Completed your post-graduation in MA? Want to start a successful career after an MA? If yes, this write-up is just for you!
Master’s in Arts is among the most prestigious post-graduation degrees students in India opt for. There is not just one subject where students can pursue this degree. Be it subjects like History, Geography, Philosophy, Journalism, or Social Work, you can pursue any of these streams based on your interest.
But MA is not only limited to these subjects, herein we will discuss the top career opportunities after MA that offer job satisfaction, high salaries, and a fair amount of career growth in the future. But before that let us get a brief idea of what MA is all about and its importance in the present date.
The Importance of an MA Degree
If you are pursuing an MA degree or have already pursued it you might be surprised to know that this PG degree holds so much significance even today. Let’s get introduced to each point that explains why this academic degree is still relevant and important:
Specialization
Pursuing an MA brings a plethora of opportunities in front of an individual from which he can choose one to specialize. By allowing an individual to have in-depth knowledge of the subject, one can become an expert in his field, this expertise can open doors to advanced careers, research opportunities, or teaching roles.
Global Opportunities
With the rapidly growing globalization, MA helps one to learn international relations, economics, or anthropology which can provide an individual with the tools to work on a global scale, be it in NGOs, diplomacy, or multinational organizations.
Critical Thinking
It might be a big surprise for everyone (especially the IT ones), but pursuing an MA does enhance an individual’s critical thinking and enables them to make difficult decisions seamlessly. Especially in the present times, making informed decisions has become a necessity to ensure world peace.
Research and Innovation
If you are interested in innovating something new with research practices like writing a thesis or research project. With such actions, you can conduct original research, that can lead to discoveries, publications, and innovations in your field.
Job Satisfaction
Last but not least, job satisfaction and a minimal workload are the highlights of pursuing this degree. Unlike a hard-core technical degree, this one deals more with human life and its different aspects. Plus getting a good salary in exchange is the cherry on top.
Top Career Paths After Completing an MA
Check out the list of the top 10 career paths that one can choose after completing a Master’s in Arts degree:
Academia and Teaching
Teaching is one of the most preferred careers after completing an MA. Both professor and assistant professor are prestigious roles that you can work on after completing your post-graduation through MA. This career is not just an easygoing one but also enables you to learn new skills every day.
Average Annual Salary (With Teaching Career after MA)
₹4 Lakhs – ₹19 Lakhs
Research and Development (R&D)
Working as an R&D specialist, an individual could focus on bringing new ideas on board, improving the existing norms, and eventually developing new products or practices. Creating an actual product won’t be the case every time, but after conducting in-depth research on a specific subject, one might bring something new to existence, which sounds exciting enough for an explorer.
Average Annual Salary (With R&D specialist Career after MA)
₹6.1 Lakhs – ₹29 Lakhs
Journalism
As mentioned above, MA can be pursued in different subjects and one of them is journalism. Master in Journalism and Mass Communication is a PG degree that opens the door for different mass com fields like news reporter, new writer, anchor, cameraman, and more. With lucrative salaries, journalism job profiles also introduce the world of fame to some extent, especially in the case of satellite news channels.
Average Annual Salary (With a Journalism Career after MA)
₹5.98 lakhs to ₹7.16 lakhs
Content Writing
Content writing is one of the best job roles that one can pursue after completing a Master’s in Arts. Content Writing involves research that eventually becomes a write-up filled with information and facts. So if you are already planning to start your career as a content writer after completing your MA, this post-graduation degree will give you just the right amount of ignition to start your career as a content writer.
Average Annual Salary (With Content Writing Career after MA)
₹1.1 Lakhs to ₹7.0 Lakhs
Entrepreneurship
Starting a business doesn’t require any degree or post-graduation compulsorily, rather you just need an idea and you should be capable enough to conduct research before starting it. Also, just because you are pursuing a Master’s in Arts subjects, you don’t need to start your business in this stream only.
Rather, you can start your entrepreneurial journey in any field, but most importantly it should solve a problem, to make it successful. MA gives you the power to observe your surroundings more effectively which helps you find what people are seeking and enables you to plan your business accordingly.
Average Annual Income
₹2 Lakhs to ₹15 Lakhs
Digital Marketer
Digital Marketer is one of the most in-demand jobs of the present time. But what does MA have to do with digital marketing? As discussed above pursuing MA opens a plethora of opportunities for your career. However, to get indulged in a digital marketing career you would be required to pursue an MA in some specific subjects like Journalism and Mass Communication.
This degree will cover advanced studies for writing, camera, video editing, photo editing, script writing, and more. Learning these skills will eventually create a path for you towards becoming a digital marketer.
Average Annual Salary (With Digital Marketing Career after MA)
₹6 Lakhs to ₹10 Lakhs
Animator
Being an Animator is one of the most creative and prestigious job profiles that one can pursue after completing an MA degree. Because the job role requires you to become creative, a Master in Arts is one of the key degrees that holds the potential to help an individual think out of the box and bring something new to the table as he works as an animator.
