FAQ

• How long does it take to complete the certificate program?
• What are the requirements for admittance to the certificate program?
• Once I’m admitted, do I have to begin the program in the fall semester?
• Which courses should I enroll in first?
• Do I have to take the exact prerequisites listed in the program requirements?
• What’s the average class size in the program?
• Is an internship required?
• What other practical experience will I get in this program?
• What’s the outlook for jobs in editing and publishing?
• Do graduates of the certificate program find good jobs in publishing?
• Certificate Program Grads on the Job
• What do students say about the program?

How long does it take to complete the certificate program?
The 25-unit certificate program can be completed in one year (two semesters) if you have a little flexibility in your schedule. Many undergraduate students take 3-4 semesters, because they take only one or two certificate courses each semester as they complete their major studies.

What are the requirements for admittance to the certificate program?
Undergraduate students who have an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 and have passed the literacy requirement (ENGL 130 at CSU, Chico) with a C or better are eligible to enter the program.
Graduate students who are in good standing in their respective graduate program are also eligible. All applicants should submit a one-page letter of motivation that explains why you are interested in the certificate and why you think you are well suited for work in editing and publishing.

If you have a bachelor’s degree you qualify for admittance as an unclassified graduate student. Students seeking a certificate should apply using the undergraduate application at www.csumentor.edu. Even though you are a graduate student, you must still use the undergraduate application, but specify that you are a graduate student. In addition, please submit a copy of your undergraduate transcripts and a one-page letter of motivation that explains why you are interested in the certificate and why you think you are well suited for work in editing and publishing.

Once I’m admitted, do I have to begin the program in the fall semester?
No, you may start in the spring or fall.

Which courses should I enroll in first?
It’s important that you meet with the program coordinator before you enroll in courses. He can help you determine which prerequisites you may need to take first and then help you plan a schedule for the next two or three semesters.

Do I have to take the exact prerequisites listed in the program requirements?
Not necessarily. If you’ve taken courses similar to the ones listed as prerequisites, at CSU, Chico or at another institution, the coordinator may be able to grant equivalency. You’ll need to bring him a copy of the catalog description of the course you took to establish its equivalency.

What’s the average class size in the program?
Most of our classes have 15–20 students.

Is an internship required?
Absolutely. This program is focused on preparing students for careers in editing and publishing, so it’s important that you get as much practical experience as possible. Student interns work at a variety of publishers: Watershed literary magazine, Dustbooks (small press information and literary publisher), Natural Beauty and Health magazine, Synthesis magazine (music and arts), The Buzz (music and arts), LearningChange (website development), Narrative magazine, Paton Press (business books), RIDE magazine, Upstate Business magazine, Inside Out magazine, The Chico Beat (newspaper), and the Enterprise-Record (newspaper), as well as with the University Publications Office and the Alumni Association on campus. In the San Francisco Bay Area, students have interned at Travelers’ Tales Books in Palo Alto.

What other practical experience will I get in this program?
As part of your coursework you’ll work on a variety of publications: Watershed literary magazine (one of the oldest student-edited literary magazines in the country) is produced in ENGL 415 in fall and by interns in the spring; Flume Press at CSU, Chico trains students in the ENGL 419 Chapbook Production course to work as editorial assistants for the press, so they are on the editorial staff for a semester. ENGL 416 Editing Manuscripts for Publication works with Naturegraph Publishers, an independent press in Northern California, on one or two nonfiction book manuscripts each fall, so students are copyediting (and often line editing) manuscripts actually in production at a publisher. Students in the course also edit articles for the University’s magazine, Chico Statements.

What’s the outlook for jobs in editing and publishing?
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that demand for writers and editors is expected to increase at a rate of 10 percent through the year 2016. “Competition is expected for writing and editing jobs because many people with the appropriate training and talent are attracted to the occupation.... Employment of salaried writers and editors is expected to increase as demand grows for web-based publications.” (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos089.htm).

Do graduates of the certificate program find good jobs in publishing?
That’s the whole idea. Recent graduates have gotten jobs with a variety of publishers/businesses (see the following list). While most of the jobs are in the publishing industry, the list includes a few occupations outside publishing. Our graduates find that the skills they acquire and hone in the program can be applied in many fields. Two grads are successful paralegals, for example, where much of their work is preparing and editing legal documents. Some have gone into teaching, where they find that their publishing experience has helped them get jobs that involve advising student publications. Some have started in publishing and moved into advertising or marketing. The important thing is that they acquire skills and practical experience in the program that demonstrate to employers that they know how to work effectively with language, how to work hard, how to work well with a team, and how to meet deadlines. Most employers want to hire people who have some experience, and this program provides you with experience that employers value.

Certificate Program Grads on the Job

What do students say about the program?
Here’s a sample of comments we’ve received from graduates of the program:

“The courses I took in the editing and publishing program at CSU, Chico certianly prepared me to have a great career in publishing.”
– Jennifer Carpenter, executive editor, Oxford University Press

"As a student in the editing and publishing program at CSU, Chico, I had the opportunity to apply the skills I’d been learning in my English courses. Being an English major suddenly had real-world, practical experience. And since then, the application of those skills and consequently the extension of my course work, have continued to follow me throughout my career. Employers in the high tech industry saw my academic experience as something that could translate well in the world of marketing. And they did translate well. Now, as a high school English teacher I continue to draw on the experience I gained in the editing and publishing program. In competing with another candidate for a job, I later learned that what pushed me in front of that candidate was my publications experience. And because of those publications skills I gained in the editing and publishing program I am able to bring something my high school has been lacking for years: a school newspaper."
– Jason Willmon, English teacher, Lindhurst High School

"The skills I acquired through CSU, Chico's, Literary Editing and Publishing certificate program have helped me succeed both professionally and personally. Not only can I more effectively communicate my company's message, but my editor's ability to write and rewrite a message in several different ways helps me see things from many perspectives. In the business sector, surprisingly, there is a shortage of people with adequate writing and grammar skills. The more I use my editing abilities to help collaborative efforts, the more people request my help. Editing and writing have taken me places I never thought I'd go."
–Tao Stadler, Interim Executive Manager/Publications Editor Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce

"My editing job for the Norske Skog Korea Paper Company is great. It is a combination of teaching and editing technical reports for the Norwegian/ English speaking CEO. It has been a great experience, and the pay is pretty good, too. I am also a kind of ambassador for visiting foreigners and give tours of the museum. All in all very good job, and thanks to my editing certificate I landed it."
–Molly Brown, English Consultant, Norske Skog Korea Ltd., Jeonju, South Korea

“When I tell my colleagues in publishing about the certificate program, they are always envious that their own universities didn’t offer a similar course of study. The classes prepared me to not only understand how to edit a manuscript, but the other integral components in the publishing process—from sales and marketing to design and production. The certificate in editing and publishing at Chico State was the time I was most involved in my schooling—because making books is what I really wanted to do.”
–Kelli Chipponeri, senior editor, Running Press (Perseus Group)