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What Is The Full Form of MA?
The full-form of MA is Master of Arts, is a 2-year postgraduate course which helps students in gaining immense knowledge of areas like History, Politics, Public Administration, Journalism, and more. This is a PG program and hence only those students who have completed their bachelor’s can apply for admission in MA or distance MA in any discipline.
Distance MA or Master of Arts is a specialized course that helps students in excelling in different areas of humanities and social sciences. Students can pursue MA either in the full-time mode or in the distance mode.
Distance MA helps those who are either unable to get access to a good university or they are just willing to continue studies and employment together. There is a myriad of universities that are offering distance MA programs with a UGC-recognized degree. Nowadays, almost every university which offers distance programs is offering MA in distance mode.
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UG & PG Programs Details Guide 2024 |
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Students are not even required to give any entrance to get enrolled in any distance MA program, however, an entrance exam is required for regular MA programs.
| Master of Arts (MA) | |
| MA full form | Master of Arts |
| Degree | Masters or Postgraduate |
| Duration | Two years |
| Course Types | Regular and Distance |
| Specializations | MA English
MA Hindi MA Education MA Psychology MA Philosophy MA in Political Science MA History MA International Relations MA Sociology MA in Economics MA HR Management MA Journalism MA Social Work. |
| Average MA Starting Salary | Up to Rs. 4 LPA |
| Average MA Cost | INR 10,000 – INR 1,00,000 |
| Job Profiles | University Professor, R&D Managers, Administrative Officers, Correspondent, Social Worker, Consultant, Content Writer, Journalist, Political Analyst, Executives, Public Administrators, etc. |
Should I even pursue an MA?
Yes, you should because post-graduation opens up various career opportunities for you. As you know the job market has expanded for some years and along with this, the competition also has increased by leaps and bounds.
Students can pursue either regular MA or distance MA to get a deep insight into subjects they are willing to study. After the completion of MA, students can actually get more and better options in terms of job positions.
However, students can even pursue MA along with their employment with the help of distance learning. Students can get the MA degree at less cost and even without compromising your job and other commitments.
What are the different types of MA courses?
MA courses are designed to suit the varied needs and interests of students. Henceforth, a Master of Arts is a course that can be pursued in different modes and these are:
- Regular MA: In this course, students have to attend regular classes in the traditional method. This course is suitable for fresh graduates who can dedicate 2 years to their higher education.
- Distance MA: Distance MA is a course specially designed for working professionals. In this course, students need not attend on-campus classes and it offers more flexibility to students. The value of distance or online MA is exactly the same as regular MA because the University Grants Commission has approved MA in the distance mode.
- Online MA: Online MA is an advanced level program that solves the problems of working professionals. In an online MA course, students get timely online lectures via Learning Management System and online exams.
| Types of MA | Duration | Eligibility | Mode of Learning | Top Colleges | Entrance Exams |
| Full-time/Regular | 2 Years | Graduation + Entrance marks | Offline | University Of Delhi, Christ University, JNU, etc. | Universities conduct their own entrance exams |
| Online MA | 2 Years | Graduation | Online | Jain Online, ICFAI, etc. | No entrance |
| Distance MA | 2 Years | Graduation | Online + Offline | Chandigarh University, Hindustan University, Andhra University, etc. | No entrance |
The average salary after MA
The jobs you will get after your MA is totally dependent on which specialization you have chosen and your salary will fluctuate according to that. Generally, the average salary of an MA postgraduate is between INR 3,00,000 to INR 6,00,000 per annum.
Who can apply for admission to MA programs?
Every university sets the criteria for admission to courses and these criteria depend on the course and the university. The eligibility criteria are basically to assess the qualification and calibre of students. The eligibility criteria for distance MA are:
- Candidates must have earned a Bachelor’s degree (preferably in the arts) or an equivalent (10+2+3 or 10+2+4) of at least three or four years.
- A bachelor’s from an Indian university approved by the UGC (University Grants Commission) is required.
- Candidates must have secured at least 50% marks in their bachelor’s and the minimum requirement of marks may vary from university to university.
