If you’ve just completed your Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, the next thing on your mind would be what to do next. There are two options here – look for a job in your field and join the workforce or study a bit more so you have more qualifications and skills before looking for employment. For those who have this dilemma on their plate, we’d advise going for a Master of Arts (MA) degree first, as the qualifications on your resume are usually the first thing that your next employer will see.
This blog lays bare the intricacies of an MA degree, going into detail about how it can elevate your career, while also providing an in-depth comparison of your career prospects with and without the MA degree so you can judge for yourself. If you have been looking for the best Arts colleges in Bhopal to get your MA degree to boost your career, this blog is for you.
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Master of Arts (MA) Overview
MA Colleges in Bhopal like Barkatullah University and Mansarovar Global University are best known for their MA programs. A Master of Arts or MA as it is commonly referred to is a postgraduate degree in the field of liberal arts humanities and social sciences.
A graduate can pursue an MA in the subject they studied during their bachelor’s course or a related subject. MA degrees are thus quite popular as they are offered in a lot of subjects and can be found in colleges and universities all over the world.
The length of an MA course is usually 2 years in India, though it can differ depending on the type of course. It is taken in the semester mode in most universities, though some might still stick to the yearly mode of examinations.
Types
One of the beauties of an MA degree is the flexibility of options available in terms of the mode of study. This flexibility allows people to study even while working a full-time job if they want. MA degrees can be found in the following modes:
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Distance/Correspondence mode
- Online
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for getting into a MA program at any private university in Bhopal, and the rest of India is pretty simple. Applicants must have:
- Graduation in the relevant subject with a minimum of 50% marks
- 5% relaxation for persons belonging to the reserved categories as per State Government norms
Subjects or Specializations
Since the department of humanities and social sciences at most universities deal with a varied array of subjects that fall into either of these categories, there is usually an unparalleled choice of options for MA aspirants to specialize in. Some of the subject specializations that you can opt for in a MA program at Mansarovar Global university are mentioned below.
- MA in Public Administration
- MA in History
- MA in Economics
- MA in Political Science
- MA in Hindi
- MA in English
- MA in Sanskrit
- MA in Geography
- MA in Sociology
- MA in Home Sciences
- MA in Education
- MA in Psychology
- MA in Physical Education
- MA in Rural Development
- MA in Social Work
- MA in Public Health
- MA in Rural Science
How an MA Benefits your Career
In addition to imparting specialized knowledge in the subject that you choose for your MA degree, it also has many added benefits that can benefit your career greatly. Let us discuss some of these benefits in more detail now.
Specialized Knowledge
The specialized knowledge in your field that you learn during the course of your MA program is greatly beneficial to your career. You can get ahead of the competition among your industry peers with greater and more-in depth knowledge.
Lifelong Learning
Students are generally required to submit a thesis or capstone project at the end of their MA program, and this always requires discussions, academic research, and writing which sharpen skills that will go a long way in their future careers. As a result of these experiences, they are bound to be able to analyze complex problems at their jobs and find solutions. On top of that, the research skills that they gain prepare students from the best Arts colleges in Bhopal for a life of constant learning.
Transferable Skills
Employers these days value transferable soft skills highly when looking for the perfect candidate. An MA degree improves your power of inquiry, logical thinking, and critical analysis – all skills that are highly sought after. On top of that, skills like problem-solving, communication and presentation skills, and written and oral expression also improve during the course of an MA program.
Better Pay and Career Advancement
The soft skills and critical thinking abilities that a Master of Arts degree nourishes are getting rarer and rarer. Hence MA graduates have a higher preference for jobs than those just with a Bachelor’s degree. They are offered better pay that befits their postgraduate status too when compared to just their graduate counterparts.
There are a lot of job roles that are available to graduates after they complete their postgraduate degrees. On top of that, higher qualifications often translate to higher salaries for the same roles.
MA vs BA: Common Jobs and their Salaries
To demonstrate the difference between the pay scale of a BA graduate and an MA graduate, we have compiled a table for common jobs that both are eligible for.
Job Profile | Average Salary (BA) | Average Salary (MA) |
Content Writer | INR 2.9 LPA | INR 3.6 LPA |
Social Worker | INR 2 LPA | INR 3.1 LPA |
Journalist | INR 3.5 LPA | INR 4 LPA |
Professor | INR 3.3 LPA | INR 8 LPA |
Conclusion
As you might have gathered by now, there are many ways in which a Master of Arts degree can elevate your career. On top of having specialized knowledge, transferable skills, and more demand overall in any industry they work in, MA graduates often earn more than their peers with just an undergraduate degree.
FAQs
1. What are the industries that I can get a job in with a Master of Arts degree?
You can get a job in many different industries like teaching, art, design, languages, journalism and communications, law, and human services with a Master of Arts degree.
2. What can I do if I want to study further after an MA degree?
You can go for other higher education courses like M. Phil or Ph. D. in your own field after completing your MA, or go for courses in other disciplines like MBA, PGDM, Certificate courses, etc.
3. Can I get government jobs after completing my MA?
Yes. You can apply for government jobs through competitive exams such as UPSC, SSC, CHSL, IBPS, etc after completing your MA.
4. Can I get a management subject as my specialization in my MA degree?
Yes. Subjects like Public Administration, Rural Management, etc are all subjects related to management and administration that you can study in a MA program at the best Arts college in Bhopal.