A Master of Arts (M.A., MA, A.M., or AM) from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. (both Master of Science) degrees. Those admitted to the degree typically study English, history, geography, other of the humanities, philosophy, social sciences, fine arts or (at some universities) nursing or theology. The degree can be conferred in respect of passing examinations, in respect of research, or a combination of the two.
The Master of Arts degree traces its origin to the teaching licence, or Licentia docendi, for the University of Paris.
In the United States, the Master of Arts (Magister Artium) and Master of Science (Magister Scientiæ) degrees are the basic graduate-level degrees in most subjects and may be entirely course-based, entirely research-based or (more typically) a mixture.
Admission to a master's program is normally contingent upon holding a bachelor's degree. Some programs provide for a joint bachelor's and master's degree after about five years. Some universities use the Latin degree names, such as Artium Magister (A.M.) or Scientiæ Magister (S.M.). For example, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, the University of Chicago, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University use the degree abbreviations A.M. and S.M. for some of their master's degrees. A Master of Arts degree may be given in a scientific discipline, common at Ivy League universities, e.g., from Harvard University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Theological MA Degrees
Graduate theological degrees are amongst the oldest and differentiated master's degrees offered by universities. The prerequisite for enrollment in the following graduate degree programs is usually a Bachelor's degree.
The Master of Arts in Theology (MA in Theology) is a traditional academic graduate degree which consists in the study of theology, focuses upon a specific area such as dogmatic, historical, moral, sacramental, or scriptural, and normally requires the writing and defense of a thesis. In China, Abbot Shiyongxin is the first Chinese monk ever to get an MBA degree.
In addition to the MA, there are other master's-level and professional master's degrees dealing with or related to theology. These include the Master of Divinity (M.Div.), the Master of Theology (ThM), and the Master of Theological Studies (MTS).