Master of Arts Course – Eligibility, Admission, Colleges, Career

A Master of Arts, or MA, is a postgraduate degree that students who have completed their bachelor’s degree can pursue. There are a variety of specializations available in the Master of Arts program. The duration of the program is 2 years. 

MA Admission requires a graduation from a recognized university with a 50% minimum aggregate or equivalent CGPA.

In order to pursue an MA degree course, one can choose from a variety of specializations, some of which are more popular than others. Various universities in India, on the other hand, require that you complete a bachelor’s degree in the specialization that you wish to study during your MA degree program.

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Master of Arts: An Overview

The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program includes the following major highlights: 

Name of the Course	Master of Arts (M.A.)
Duration of the Course	2 years
Criteria  for Eligibility	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.Minimum percentage: 45% to 55%
Process  of Admission	Entrance exam
Average Annual Fees	Rs 50,000 per Annum
Employment Opportunities	Teacher,  Labour Management Specialist, Social Worker, Educational Counsellor,  Psychologist, Public Relation Manager etc.

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Master of Arts (M.A.) Eligibility

• A bachelor’s degree in any discipline is required as a minimum qualification (preferably in an arts subject).
• Minimum Requirements: 45 percent to 50 percent, depending on the college.
• Few colleges have an age limit as a criterion for admission.

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Master of Arts Admission Procedure:

• For M.A. programs, most colleges in the country administer an entrance exam. In order to be considered for admission to the respective M.A specialization, interested candidates must take the exam and pass it.
• Some colleges conduct additional rounds of selection, such as a Group Discussion and a Personal Interview, with the goal of screening candidates for final admissions.

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Master of Arts- Important Entrance Exams

• Azim Premji University M.A. Entrance Exam
• Delhi University M.A Entrance Exam.
• JNU M.A. Entrance Exam.
• TISSNET
• Christ University M.A Entrance Exam.

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M.A. Specializations:

M.A. History

MA History is a blend of past and present interpretations of various incidents. In the MA in History syllabus, there are subjects like: World History, Indian Government and Politics, Literature, Economic History, Contemporary Issues in International Relations, Three eras (ancient, medieval, modern) of Indian history, etc.

M.A. History Syllabus

Principles of History	Environmental Crisis and World Religions
Contemporary World	Major currents in Historical Thought
Contemporary World (Part-II : 1945-2003)	Research Methodology and Historical Investigation
Indian National Movement (1905-1947)	Indian Nationalism (Socio-religious and other protest movements) up to 1905
Ecology & Environment in History	Optional Papers

M.A. Economics

MA in Economics enables students to gain a thorough understanding of the financial sector, allowing them to develop their ideologies in order to face any challenges that may arise in the industry or business. They learn how a financial system in an economy operates and develops from the ground up. While pursuing an MA in Economics, students are taught the three basic procedures for maintaining wealth (production, distribution, and consumption).

M.A. Economics Syllabus

Microeconomic Theory	Introductory Econometrics	International Finance
Quantitative Methods	Public Economics	Development Economics

M.A. Political Science

Among all of the MA subjects, Political Science is a major specialization. The MA in Political Science is one of the most popular courses, and it covers topics such as political behavior and system analysis, political practice and theory, and so on. This subject’s postgraduate study covers public affairs, government procedure and policies, public administration, and modern and historical political systems, in addition to the national and international political systems.

M.A. Political Science Syllabus

Themes in World Politics	Indian Strategic Thoughts
Debates in Political Theory	Ethics and Politics

M.A. English

MA in English entails a thorough understanding of British literature. The program also covers linguistics, literary criticism, and post-independence Indian writing in English, among other topics. The course includes some contemporary fiction, research methodology, language, and literature. For an MA in English, there are a wide range of elective subjects to choose from. Some of them include literature from the twentieth century in the United States, Australia, and Canada, among others.

M.A. English Syllabus

British Literature	African Literature	Literary Theory
American Literature	Indian Writing in English Literature	CommonWealth Literature

M.A. Sociology

Sociology as a postgraduate or MA program develops an understanding of social issues that play a significant role in shaping modern society. It includes topics like urban sociology, social inequality, and more. The subject necessitates a course of study that focuses on criminal justice, immigration research, and medical sociology.

M.A. Sociology Syllabus

Sociological theories	Methods of Sociological Research	Sociology of Organisations
Sociology of Media	Population and Society	Agrarian Structure

M.A. Psychology

MA Psychology, is an in-demand Postgraduate level Master degree course in the field of Psychology. The duration of the course is 2-years. Students learn about the various divisions of psychology, such as Clinical Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Social Psychology,Health Psychology, Psychometry, Neuropsychology, Study of Emotions and Paradigms, and so on, over the course of two years.

M.A. Psychology Syllabus

Advanced Biological Psychology	Stress Management in organizations
Psychology of Personality	Methods of Cognitive Neuropsychology
Health Psychology	Drug and Behaviour
Rehabilitation Psychology	Advanced Statistics
Psychopharmacology	Genetics, Environment and Behaviour
Psychobiology of Emotion and Health	Advanced Cognitive Psychology
Organizational Communication	Applied Psychological Assessment
Cognitive Aging	Therapeutic Techniques
Positive Psychology	Forensic Psychology
Applied Psychological Assessment	Military Psychology
Organizational Communication	Environmental Psychology
Motivation and Emotion	Human Resource Management
Advanced Research Methodology and Design	Motivation and Emotion Advanced Biological Psychology
Psychology of Late Adulthood	Psychodiagnostics
Neuroergonomics	Cross-Cultural Psychology
Organizational Development and Change	Cognitive Neuropsychology of Attention and Memory
Advanced Social Psychology	Counselling Psychology
Organizational Behaviour	Animal Models of Human Behavior
Neuropsychology	Advanced Social Psychology
Human Factors	Community Psychology
Minor Elective: Basic Psychological Processes	Advanced Research Methodology and Design
Child and Adolescent Psychopathology	Applied Social Psychology
Advanced Cognitive Psychology	Psychology of Adolescence

Some other Areas of Specialization:

MA in Bengali	MA in Urdu	MA in Literature
MA in Fine Arts	MA in Public Relations	MA in Hindi
MA in Film Studies	MA in Philosophy	MA in Psychology
MA in Persian	MA in Malayalam	MA in Geology
MA in Social Work	MA in Sanskrit	MA in Japanese
MA in Gujarati	MA in Tamil	MA in Telugu
MA in Spanish	MA in Punjabi	MA in Linguistics
MA in Anthropology	MA in Ancient History	MA in Fashion Design
MA in Painting	MA in Disaster Management	MA in Music
MA in Mathematics	MA in Marathi	MA in Gender Studies
MA in Kannada	MA in Development Studies	MA in French

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Master of Arts: Top Institutes

In India, many well-known colleges offer M.A. programs in a variety of specializations. Almost all of India’s top five metropolises have prestigious colleges that offer a variety of MA programs. Some of these cities’ well-known colleges are listed below.

In Delhi

Institute Name	Average Annual Fees
Lady Sriram College for Women	30,041
Miranda House College	14,530
Hindu College	18,010
Hansraj College	17,269

In Mumbai

Institute Name	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Mithibai College of Arts	25,000
Kishinchand Chellaram College	62,920
Mumbai University	34,405
PTVA’s Sathaye College	9, 875
Tata Institute of Social Science	66,500

In Kolkata

Name of the Institute	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Calcutta University	2,314
Jadavpur University	4,940
Presidency University	4,800
Rabindra Bharati University	18,050
Adamas University	1,32000
Kalyani University	6,270

In Bangalore

Name of the Institute	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Christ University	20,000
Kristu Jayanti College	70,000
Jain University	50,000
Jyoti Nivas College	40,000

In Pune

Name of the Institute	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Fergusson College	9,680
St. Mira’s College for Girls	14,800
Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce	36,511
Abeda Inamdar Senior College	28,290

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Master of Arts: Suitable Candidates

• Candidates should pursue an M.A. degree if they have a Bachelor’s degree in art or any special course with a minimum of 50% (45% for reserved category).
• Candidates interested in pursuing a PhD can enroll in an M.A. program.

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Master of Arts: Top Foreign Institutes

Between 2016 and 2021, nearly 22 lakh Indian students went abroad for further education. MA degrees are offered by a number of prestigious universities and colleges around the world. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top countries that offer MA specializations.

Place	Top Institutes
USA	Stanford University, University of Texas, Harvard University, Columbia University
UK	Canterbury Christ Church University, Coventry University, University of East London, Treasure University,
Canada	University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Alberta
Australia	University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, University of Sydney, RMIT University,

In USA

Several prestigious colleges in the United States offer MA Specializations as well as a unique course structure. A total of 1.1 million students enroll in various colleges across the United States each year. The following are the requirements for pursuing an MA at a university in the United States:

• Bachelor of Arts or BA with a minimum GPA of 3 out of 4
• A TOEFL or IELTS score of 80 or 6.5 respectively
• Certain Institutes demand relevant work experience

The following are some of the best MA colleges in the United States:

Name of the Institutes	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Harvard University	38,05,340
Stanford University	50,69,400
University of Texas	19,05120
Columbia University	42,82,600

