A Master of Arts in Scotland is an academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of Glasgow, Edinburgh University, St Andrews University and the University of Aberdeen. Heriot-Watt University also offers this degree, and the University of Dundee awards this degree as a result of its link with St Andrews. The degree course usually lasts four years, although it is possible to finish a course after three years and be awarded an "ordinary degree".
Subjects awarded
The MA applies only 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). Aberdeen & Edinburgh Universities also offered the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (BD) asa four-year course. Newer undergraduate degrees are either undergraduate Bachelors or undergraduate Masters in the advanced undergraduate degree scheme as above.
Status
Scottish/Oxbridge 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. However, after a report by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, it has been suggested that it should be stressed that graduates of both the Scottish and Oxbridge MA degrees have not studied at anything higher than 'first cycle' level, within the terms of the Bologna Accord. [1]
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".
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