MA vs M.Ed: Eligibility, scope, careers & other key differences

Pursuing a Master’s degree after completing your UG qualification is a wise career choice. It establishes your expertise in your chosen field of study and also improves your career prospects after graduation. While some students prefer to pursue MA courses at the postgraduate level, some others wish to nurture their teaching skills and take up an M.Ed instead. Similar as they may sound, these two degree programs are rather different from one another. This blog highlights the MA vs M.Ed comparison in light of various factors, such as eligibility for the programs, their career scope, key differences in curriculum, and the focus of the two programs. 

What is an MA?

Let us begin by understanding the two study programs individually. MA is the popular acronym for Master of Arts, a postgraduate-level degree in the Arts or Humanities stream and a continuation of a Bachelor of Arts or BA. 

Students interested in pursuing MA courses can choose from various specializations, such as History, English, Psychology, Journalism, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Hindi, and Philosophy. Sikkim Manipal University offers online MA courses on the Online Manipal platform in a combination of three subjects: English, Political Science, and Sociology. 

The two-year online MA course is divided into 4 semesters, further divided into 15-20 hours of sessions per week, all imparted on the online platform. The table below details the curriculum of the online MA program at Sikkim Manipal:

What is M.Ed?

M.Ed or Master of Education is a graduate-level qualification for teachers who are keen on improvising their existing teaching methods, thereby enabling students to learn better. The degree is pursued at the postgraduate or PG level and is generally imparted for 2 years. It is particularly helpful for educators, allowing them to broaden their career horizons beyond the classroom. 

Shared below is the detailed curriculum of M.Ed courses in India to help you understand its distinction from that of MA courses listed above. 

Source: https://www.shiksha.com/m-ed-master-of-education-chp

MA vs M.Ed: The key differences

Now that we understand separately both the Master’s degrees and their relevance for students, let us dig a little deeper into their core differences. The table below highlights the key differences between the two degree programs based on the eligibility criteria for MA and M.Ed programs, academic focus, curriculum structure, and career scope after MA and M.Ed, respectively.

 How to become a teacher after my MA?

Students aspiring to become a teacher in India can find immense help from a professional MA qualification. Here are some ways how an MA can be useful in pursuing a career in teaching:

• A Master’s degree is a particularly useful tool to upskill yourself and advance in your career path. An MA degree in hand can open up several career opportunities in the teaching industry.
• By pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), students who completed their Bachelor’s in a different subject but wish to take up teaching as a career can still achieve their dream.
• An MA degree helps equip students with the desired relevant skills for teaching – leadership, decision-making, and more.
• An MA qualification also opens up ways for improved salary earnings for candidates.   

Pursue an online MA from Sikkim Manipal University

Now that we know the importance of pursuing an MA course in teaching as well as the prospects and challenges in MA and M.Ed programs (discussed in detail in this blog), it’s worth noting here that you can even pursue an online MA degree from the comfort of your home. Sikkim Manipal University offers online MA courses on the Online Manipal portal. The course is offered in a combination of 3 subjects – English, Sociology, and Political Science, enabling students to choose a specialization of their choice, which they can later use for teaching as well. 

Conclusion

MA and M.Ed programs both are in high demand for a lucrative career in teaching. While M.Ed is an advanced program specifically designed for educators, MA covers a much broader spectrum of subjects and can perfectly kickstart a career in teaching. Sikkim Manipal University offers an online MA on the Online Manipal University platform as a two-year program in 100% online mode.