Because the Animator job is not limited to any qualification, one can learn essential skills through an Animation course. This will not only enable you to get a high-paying job for yourself but will also enable you to pursue a freelance role opportunity during your graduation days. This will firstly sharpen your skills and second will make you financially independent. This brings us to our next point, freelancing.
Also Read – How to Become an Animator?
Average Annual Salary (With Animation Career after MA)
₹4 Lakhs to ₹8 Lakhs
Freelancing
Because students are already equipped with multiple responsibilities during their college days, most importantly including studying, working full-time is difficult. Here comes the role of a freelance job. You can choose any field to get into a freelance job after your MA. However, what remains critical is to decide in advance, which field suits you the best. If you are good at writing, you can work as a freelance content writer; on the other hand, if you are good at graphic design and animation, you can work on freelance projects.
Average Annual Salary (With Freelancing Career after MA)
₹2.5 Lakhs to ₹5 Lakhs
HR Specialist
Human resources is one of the most in-demand jobs. Plus it is also considered one of the few jobs in the world that might not be affected by the wrath of artificial intelligence in the upcoming years. Once you have completed your MA, you can consider this job role, because, unlike other technical jobs, this role will allow you to interact with humans daily, understand their problems, and bring solutions for those issues.
For instance, if you work in a company as an HR Specialist, you would conduct your day-to-day responsibilities like recruitment, administration, training and development, employee relations, and performance management. Besides this, you will also try to resolve the personal and professional issues that the employees might be facing in the office.
Average Annual Salary (With HR Specialist Career after MA)
₹5,00,000 Lakhs to ₹7,00,000 Lakhs
Public Service and Government Jobs
Lastly, we all know what India is all about government jobs and public services, be it a clerk role or the later high post roles, Indians are okay with any role that comes with the term ‘Gov.’ When it comes to pursuing a government job after a Master’s degree one can work in the central or state government job roles. One can also indulge in non-profit organizations to serve the community and contribute to societal development.
With the deep understanding of complex societal issues gained in your MA degree, you can implement initiatives that are aligned with public requirements which could eventually promote social welfare, and improve the quality of life for citizens. The position may require strong communication, analytical, and leadership skills to engage with individuals involved in the public sector domain effectively.
Average Annual Salary (With Government Jobs after MA)
₹2 to ₹5.5 lakh
Key Skills Gained During MA and Their Career Impact
There are N number of skills that can be gained during MA, herein we have listed the top 5 skills that you should learn with their career impacts:
| Skill | Explanation | Career Impact |
| Analytical Skills | Ability to assess information, identify patterns, and draw logical conclusions. | Helps in decision-making, problem-solving, and data analysis in business, research, and policy-making. |
| Research Skills | Ability to gather, analyze, and interpret information from various sources. | Essential for roles in academia, journalism, marketing, and corporate strategy. |
| Communication Skills | Ability to convey ideas clearly in writing and speech. | Enhances workplace collaboration, leadership, and content creation in media, education, and business. |
| Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking | Ability to analyze challenges, think logically and develop effective solutions. | Crucial for careers in management, consulting, law, and innovation-driven industries. |
How to Make the Most of Your MA Degree?
Building a Strong Portfolio
Create a strong portfolio that includes your work experience, be it internship or learning the above skills.
Networking and Professional Development
Once you create your portfolio it is time to enhance your networking by reaching potential recruiters (HRs) on platforms like LinkedIn.
Internships and Practical Experience
Internships are crucial before starting your career journey. Internships are more about learning and less about earning money, so in this initial stage of your career ensure your learning is not compromised from any distractions.
Pursuing Further Studies (PhD, Certifications)
At last, pursuing further studies is always in trend, be it a PhD, certification in various fields like digital marketing, animation, web development, or opting for further Master’s degrees can do wonders for you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a Master’s in Arts offers a diverse range of career opportunities that can cater to an individual’s interests, skills, and goals. With the right mindset, an MA degree provides the chance to build expertise in various fields, from teaching to research, journalism, content writing, digital marketing, and more. By enhancing your skills with time, gaining practical experience, and networking effectively, you can start a successful, fulfilling career after completing an MA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you learn and then polish on your skills plus ensure that you have eventually become familiar with the technical norms you want to make your career in then getting a high-paying job after MA will be an easy task.
Ans. There are ample opportunities that one can consider after completing an MA degree. Some of the best career options include Teacher, Journalist, Digital Marketer, Animator, HR Specialist, and Public Service and Government Jobs.
Ans. It is not compulsory, although pursuing your MA in streams like Mass Communication can help you make a successful career in digital marketing.
Ans. Research and Analytical Skills, Critical Thinking, Communication Skills (Verbal and Written), Problem-Solving, Time Management, Leadership and Teamwork, and Public Speaking are some of the many skills one can gain during an MA.
Ans. Yes, many students consider preparing for a government job with their degree or even after getting post-graduated. Also, in a PG degree like MA one has minimal pressure of studying for the whole day, unlike other degrees. This ultimately gives students the liberty to consider various career options.
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