Post job

Publications manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a publications manager. Publications managers usually study english, communication, or journalism. 72% of publications managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,005 real publications manager resumes to see exactly what publications manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for publications managers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online publications manager courses to help get the education required to be a publications manager.

There are certain publications manager certifications that you should consider. These publications manager certifications include Certificate in Public Financial Management (Cert PFM) and Accreditation in Public Relations (PR).

What education do you need to become a publications manager?

What degree do you need to be a publications manager?

The most common degree for publications managers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of publications managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a publications manager?

You should major in english to become a publications manager. 16% of publications managers major in english. Other common majors for a publications manager include communication and journalism.

Most common colleges for publications managers

Publications managers often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, New York University, and American University. Here are the most common colleges for publications managers in the US based on their resumes.
Publications manager common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park8.91%
New York University8.50%
American University7.29%
Pennsylvania State University6.88%
Boston University6.48%

Best majors for publications managers

RankMajorPercentages
1English16.0%
2Communication12.8%
3Journalism12.5%
4Business11.0%
5Political Science6.0%

Best colleges for publications managers

The best colleges for publications managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A publications manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for publications managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become publications managers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for publications managers

Advertising disclosure

1. Systems Thinking In Public Health

coursera

This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...

2. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives

coursera

Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...

3. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding

udemy
4.3
(496)

Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...

4. Time Management Public Speaking - Drastically Reduce Prep

udemy
4.4
(563)

Time Management Public Speaking: You don't have to spend hours preparing your public speaking...

5. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice

coursera

Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies. In this course, we'll define the role of the professional epidemiologist as it relates to public health services, functions, and competencies. With that foundation in mind, we'll introduce you to the problem solving...

6. Leadership for Public Health Crises

coursera

Leadership for Public Health Crises will enable current and prospective managers, directors, unit heads, and elected officials to effectively lead their organizational response to profound health-related emergencies and to build leadership capacity across multiple sectors, agencies, organizations, and divisions. This series of courses prepares graduate students (in, e.g., public administration, public health, social work, business, homeland security, education, and related fields) and...

7. Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking

udemy
4.3
(293)

Public Speaking for People Who Hate Public Speaking - Presentation Skills - Communication Skills and Storytelling...

8. Public Relations: Media Crisis Communications

udemy
4.6
(2,248)

Public Relations: You Can Shape and Control Your Media Messages at The Worst Possible Times...

9. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach

coursera

Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...

10. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2

coursera

This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...

11. Public Speaking for Beginners

udemy
4.6
(915)

Public Speaking Skills Developed From Scratch, in Little Time...

12. Public Speaking Training & Facilitator Certification

udemy
4.6
(1,480)

World-class public speaking training: Learn presentation skills, engage your audience, develop confidence, facilitate...

13. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health

coursera

The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...

14. Foundations of Public Health Practice

coursera

This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds...

15. Fear of Public Speaking: Never Fear Public Speaking Again

udemy
4.3
(623)

Public Speaking Fear. You will deliver presentations/speeches with confidence and ease. Never be nervous again...

16. Public Speaking for Engineers: Never Get Lost in Tech Detail

udemy
4.5
(496)

Public Speaking: present technical information in an understandable and memorable way, even to non-engineering audiences...

17. Biostatistics in Public Health

coursera

This specialization is intended for public health and healthcare professionals, researchers, data analysts, social workers, and others who need a comprehensive concepts-centric biostatistics primer. Those who complete the specialization will be able to read and respond to the scientific literature, including the Methods and Results sections, in public health, medicine, biological science, and related fields. Successful learners will also be prepared to participate as part of a research team...

18. Qualitative Research Design and Methods for Public Health

coursera

This specialization will enable public health professionals and researchers to design effective qualitative studies addressing a range of public health issues, select and implement appropriate qualitative methods to meet their study's objectives, and generate and analyze qualitative data...

19. Public Speaking: Be a Professional Speaker

udemy
4.3
(540)

Public Speaking: Learn how to position yourself as a professional speaker and market yourself...

20. The Art of Public Speaking

udemy
4.7
(270)

Master Public Speaking: Deliver Unforgettable Speeches & Presentations With The World's Most Decorated Public Speaker...

Top 10 most affordable universities for publications managers

The most affordable schools for publications managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for publications managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for publications managers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for publications managers

The hardest universities for publications managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for publications managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for publications managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for publications managers

The easiest schools for publications managers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a publications manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for publications managers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average publications manager salary by education level

According to our data, publications managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $106,876 annually. Publications managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $96,520.
Publications manager education levelPublications manager salary
Master's Degree$106,876
Bachelor's Degree$96,520

Publications manager education FAQs

Search for publications manager jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs