Diploma in Writing and Publishing
Campus
- Kelowna
- Vernon
Legend:
- Full program offered
- Partial program offered
Credential
Diploma
Delivery options
Full-Time, Part-Time
- International students eligible
Tuition and fees
2025-26: $5,328 per year
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This program is student loan eligible. View Financial Aid & Awards
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Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.
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Fees listed are for first year (two semesters) for a typical, full-time student taking 5 courses per semester. Depending on the courses selected fees may vary.
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All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.
Program details
The publishing industry has been transformed by an unprecedented surge of activity as individuals and organizations share text and post images as never before. This has led to exciting changes and challenges in the way writers and publishers look at publishing. Graduates of this two-year diploma program will have the technical skills and wide range of experience crucial to navigating this industry.
Our applied and academic courses take students through the first stages of the writing process to the final post-production stages of publishing in a variety of formats. Our goals are to foster students' writerly personae, to hone their critical voices, and to teach them how to write professionally for multiple audiences. From creative writing workshops to web publishing labs to book design studios to professional editing classes, our courses help students acquire the skills necessary to ensure their work resonates on both page and screen.
We teach our students using industry-standard software, beginning on the first day of class and carrying through each semester of the program. Students can also take advantage of unique hands-on opportunities to put their skills into practice. òòò½ÎÑ features a working letterpress print shop, as well as other in-house elements such as Kalamalka Press and Ryga: A Journal of Provocations. These are only some of the opportunities for students to build the sort of portfolio that demonstrates to prospective employers how lessons learned in the classroom contribute to the broad skill set of a qualified professional.
Graduates of the program have a variety of options. Some may pursue employment in a range of traditional and new media outlets, from independent presses to commercial publishing houses. Others may choose to continue their studies in fields such as creative writing, journalism, marketing and media studies.
Transfer options for graduates of this diploma include:
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Athabasca University, Bachelor of Professional Arts, Communication Studies
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University of the Fraser Valley, Bachelor of Arts
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Vancouver Island University, Bachelor of Arts, English
Career options available after transfer and additional study include:
- Graphic Designer
- Web Designer
- Professional Writer
- Book and Magazine Editor
- Publisher
- Art Editor
- Literary Agent
- Publicist
This diploma can only be completed in full at the Vernon campus. A selection of courses is offered at the Kelowna, Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses but a number of specialized courses and second year courses are only offered at the Vernon campus.
For more information, book an appointment with an Education Advisor.
| Campus | Start date | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Vernon | Sep. 03, 2025 | |
| Vernon | Jan. 05, 2026 |
Admission requirements
Regular Applicants:
A regular applicant will be a secondary graduate or a secondary school student, or its equivalent, who has or who will complete the requirements for senior secondary graduation, or its equivalent, not less than one month prior to commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter. The following minimum entrance requirements will apply to regular applicants:
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B.C. secondary graduation, or equivalent.
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English 12 with minimum 60% or .
Students with a passing grade of less than 60% in English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 will be admissible to the first year of the program, subject to the following conditions:
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Registration is restricted to courses for which the student satisfies the prerequisites. Registration in first-year English courses is, therefore, prohibited.
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Successful completion of the English entrance requirements within the first year of studies. This may be done in one of the following ways:
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Successful completion of English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 or an equivalent course with a minimum grade of 60%. This may be done concurrently through the College's Adult Basic Education Program or by completing an equivalent course through a distance education program.
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Mature Applicants:
A mature applicant will be at least 19 years of age and will not have attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year.
Secondary graduation is waived for mature applicants. The English entrance requirements, as stated above, must be satisfied prior to admission. Admission may be granted on the condition that the entrance requirements will be completed prior to the commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter.