Master of Arts in Psychology, also known as MA Psychology, is an in-demand Postgraduate level degree course in the field of Psychology. The duration of the MA Psychology course is 2-years. Candidates must have completed their undergraduate degree with a minimum of 50% marks to be eligible for MA Psychology Admission. Most of the reputed universities demand for students to have honors in Psychology, or at least have studied Psychology as a subject in graduation.
The average cost of pursuing an MA Psychology is approximately INR 10,000 – 50,000 per year. MA Psychology syllabus revolves around the detailed ideas of the various divisions of psychology like Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Social Psychology, Psychometry, Neuropsychology, the study of Emotions and Paradigms, etc.
With the demand for psychological counseling increasing day-by-day, there are several MA Psychology job opportunities. MA Psychology graduates can get jobs as Clinical Psychologists, Psychological counselors, Psychologists in Rehabilitation Centres, or even as Sports Psychologists. They can also work with various NGOs and social organizations. The average MA Psychology salary in India is INR 4,68,000, and it can go as high as INR 8,73,000 for the position of training manager. After completing MA Psychology a candidate can also pursue a P.hD in any one of the branches of Psychology, like clinical Psychology, Industrial Psychology, etc.
The following table shows some major highlights about the course as a whole.
| Course level | Masters |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Exam Type | Semester wise/ Year wise |
| Eligibility | Graduation from recognised university |
| Admission Process | Merit based/ Entrance exam |
| Course Fee | INR 10,000-95,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 3.5-6 Lakhs |
| Top Recruiters | Welfare Organisations, Defence Forces, Prisons, Clergy, Mental Health Centers, Schools |
| Job positions | Teacher, Doctor, Counselor, Clinical Psychologist |
MA Psychology: What is it About?
- This is a postgraduate course in psychology which studies human behavior and psyche.
- MA Psychology Syllabus covers areas like motivation, crisis management, reactions, conflict resolution, group thinking and feelings.
- The course aims to train the students to identify emotional, behavioral issues and the ways to come up with a specific treatment plan for each patient.
Why study MA Psychology?
Humans might know a lot about the outside world but it is the understanding of ourselves that we lack. As the world is becoming more complex we are moving away from ourselves. Studying this subject helps to bridge just that.
- Job growth in the department of Psychology is expected to grow by 25% by 2025.
- The world needs more and more psychiatrists to deal with stress, high pressure and the growing loneliness among people. This is a field created by the modern age and it will only grow with it.
- Students also have a huge field of research opportunities after MA Psychology.
MA Psychology Admission Process
MA Psychology admissions usually happen on the basis of merit, but there are some colleges like Ramkrishna Mission Vidyalaya and Hindu College which conduct their own entrance exams. There are two types of admission process that are prevalent in India: Merit based and Entrance Exam.
Merit Basis
Admissions are offered to candidates for MA Psychology on the basis of their merit in their respective colleges on completing their graduation. Some colleges that follow this criterion are:
- Fergusson College Pune
- IGNOU
- Banasthali University, Jaipur
Entrance Exam
For taking admissions in MA Psychology, the scores of the CUET are widely accepted as it is a national level entrance exam conducted by NTA:
- Daulat Ram College
- Indraprastha College for Women
- Zakir Husain College
Students have to go through personal interviews also after clearing the entrance test to get admission into this course.
MA Psychology Eligibility
There are varied eligibility criteria and it depends on the particular college. Some of the basic requirements that are required are:
- A graduate degree from an accredited college.
- Minimum percentage of around 50%
- Some colleges prefer students to have a psychology degree.
Some colleges conduct their own entrance exams, there are separate eligibility requirements for these exams. Some colleges also prefer students with an honours degree, thus it is advisable to check into the university website.
MA Psychology Entrance Exams
Some of the entrance exams for MA Psychology are stated below along with college name, eligibility to sit in the exam and the last date of application.
MA Psychology Syllabus
The whole syllabus that is normally followed for MA Psychology is given below, divided into four semesters.
