Nowadays besides the Master of Science (M.Sc.) the Master of Arts is the most common Master's degree awarded by most universities in Europe as well as worldwide. It replaces old five-year programs such as the German Magister and Diplom or the Dutch doctorandus with the combination of a 3-year or 4-year bachelor programme Master programmes. The Master of Arts is typically awarded in fields such as geography, philosophy, languages, history, fine arts but also social sciences and has thus overlap with the Master of Science.

What is Master of Arts?

Master of Arts is a Postgraduate Course with a duration of two years. With many expressive disciplines, it is a broad subdivision of culture composed. With the Master of Science, the degree is usually contrasted. Those admitted to the degree typically study diplomacy, public administration, linguistics, history, communication studies, political science, or other subjects within the scope of the humanities and social sciences, however, different universities have different subjects and may also offer the degree for fields typically considered within the natural sciences and mathematics. 

Depending upon the institution providing it is normally a two years program conducted over two or more Semesters. To acquire M.A. Master’s Degree Programs in Arts candidate have to pass 4 or 5 Papers with lectures, examination, and seminars. English, Hindi or any other Language provided can be the medium of Instruction and the course itself. Through Correspondence or Distance Education Master of Arts Course is also available.

Eligibility Criteria for Master of Arts

• Candidates should have successfully completed Bachelor's Degree from a university recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India or its equivalent (under 10+2+2+1 or 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 course pattern of study or any other pattern fulfilling the mandatory requirements). Some programmes may have additional/specific eligibility requirements.
• Some colleges or universities may conduct an entrance exam to get admission in the Master of Arts course. Candidate has to clear the exam with good marks.
• The candidate should also have to clear a personal interview. Candidate can get admission to the respective university or college after clearing these criteria successfully.

Admission Process for M.A.

• Several universities or colleges conduct an entrance exam for M.A. courses in the country. In order to seek admission in the respective M.A specialisation, interested candidates are required to appear for the exam and clear the same.
• Some colleges also conduct Group Discussion and Personal Interview as further rounds of selection with an objective to screen candidates for the final admissions.

Popular M.A. course entrance exams are as follows:

• TISSNET
• Delhi University M.A Entrance Exam
• JNU M.A. Entrance Exam
• Christ University M.A Entrance Exam
• Azim Premji University M.A. Entrance Exam
• PTU Test- Punjab Technical University at Jalandhar
• Loreto College M.A. English Admission Test - Kolkata
• Basanti Devi College M.A. English & Political Science Admission Test
• IIPS Mumbai MA Population Studies Distance Admission Test
• SRTMUN Distance Education Test
• University of Calcutta Pre-MA Persian, Pali, French Admission Test

How to pick the right subjects in Master of Arts?

Students must keep the following things in mind when it comes to the selection of the subject.

• Interest: Before making decision students must first consider their interest and passion towards a subject. When it comes to higher studies in college and even for the career decisions after that your interest will pay a pivotal role in being a creative and research-based stream.
• Strengths: You must also take into account your strengths and weaknesses along with identifying your interest areas. To take the correct decision this will help you. Every subject in the arts stream covers a diverse array of topics and concepts and is vast in nature.
• Scope of further studies: You must consider is the academic scope and career scope when you are choosing a subject in the Master of Arts Stream.

Who should opt?

Candidate must be dedicated and focused towards their subject who wish to study Master of Arts degree. Students must have sound mental and physical abilities because Master of Arts is a theoretical as well as the practical field. Students must be hardworking and can study for long hours and get in-depth information about their subject. To relay their knowledge to their peers, professors, teachers, and subordinates they must be keenly and deeply interested in the subject and should have excellent communication skills. 

Career Scope for Master of Arts stream students

Students from the Arts background have plenty of career options and job opportunities thanks to the diverse nature of the stream. To take up the teaching profession in the field or subject of their specialization is the most popular career choice for the Arts stream students. Depending upon the further study option that they opt for they can also explore other career options. These include actor, architects, fashion designers, businessman, economist, statistician, musicians, dancers, artists, business managers, lawyers, writers, historian, and archaeologist.

Many students from the arts stream also choose government jobs in different departments and ministries apart from the aforementioned career options. The UPSC civil services exam is also a preferred career option among the Arts stream students which is the qualifying exam for IAS, IPS, IFS and other high-level bureaucrats. Alternatively, they can also appear for SSC / Staff Selection Commission Exams, for Banking sector recruitment exams or State PCS exams to join the bureaucracy.

After MA degree course many candidates choose to pursue Ph.D. after which there is a lot of scope for jobs. Depending on which subject they specialize in after successful completion of the programme, one can find jobs in the fields of Public Relations, Psychology, Economics, History, Public Administration etc. 

The salaries improve after you have gained up to 2 years of experience but after pursuing MA might not be very attractive.

• Administrative Officer 3-5 lacs
• Business Consultants 2-4 lacs
• Finance Manager 3-4 lacs
• Human Resource Manager 2-3 lacs