What is an MA? – A Guide to the Master of Arts Degree

The Master of Arts (MA) is a taught Masters degree offered in most Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Business subjects. You’ll gain expertise through classroom teaching, seminars and assignments, ending in a final dissertation. It usually takes one or two years depending on whether you’re studying full- or part-time. At the end of an MA, you can choose to enter the workforce or continue studying at PhD level.

The MA is actually one of the oldest types of postgraduate degree and originated as an academic teaching qualification. Even though most academic positions now require a PhD, an MA is an impressive qualification in it’s own right! I’ve put together this simple overview of an MA degree with information on length, format and the subjects you can study.

What are the entry requirements for an MA degree?

The modern MA is a postgraduate qualification. It represents the next level of academic study after a Bachelors degree. You'll normally need to have earned a 2.1 or higher in your undergraduate degree, but universities may make exceptions.

As such, many students study an MA after a BA (Bachelor of Arts). This doesn’t mean a BA is neccesary to study for an MA. Any undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject will be sufficient. Some students even continue to do an MA after a BSc (Bachelor of Science).

What do you need to apply for an MA degree?

Applications are similar for most Masters degrees, including an MA. You’ll usually apply through your university website directly. There are documents you’ll have to submit as part of the application process. Your university will have a complete list for you when you apply, but here are some of the documents you’ll definitely need to get you started:

• Transcripts from your previous degree
• Personal statement
• CV
• References (at least two, in most cases)
• English language test results (international students only)

What’s involved in an MA dissertation?

A Master of Arts degree ends with a final dissertation project.

You’ll choose a sufficiently original topic and be assigned a supervisor with appropriate expertise. After that, it’s up to you to conduct research, assess your findings and write them up into an effective thesis.

Unsurprisingly, the dissertation is a very important part of your degree (this is usually reflected in its credit weighting). But it’s also the culmination of everything you’ll have learned and all the skills you’ll have developed during your MA.

As its name suggests, the MA is a Masters in Arts subjects. This includes all Arts and Humanities disciplines as well as several branches of the Social Sciences.

Some popular MA subjects include:

• Anthropology
• Communication
• Creative Arts and Design
• History and Archaeology
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Sociology

It doesn’t mean that all Arts or Humanities Masters are MA programmes. Some award specialised degrees such as the MLitt or MFA. Technical Humanities specialisms (such as Applied Linguistics or Archaeology) can even award an MSc.

Sometimes subjects outside the traditional Arts and Humanities also award Masters of Arts degrees. These are usually programmes that reflect upon (or theorise about) technical topics. Examples could include Computer Science courses studying digital artwork or Medicine programmes focussing on ethics and medical history.

An MA is an ideal choice for anyone interested in postgraduate study in Arts and Humanities subjects.

You’ll have the chance to explore your subject in great depth and be encouraged to think critically and independently.

Many programmes will also allow you to specialise much more than an equivalent BA. Did a particular area of your subject interest you as an undergraduate? Chances are you’ll be able to find an MA that focusses on it.

Though the MA is a taught degree, you’ll also have the chance to complete a serious research project with your dissertation. This can be a great way to prepare yourself for more advanced postgraduate research such as a PhD – or simply to investigate a topic that interests you.

If you’d prefer to study at postgraduate level without completing a dissertation, you might be better off considering a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. Many MA programmes include the option to study for these shorter qualifications.

Tips from the author

I completed an MA in Journalism in the UK, so I’ll give you a little peek into what that experience was like. Hopefully, it will give you a sense of what to expect and maybe even help you decide whether a Masters degree (and an MA in particular) is right for you.

Lectures and seminars: Lectures are when you’ll cover all the theoretical bits of your course. It’ll usually be your professor going through a presentation. Lectures are usually held in larger groups (mine were sometimes as large as 150 students!). Seminars, on the other hand, are your time to really get into the weeds of a topic. This is when you’ll discuss the topic in detail with a smaller group. There might even be tasks to complete either during the seminar or after. Seminars are usually facilitated by break-out rooms, so if that’s something you struggle with, go prepared.

Assessments: I had to submit two smaller assessments each semester, so that’s four in total over the year, along with the final dissertation at the very end. All of my assessments were in the form of research papers, each about 2,000 words long. The ‘research question’ for the individual assessments were usually pre-decided and there might be overlap with your classmates. This is where group-study came in handy! My final dissertation was about 8,000 words long but on an independent topic of my choice.

Workload: My classes and lectures were all scattered throughout the week. My longest day was about four hours of contact time, and my shortest day was two hours. There were days when the only thing I had to attend was one seminar. Even then, I spent a lot of time in the library completing mandatory reading, preparing for upcoming seminars and working on my assessments and dissertation.

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