Master of Arts (Scotland)

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A Master of Arts in Scotland is an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the four ancient universities of Scotland and the University of Dundee. Although the degree is named Master of Arts, it is considered generally equivalent to the BA (Bachelor of Arts) awarded elsewhere by most universities. The degree course usually lasts four years, while the Bachelor of Arts course in England usually lasts three years - the Scottish MA generally consists of two years of honours-level courses as opposed to the one year of honours studied as part of the BA, although there exist three-year MA (Pass)/(General) degrees with a different layout.

Subjects awarded

The undergraduate MA only applies to fine art, humanities, social sciences and theology within these universities. The Honours degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) is awarded for four years of study in the field of science and the honours Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is the four year legal degree (again with an ordinary available after three years). Newer undergraduate degrees are either undergraduate Bachelors or undergraduate Masters in the advanced undergraduate degree scheme as above.

Status

Scottish/Oxbridge undergraduate MAs are seen by some as being within the cohort of advanced undergraduate degrees such as MMath or MSci, mostly as a combination of the title of "Master of Arts" (as opposed to the title of Bachelor) and also by virtue of being granted by a leading research university with a long history. This uncertain status of an MA (Hons) with regards to a BA (Hons) is the source of some antagonism, particularly by the graduates of newer universities (such as the "Red Brick" universities or the post-1960/1992 universities).

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, a QAA Scotland/Scottish Qualifications Authority, initiative seeks to formalise equivalence between all qualifications in Scotland from pre-school to further and higher education, and classifies both as Honours degrees at Level 10. As with all degrees, the status and relative worth of each is best measured by taking into account the status of both the department and the university where it was gained.

Honours

As opposed to the Oxbridge MA (which has no honours as there are no separate exams for the award of MA), the Scottish MA is awarded with the same system of honours as other British undergraduate degrees, for example "MA (Hons) Upper Second Class". Consequently, graduates with a Scottish MA may also gain a postgraduate MA from a non-Scottish university and may style themselves MA(Hons), MA - the research MA, although not awarded with honours, is nonetheless considered superior to the undergraduate MA and thus is placed last in post-nominal titles. Faculties of Arts in Scottish universities generally do not award postgraduate MAs but instead use the system of an MPhil (for a research postgraduate masters) or MLitt/MSc/MRes (for a taught postgraduate masters).

Academic degrees
Associate's degrees (U.S.) AA, ABA, ABS, AS
Foundation degrees (U.K.) FdA, FdEd, FdEng, FdMus, FdBus, FdSc, FdTech
Bachelor's degrees AB or BA, BSc or SB, BBus, BCom or BComm, BCS, BEc, BEng or BE, BS or BSc, BFA, BD, BHE, BJ, BPharm, BPE, BHK, BCL, LL.B., MB ChB or MB BS or BM BS or MB BChir or MB BCh BAO, BMus, B.Math, BBA, BAdm, MA (Oxon.), MA (Cantab.), MA (Dubl.), MA (Hons)
Master's degrees MA, MS or MSc, MSt, MALD, MApol, MPhil, MRes, MFA, MTh, MTS, M.Div., MBA, MPA, MJ, MSW, MPAff, MLIS, MLitt, MPH, MPM, MPP, MPT, MRE, MTheol, LLM, MEng, MSci, MBio, MChem, MPhys, MMath, MMus, MESci, MGeol, MTCM, MSSc, BCL (Oxon), BPhil (Oxon), ThM
Specialist degrees Ed.S., SSP, B.Acc., C.A.S.
Engineer's degrees Ch.E., B.E., C.E., C.E., E.E., E.A.A., E.C.S., Env.E., Mat.E., Mech.E., Nav.E., Nucl.E., Ocean E., Sys.E.
Doctoral degrees PhD, EdD, EngD, DNursSci, DBA, DC, DD, DSc, DLitt, DA, MD, DDS, DMD, DMA, DMus, DCL, ThD, JD, OD, DO, PharmD, DrPH, DPT, DPhil, DOM, OMD, DPM, PsyD, DSW, LL.D., J.S.D., S.J.D. S.T.D
Law degrees B.A. Law, J.D., D.Jur., LL.B., B.C.L., LL.L., LL.M., LL.D., J.S.D., S.J.D., Ph.D.

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Academic degrees
Associate's degrees (U.S.)	AA, ABA, ABS, AS
Foundation degrees (U.K.)	FdA, FdEd, FdEng, FdMus, FdBus, FdSc, FdTech
Bachelor's degrees	AB or BA, BSc or SB, BBus, BCom or BComm, BCS, BEc, BEng or BE, BS or BSc, BFA, BD, BHE, BJ, BPharm, BPE, BHK, BCL, LL.B., MB ChB or MB BS or BM BS or MB BChir or MB BCh BAO, BMus, B.Math, BBA, BAdm, MA (Oxon.), MA (Cantab.), MA (Dubl.), MA (Hons)
Master's degrees	MA, MS or MSc, MSt, MALD, MApol, MPhil, MRes, MFA, MTh, MTS, M.Div., MBA, MPA, MJ, MSW, MPAff, MLIS, MLitt, MPH, MPM, MPP, MPT, MRE, MTheol, LLM, MEng, MSci, MBio, MChem, MPhys, MMath, MMus, MESci, MGeol, MTCM, MSSc, BCL (Oxon), BPhil (Oxon), ThM
Specialist degrees	Ed.S., SSP, B.Acc., C.A.S.
Engineer's degrees	Ch.E., B.E., C.E., C.E., E.E., E.A.A., E.C.S., Env.E., Mat.E., Mech.E., Nav.E., Nucl.E., Ocean E., Sys.E.
Doctoral degrees	PhD, EdD, EngD, DNursSci, DBA, DC, DD, DSc, DLitt, DA, MD, DDS, DMD, DMA, DMus, DCL, ThD, JD, OD, DO, PharmD, DrPH, DPT, DPhil, DOM, OMD, DPM, PsyD, DSW, LL.D., J.S.D., S.J.D. S.T.D
Law degrees	B.A. Law, J.D., D.Jur., LL.B., B.C.L., LL.L., LL.M., LL.D., J.S.D., S.J.D., Ph.D.