What Is Master of Arts (MA) ?
The Master of Arts (MA) degree is a graduate degree focused on the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Because it covers a number of subjects, the MA degree tends to be an incredibly popular master’s degree, along with the Master of Science (MS).
By earning your MA degree, you may be able to gain specialized knowledge, further develop your skills, advance in your career, and qualify for higher salaries. It’s also a growing requirement in the workforce. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that careers requiring a master’s degree will increase by over 13 percent in the next decade, compared to eight percent for jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree [1].
In this article, we’ll go over the subjects you can study if you’re interested in earning an MA degree, how long it takes to earn this degree, and how it compares to other types of master’s.
What is an MA degree?
A Master of Arts—or MA degree—is a type of master’s degree that can help you deepen your knowledge of a subject in the humanities, social sciences, and arts.
Programs typically take around two years to complete when you’re able to attend full-time, and in-person MA degrees usually cost between $30,000 and $120,000 in total [2]. However, you may find that online master’s degrees are more affordable because each program’s overhead tends to be lower. On top of that, you don’t have to relocate to attend.
MA degree subjects
You can earn your MA degree in a number of subjects, including American literature, creative writing, art history, political science, and more. You don’t have to earn your MA degree in the same subject as your bachelor’s degree.
In a Master of Arts program, you can choose to study:
- Anthropology
- Applied linguistics
- Communication
- Economics
- History
- International relations
- Legal studies
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Political science
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Studio art
- Theology
- Theatre