Does MA mean it's a master's degree?
So, I applied to a few undergraduate courses in psychology, and I noticed that some of the courses were MA Psychology rather than BA or BSc. 
Does that mean if I enrol in those courses, I would graduate with a Master's degree rather than a Bachelor's degree?
I always thought it was necessary to complete a Bachelor's degree before obtaining a Master's. Was I right in thinking that, or can undergraduate degrees be Master's degrees too?
Does that mean if I enrol in those courses, I would graduate with a Master's degree rather than a Bachelor's degree?I always thought it was necessary to complete a Bachelor's degree before obtaining a Master's. Was I right in thinking that, or can undergraduate degrees be Master's degrees too?
Original post by indecisive:|
So, I applied to a few undergraduate courses in psychology, and I noticed that some of the courses were MA Psychology rather than BA or BSc. Does that mean if I enrol in those courses, I would graduate with a Master's degree rather than a Bachelor's degree?
I always thought it was necessary to complete a Bachelor's degree before obtaining a Master's. Was I right in thinking that, or can undergraduate degrees be Master's degrees too?
Does that mean if I enrol in those courses, I would graduate with a Master's degree rather than a Bachelor's degree?I always thought it was necessary to complete a Bachelor's degree before obtaining a Master's. Was I right in thinking that, or can undergraduate degrees be Master's degrees too?
Original post by bertstare
They'd be 4 years long instead of 3 years, and yes you'd graduate with a Masters
Unless you're doing MA Psychology at some universities in Scotland such as St Andrews and Edinburgh in which case, a 4 year MA course is, in most cases, an undergraduate degree. It's called MA due to tradition. Afterwards, you'd have to do a Masters course if you want a proper Masters.
Most undergraduate degrees in Scotland are 4 years long. If you'd like to do a Masters, then it's 5 years.
Original post by Quick-use
Unless you're doing MA Psychology at some universities in Scotland such as St Andrews and Edinburgh in which case, a 4 year MA course is, in most cases, an undergraduate degree. It's called MA due to tradition. Afterwards, you'd have to do a Masters course if you want a proper Masters.
Most undergraduate degrees in Scotland are 4 years long. If you'd like to do a Masters, then it's 5 years.
Most undergraduate degrees in Scotland are 4 years long. If you'd like to do a Masters, then it's 5 years.
The courses I'm talking about are at Edinburgh and Glasgow, so...you mean I can get a Master's with just one more year in addition to my MA degree?
Original post by indecisive:|
The courses I'm talking about are at Edinburgh and Glasgow, so...you mean I can get a Master's with just one more year in addition to my MA degree?
So, your 4 year MA is like any other BA/undergraduate degree. It's 4 years and not 3 because that's just how Scottish unis work.
After your degree, you can apply at a uni to do Masters which is usually 1 year long. It's same if you're at any uni - you can finish your undergrad and then apply somewhere for a Masters.
I get it now. Thanks so much for the explanation. 
Are these courses 3 or 4 years long? If they are 3 years, then they're most likely undergraduate degrees, and like somebody mentioned, the title MA just comes from tradition. 4 year courses leading to an MA or MSc are normally known as "undergraduate masters". You can normally choose to graduate at the end of 3 years with a BA degree, or carry onto the 4th year to get an MA without a BA.
If you want to do a postgraduate masters instead of an undergraduate one, it's still one year after getting your BA, but these courses are normally a lot more expensive with little funding opportunities. With an undergraduate masters you can still apply for student loan in your 4th year. Postgraduate masters courses are normally full 12-months long without summer holiday, whereas undergraduate masters have the same term time as a normal undergraduate degree. There are normally 2 types of postgraduate masters: taught or research. Taught masters cover basically the same syllabus as undergraduate masters, while research masters give you a chance to work on 2 or 3 research projects, normally one after the other.
I hope this wasn't too confusing! Oh and this is based on my field, so it may be slightly different for Psychology.
If you want to do a postgraduate masters instead of an undergraduate one, it's still one year after getting your BA, but these courses are normally a lot more expensive with little funding opportunities. With an undergraduate masters you can still apply for student loan in your 4th year. Postgraduate masters courses are normally full 12-months long without summer holiday, whereas undergraduate masters have the same term time as a normal undergraduate degree. There are normally 2 types of postgraduate masters: taught or research. Taught masters cover basically the same syllabus as undergraduate masters, while research masters give you a chance to work on 2 or 3 research projects, normally one after the other.
I hope this wasn't too confusing! Oh and this is based on my field, so it may be slightly different for Psychology.
Original post by I love shopping
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This is a tiny bit confusing because in Scotland, undergraduate degrees are called MA (hons) in some universities even though they're completely the equivalent of a BA. Unlike England, where a BA/undergraduate degree is 3 years long, here it's 4 years long.
The OP is asking about Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Original post by Quick-use
This is a tiny bit confusing because in Scotland, undergraduate degrees are called MA (hons) in some universities even though they're completely the equivalent of a BA. Unlike England, where a BA/undergraduate degree is 3 years long, here it's 4 years long.
The OP is asking about Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The OP is asking about Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Oh, okay. I guess what I said is only relevant to England then.
Quick Reply
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