of the MLitt Publishing Studies course, I’m very glad I decided to remain in Stirling. The class is very international and, just from the other students, I’ve learned a lot about the variety of publishing in different countries. The staff, all having had previous professional experience in the publishing industry, give a very detailed and clear insight to what’s ahead for the rest of us. The course can be very intense but its interactive nature allows us a chance to experience many of the processes necessary in the creation of a book. I started off the course as a fresh bachelor graduate, worried about all the things I had yet to learn, but now I keep looking ahead to see what’s next.

Cornelia Lenz

I am an international student from America with an undergraduate degree in Communication Studies. Books have always been an important part of my life, so the decision to pursue a career in the field of publishing seemed quite natural. I chose the MLitt in Publishing Studies program at Stirling because of its wonderful reputation and a strong desire to gain a broader world view. The course is a terrific mix of UK and international students which creates a unique learning environment. The professors all have professional publishing experience and thus are well able to prepare us for what awaits after graduation. I am enjoying the structure and pace of the course and am finding the content extremely beneficial; particularly, learning how to operate publishing software. We frequently have guest speakers who come from many different areas of the publishing industry, such as bookstore owners, editors, and literary agents. So far, this program has lived up to my expectations and I am eager to see what more is to come.