Master of Arts

American

noun

a master's degree given usually in a specific branch of the humanities or social sciences.
a person who has been awarded this degree. M.A., A.M.

Master of Arts British

noun

MA. a degree, usually postgraduate and in a nonscientific subject, or the holder of this degree

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Master of Arts

First recorded in 1490–1500

Compare meaning

How does master-of-arts compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Master of Arts vs. Master of Science

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Master of Arts

In June, he completed his graduate studies for the Master of Arts in criminal justice program, she said.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 30, 2022

So Kinley began her educational journey to gain a Master of Arts in leadership at City University of Seattle in 2018.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2022

A New Jersey university is launching what it called the world's first "Master of Arts in Happiness Studies."

From Fox News ● Mar. 26, 2022

So we went through all the programs they had, and they led me down the garden path to one called the Master of Arts in Leadership.

From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2020

Yale College and then Harvard bestowed upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts.

From Inventors by Philip Gengembre Hubert

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023