In Uk

When it comes to studying abroad, the United Kingdom is the second best option. Many reputable MA colleges and universities, such as Oxford, LSE, and others, offer 1 – 2 year MA degrees.The following are the requirements for studying MA in the United Kingdom:

• Bachelor of Arts or BA degree from a recognized University
• Students who have secured 1st position or top positions are eligible to apply at top MA Universities in UK
• A minimum of 80 in TOEFL or 6.5 in IELTS entrance examination

The following are some of the best MA colleges in the United Kingdom:

Name of the Institutes	Average Annual Fees (INR)
Canterbury Christ Church University	16,80,770
Oxford University	23,10,000
Coventry University	11,04,950
University of London	7,37,100

In Canada

Canada is regarded as one of the most student-friendly countries, thanks to its high-quality education methods delivered at a low cost. International students can also take advantage of a variety of scholarships.

The following are the requirements for students wishing to pursue an MA in Canada.

• A minimum of 70% or a first-class degree in BA or a related course is required.
• A valid IELTS or TOEFL score of 7 or 100, depending on the situation. Depending on the college cut-offs, scores may differ.
• Relevant work experience is required by some colleges and universities.
• When it comes to getting into Canadian colleges, research skills and experience are extremely important.

The following are some of the best colleges in Canada for MA programs:

Name of the Institute	Average Annual Fees (INR)
University of Toronto	23,27,920
University of Alberta	9,80,000
University of British Columbia	4,95,040

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Master of Arts: Preparation Plan

• Students should be well-versed in the Master of Arts subject they have chosen. To make the learning process easier, they can divide the syllabus into separate modules.
• For entrance exam preparation, literary theory and criticism on core subjects are equally important.
• Students should practice answering factual questions.
• For a better understanding, they can review previous papers and sample papers from the respective entrance exam.

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Master of Arts: Distance Education

MA, which is a popular and in-demand course, is also available as a distance education course. Distance MA is highly recommended for professionals who cannot spare time but are interested in continuing their education.

The eligibility criteria for pursuing MA in Distance method are as follows:

• Students must have completed a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognized university.
• To be considered eligible for enrollment in an MA program via distance education, they must have minimum passing grades in all subjects.

Below is a list of some of the best colleges that offer a master’s degree in distance education.

Name of the Institute	Place	Average Annual Fees (INR)
IGNOU	New Delhi	12,600
Mahatma Gandhi University	New Delhi	2,475
University of Mumbai	Mumbai	6015
Saraswati Distance Education	Mumbai	27,000
Rabindra Bharati University	Kolkata	6,800
Netaji Subhas Open University	Kolkata	7,600

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Master of Arts: Top Job Profiles

Profile of Job	Description of Job
Content Writer	A content writer’s primary responsibility is to write articles while conducting proper SEO research and keeping up to date on the subject on which he or she is writing.
Journalist	A journalist’s main job is to cover breaking news and events in society and present them to the public. Based on his or her line of specialty, a journalist’s profile can be divided into two categories: editor and anchor.
Social Worker	Someone who works for the betterment of society and the underprivileged sections of society. Social workers are divided into groups such as those who work for women’s empowerment, those who work for the environment, and those who work for the underprivileged.
Teacher	A teacher’s primary responsibility is to impart knowledge to their students in their field of study.
Consultant	A consultant is employed by a firm or corporate agency and is primarily responsible for scheduling and interacting with clients.

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Master of Arts: Benefits and Scope

• Students can improve their subject-specific knowledge with a Master of Arts degree. It gives them a thorough understanding of the discipline they’ve chosen.
• They also have the opportunity to attend guest lectures and seminars given by professionals from the academic and business worlds.
• Postgraduate courses have a more extensive curriculum and are more self-contained than undergraduate courses. Students must devote more time and effort to learning the entire process while also developing new skills. The master’s degree develops investigative, logical, and critical thinking skills.
• Students can get a good job with a UG degree, but a Master’s degree is a real game changer for further advancement in the industry field.
• A master’s degree will provide students with a solid academic foundation that will be extremely beneficial to their future careers. It also provides excellent job opportunities for students.
• An MA serves as a stepping stone toward a doctorate. Because one of the main eligibility criteria for studying doctoral programs is that students have a master’s degree, students who have completed a master’s degree can pursue a doctorate.
• Students can master any subject they want, including economics, history, archeology, education, philosophy, political science, public relations, psychology, sociology, philosophy, and journalism, among others.
• Pursuing a master’s degree is akin to opening a door and discovering a world of possibilities in the field in which a student wishes to work. Students with a master’s degree have more and better job opportunities.

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FAQs