Note: Candidates are required to give entrance exams for admission in regular MBA programs.
Do I require work experience for MA?
No, you do not need to have any work experience to pursue an MA in any university. The admission in MA is based on the marks obtained in the bachelor’s degree.
Do I need to give any entrance exam for MA?
Yes, students need to clear the entrance exams of the universities to get admission in the MA course. However, if students are taking admission in the distance MA course then they need not give any entrance exam.
What are the different types of MA Specializations?
Distance MA or Master of Arts is a specialized program that helps students in gaining in-depth knowledge and skills of different subjects. Students are likely to find the same specializations of distance MA as of regular MA. There are famous and recognized universities that are offering a plethora of distance MA specializations for students to pursue.
By choosing one specialization, students are apt to become the subject expert in that particular area because they focus solely on one single area instead of digressing. The list of major distance MA specializations are:
| MA English | MA Hindi | MA Education | MA Sociology |
| MA Psychology | MA Philosophy | MA History | MA International Relations |
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MA in Economics |
MA HR Management |
MA Journalism |
MA Social Work |
The Course Curriculum of MA
The course curriculum of distance MA programs is almost similar to that of regular MA programs. Students can browse the subjects that they will get to study in different distance MA programs.
Generally, universities offer distance MA courses in the semester mode but some offer in the yearly mode where students have to give term-end exams once a year instead of twice. Here is the entire list of general subjects of some major distance MA courses:
| MA English | |
| Introduction to Linguistics | Poetry III (Hopkins to Ted Hughes) |
| Poetry I (Chaucer to Blake) | Drama III (Twentieth Century Drama) |
| Drama I (Marlowe to Wilde excluding Shakespeare) | Literary Criticism & Theory 1 |
| Prose | Indian Literature in English I/American Literature-II |
| Linguistics and English Language Teaching | Fiction II |
| Poetry II (Wordsworth to Arnold) | Literary Criticism & Theory II |
| Drama II (Shakespeare) | Indian Literature in English II/American Literature II |
| Fiction I (Defoe to Hardy) | Indian Literature in Translation/New Literatures in English/Women Writing |
| MA Economics | |
| Microeconomic Analysis | Economics of Growth |
| Monetary Economics | Public Economics |
| Elementary Statistics | Issues in the Indian Economy |
| International Trade | Economics of Industry |
| Optional Paper-I | Optional Paper-II |
| Theory of Pricing and Distribution | Growth Models in Economics |
| Macroeconomic Analysis | Indian Public Finance |
| Quantitative Methods | Selected Problems of the Indian Economy |
| International Finance | Economics of Agriculture |
| MA History | |
| Principles of History | Contemporary World (Part-II: 1945-2003) |
| Contemporary World | Indian National Movement (1905-1947) |
| Ecology & Environment in History | Environmental Crisis and World Religions |
| Major currents in Historical Thought | Research Methodology and Historical Investigation |
| Indian Nationalism (Socio-religious and other protest movements) up to1905. | Optional Papers |
| MA Psychology | ||
| Advanced Biological Psychology | Minor Elective: Basic Psychological Processes | Psychology of Adolescence
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| Advanced Cognitive Psychology | Applied Social Psychology | Child and Adolescent Psychopathology |
| Advanced Research Methodology and Design | Community Psychology | Animal Models of Human Behavior |
| Advanced Social Psychology | Counseling Psychology | Cognitive Neuropsychology of Attention and Memory |
| Practical: One practical from each of the above papers | Psychodiagnostics
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Cross-Cultural Psychology |
| Applied Psychological Assessment | Genetics, Environment and Behaviour | Drug and Behaviour |
| Motivation and Emotion Advanced Biological Psychology | Methods of Cognitive Neuropsychology | Environmental Psychology |
| Advanced Cognitive Psychology | Military Psychology | Forensic Psychology |
| Advanced Research Methodology and Design | Neuropsychology | Human Factors |
| Advanced Social Psychology | Organizational Behaviour | Neuroergonomics |
| Practical: One practical from each of the above papers | Organizational Development and Change | Organizational Communication |
| Advanced Statistics
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Cognitive Aging | Positive Psychology
