Embassy of the United States Ottawa, Canada

Master of Arts Degrees

The Master of Arts degree is the first graduate level qualification offered following the successful completion of the Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States, and typically takes two years to complete. Individuals who earn a Master’s degree are known to make higher incomes, and hold higher level positions in business, government and the not-for profit sector.

The Council of Graduate Schools has developed the brochure Why Should I Get A Master's Degree?, highlighting the advantages of graduate level studies around earnings potential, employment opportunities and the social, cultural and political advantages of graduate studies.

Types of Master’s Degrees
The Master’s degree provides further in-depth academic training within a specialized branch of knowledge, and can be a terminal qualification in its own right, or lead to continued studies towards a doctoral degree.

It is becoming increasingly common for graduate level programs in the U.S. to bypass the Master’s degree altogether, offering instead direct entry from the Bachelor’s degree straight into PhD. studies, with the Master’s degree seen as an intermediary degree that can be obtained if necessary upon petition from the university.

Academic Master’s Degrees (MA, M.Sc.)
Academic Master’s degrees (alternatively referred to as Research degrees) typically train students within the bread and depth of a specialized field or discipline for further study at the doctoral level. However, terminal academic Master’s degrees equip scholars with a higher level of education in historical, theoretical and analytical reasoning, research, writing and leadership skills well beyond what the Bachelor of Arts degree is capable of preparing students with. Further coursework, oral presentations, independent research, examinations and a graduate thesis are typical requirements of the Master’s of Arts (MA) and Master’s of Science (M. Sc.) degrees.

The MA is awarded in the social sciences, humanities and arts, while the M.Sc. is awarded in technical fields such as engineering, environmental studies and the natural sciences.

The Council of Graduate Schools has developed the Professional Master's Initiative, with the goal of aligning workforce requirements with graduate level education in the social sciences, natural sciences, arts and humanities. Recognizing the importance of the skills, knowledge and abilities of Master’s level graduates, the goal is to include more emphasis within traditional Academic Master’s programs on professional training in business, law, politics, government and third sector institutions such as NGO’s, the voluntary sector and not-for-profit organization.

Retrieving the Master's Degree from the Dustbins of History is a report prepared for the American Historical Association, and provides context around the historical evolution of the Master’s degree and the continuing value of the Master’s degree today.

Factors to Consider when Selecting an Academic Master’s Degree Program

Academic Fit and Suitability of Program –

• Consider the professional affiliations, publications, breadth of research, specializations and collaborative projects of the academic faculty, who will be key to providing contacts and networks to research resources within your area of study.
• Align your academic research objectives carefully with the specializations of individual academic staff within a department, and consider how your particular area of study can be supported by the faculty, program resources and course requirements.
• Be aware of the face-to-face time granted to students by faculty, of the collaborative research supported between students and faculty.
• Remember: Courses and faculty vary on a yearly basis, as academic staff go on sabbaticals, take on grants or complete visiting scholar opportunities abroad.

Professional Development –

• Consider if the program cross-collaborates with other departments, academics or institutions, allowing you to take courses outside the department, to train with further specialists in your field of study, allowing you to either broaden or specialize your study around a particular area of concentration.
• Seek out programs that provide opportunities to apply your research practically such as through internships, publication, teaching or field work.
• Look for programming that includes an innovative schedule of graduate seminars, colloquials and lecture series that draw academics and professionals from within the field to give talks.
• Consider opportunities for academic exchanges with other universities or short-term study abroad grants to conduct research within specialized collections, archives or institutions.

Resources, Location and Size –

• Consider the access you will have both through the university and surrounding area to specialized resources such as libraries, archives, institutions and collections, laboratories, facilities and technologies of relevance to your particular area of study.
• Determine if the program or department is affiliated with key professionals or organizations in your field (i.e. governments, business, scientific institutions, think tanks, the private sector, political organizations, cultural facilities and academics) and how the department collaborates with these external networks.
• The size of a university will set the tone of your academic experience, and will determine the resources available to you for research, social and professional development, so ask yourself;
  • Do you want to be in a competitive or rigorously academic environment, or do you prefer balancing your social, academic and extra-curricular interests;
  • Are you interested in building a close-knit community that concentrates on collaborative research, or do you prefer independent study;
  • Are you focused on an area of specialization requiring access to particular resources, or are your studies theoretically oriented, or are you more interested in the applied social implications of your research;
  • Do you value academic networks, travel, and competitive research opportunities, or would you benefit from graduate student associations, community development projects, work placements and professional networks?

Competitiveness, Costs and Funding -

• Be aware of the acceptance rates of the university and college programs you are interested in, and apply to a range of schools offering varying admissions standards as related to GPA, standardized test score averages, major field of study and work experience. Being a well rounded candidate is your best weapon for success.
• Money matters, and taking the time to establish the costs, benefits, grants, funding, scholarships, travel and research resources available to you through your program of study will be critical to your personal, professional and academic success.
• For more information, please visit our section on Funding.

Professional Master’s Degrees (MBA, M.Ed., MLA, MPA etc.)
Professional Master’s degrees are designed to train students in particular professional areas such as business (MBA), public administration, urban planning or architecture (MPA), social work (MSW), education (M.Ed.), library sciences (MLA), theology (Th.M), public health (MPH), nursing (MNP), visual, performing or applied arts (MFA) or public policy (MPP). Professional Master’s degrees are most often terminal, meaning they lead to an occupational vocation, rather than towards further study at the doctoral level. Graduates from professional Master’s programs go on to work in a variety of professions in government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.

Professional degree programs typically require between thirty-six (36) and forty-eight (48) credits, meaning either one or two years of full-time study. A more traditional thesis option is available through some programs, but more likely professional Master’s programs will offer work-placement opportunities through paid or un-paid co-op placements or internships.

Features to Look for in a Professional Master’s Degree Program

Emphasis placed on coursework and electives –

• Consider the professional affiliations, publications and work experience of the faculty within the department, which will be key to determining the practical applied experiences you will gain through classroom learning.
• Look for course content that includes the study of practical cases, historical developments and current events, with a focus on local, national and international innovation within the sector.
• Be aware of the face-to-face time granted to students by the faculty, as well as opportunities within the core curriculum for feedback, collaborative research between students and faculty, networking (eg. alumni contacts) and professional development (eg. conference participation).

Applied work experience through Internships or Co-op placements –

• The institutions, associations, government agencies and public sector organizations the faculty and department are affiliated with will be significant to establishing the work-placement opportunities you will have access to through the program.

Capstone projects or field work –

• Look for a curriculum that emphasizes intensive active learning projects focusing on a specific aspect of the industry with a written research report component, or to participate in ongoing field projects within the sector. Developing written analysis and applied research skills will set you apart from other candidates seeking employment after graduation.

Consortia opportunities –

• Consider if the program cross-collaborates with other departments, academics or institutions, allowing you to take courses outside the department, to train with further specialists in your field of study, or allowing you to either broaden or specialize your study around a particular area of concentration.
• Seek out opportunities for short-term study abroad placements in order to gain further international experience.
• Look for programming that includes an innovative schedule of graduate seminars, colloquials and lecture series that draw leaders, both academic and professional, from within the field to give talks in the department.
• Consider the collaborative projects underway within the department to determine the strength of the program in remaining informed and involved in the latest approaches, ideas and technologies within the sector.