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| Applied Psychological Assessment | Psychopathology | Psychology of Late Adulthood |
| Motivation and Emotion | Psychopharmacology
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Health Psychology |
| Psychology of Personality | Psychobiology of Emotion and Health | Rehabilitation Psychology
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| Stress Management in organizations | Therapeutic Techniques | Human Resource Management |
| MA Sociology | |
| Social Anthropology | Theories of Group Interaction |
| Methodology of Social Sciences | Theories of Group Interaction |
| Group Processes and Dynamics | Sociological Reviews and Viva-Voce |
| Classical Social Thinkers | Modern Sociological Theories |
| Sociology of Environment | Advanced Sociological Theories |
| Tribal Economy and Society | Sociology of India |
| Social Statistics | Continuity and Change In India |
| MA Political Science | |
| Modern Indian Political Thought | Comparative Political Analysis |
| International Relations-Theory and Practice | Western Political Thought |
| Indian Politics-Major Issues and Debates | Seminar on Field Project |
| Contemporary Political Theory | Dissertation-I |
| Soft Skills | Teaching and Research Aptitude-I |
| Politics of Developing Countries | Departmental Elective 2 |
| Contemporary Political Issues | Departmental Elective 3 |
| Major Ideas and Issues in Public Administration | State Politics in India |
| Research Methods in Political Science | Dissertation-II |
| Departmental Elective 3 | Teaching and Research Aptitude-II |
What is the cost of an MA?
The average cost or tuition fee of distance MA lies between INR 10,000 – INR 20,000 per annum. However, the cost of regular MA is more than distance MA. Students will be required to pay between INR 10,000 – 1,00,000 per annum.
Is there any MA scholarship?
The scholarships are generally provided by the universities based on students’ performance and category. All you have to do is apply as early as possible and read all the requirements of scholarships closely because some universities offer it to the reserved category students and some have cut-offs to provide the same.
How to get into top universities for MA?
First of all, you need to pass all your bachelor’s exams in any discipline but Arts would be preferred. In order to apply for an MA course in top universities, students just need to apply as early as possible. If you are willing to take admission in a regular MA course then you need to prepare for entrance exams and need to clear that.
Your admission will be based on the cut-off. Instead, you can take admission in distance MA where you don’t have to give any entrance and you can take admission if you have scored at least 50% in your bachelor’s.
What are the top destinations to pursue MA?
In India, there are hundreds of universities that are offering distance MA courses with different subjects of specialization. Some of the famous and recognized universities are:
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Chandigarh University |
SV University |
University of Delhi |
| IGNOU | Maharshi Dayanand University | Jagannath University |
| Jaipur National University | Vidyasagar University | University of Kashmir |
| JECRC University | University of Kerala | Shivaji University |
Is it possible to pursue MA after 30?
Yes, you can pursue MA after 30 if the program is helping you in making your career. You can apply for both distance MA and regular MA courses until and unless the university doesn’t have any condition related to the age above 30.
There is hardly any university which excludes people above 30 in providing distance MA course. The beauty of distance courses is that they do not put the barrier of age. However, you can also take admission in regular MA too if you can explain the strong reason for being so late.
What are the job profiles available after MA?
| Content Writer | Foreign Language Expert |
| Teachers/Professors | Psychologist |
| Journalist | Consultant |
| Policy Analyst | Administrative Officer |
| Operations Associate | Counselor |
Candidates who complete an MA degree program have the option of pursuing an MPhil/Ph.D. program in the future or they can seek jobs. Candidates should be aware that they will be offered jobs depending on the discipline they have studied in their MA program, whether it is regular or distance MA.
MA Full Form, remember?
So now you remember both the full form of MA and all the facts attached to this course. MA which is Master of Arts is a specially designed course for humanities and social sciences students. I hope you found this blog helpful and informative that you need not visit any other site to scratch the information.