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Applied Psychometry | Statistics and Experimental Design |
| Cognitive Process | Social Psychology |
| Neuropsychology | Basic Organizational Processes |
| Emotions in Everyday Life | Cognitive Behaviour Therapy |
| Paradigms of Psychology | Applied Developmental Psychology |
| Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
| Indian Psychology and its Applications | Appreciating Diversity |
| Multivariate Technique | Organizational Development and Change |
| Group Process in organisations | Human Resource Practices |
| Training and Development | Psychology of Advertising |
| Positive Psychology | Psychology at the Margins |
| Self Inpsychoanalytic Thought | Gender: A Psycho-Social Understanding |
| Listening and Communicating | Development of Social Psychology |
| Development of Theories of Mind | Cognitive Development during Infancy and early childhood |
MA Psychology Colleges
Top MA Psychology Colleges in Uttar Pradesh
Top MA Psychology Colleges in Maharashtra
Top MA Psychology Colleges in Rajasthan
| College Name | Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Banasthali Vidyapith, Jaipur | 48,000 |
| Iis (Deemed To Be University) - [Iisu], Jaipur | 69,600 |
| Rnb Global University - [Rnbgu], Bikaner | 60,000 |
| Amity University, Jaipur | 90,000 |
| Lucky Institute Of Professional Studies, Jodhpur | 12,000 |
| Jai Narain Vyas University - [Jnvu], Jodhpur | 480 |
| Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phoole University - [Mjrpu], Jaipur | 39,000 |
| Nims University, Jaipur | 40,000 |
| Career Point University - [Cpu], Kota | 24,000 |
Top MA Psychology Colleges in Delhi NCR
College Comparison
Some detailed comparisons of top private colleges like St. Xavier’s Mumbai, Fergusson College, Pune, Symbiosis Pune and other colleges are listed below.
| Parameter of Comparison | St. Xavier's College, Mumbai | Fergusson College, Pune | Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | It is a catholic autonomous college in Mumbai providing Arts, Science and Management courses. Its Psychology department was started in 1957, and currently provides both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. | The Psychology department of the college is quite young. It provides two specializations for MA Psychology - Industrial Psychology and Clinical Psychology | The first batch of MA Psychology was started recently in 2018. |
| Ranking (The Week) | 6 | 10 | 26 |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 93,250 | INR 35,120 | INR 55,300 |
| Average Placement Package | INR 4,50,000 | INR 1,42,000 | INR 4,15,000 |
| Top Recruiters | Accenture, Asian Paints, TCS, Blue Star Ltd | Tata, Muktangan, Ace, Cognizant,Selectigence | Not Available |
St. Xavier’s Mumbai is one of the best colleges for placements closely followed by Symbiosis. All of them are excellent colleges to study MA Psychology, it is about the way of study and area of focus of every individual college that the student must keep in mind while choosing their college.
| MA Psychology Colleges in Kerala | MA Psychology Colleges in Lucknow | MA Psychology Colleges in Delhi NCR |
The chart below shows the placement packages offered by some of the top colleges in India.
Source: Official Institute Websites
Some Institutes in India provide MA Psychology through distance education mode also. In such cases, the time taken to complete the course goes up to 5 years instead of 2 years. Some of the universities which offer this course in distance education mode are:
- Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi
- Andhra University, School of Distance Education, Visakhapatnam
- Institute of Open and Distance Education, Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal
- Karnataka State Open University
Course Comparison
One can complete their Masters in Psychology as both an MSc or MA degree. There are some differences in the focus of the two streams but the eligibility is almost similar. Although it is advisable to pursue that stream in which you have completed your graduation, colleges don’t consider this as an eligibility criterion. Given below is a comparison between MSc Psychology and MA Psychology.
| Parameters | MA Psychology | MSc Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Course Level | Masters | Masters |
| Course Duration | 2 years | 2 years |
| Focus | Focuses on the liberal arts or theories of the subject. | Focuses on the science behind the brain, behaviour and psychological process |
| Eligibility | Student must be from Humanities background | Student must be from science background |
| Average Fees | Government College: INR 10,000-30,000 Private College: INR 35,000-80,000 | Government College: INR 3,000-50,000 Private College: INR 80,000- 2,00,000 |
| Top Recruiters | Welfare Organisations, Hospitals, Defence Forces, Mental Health Organisations | Hospitals, Universities, Research Centers |
| Gender Ratio | 1:2 | 1:3 |
| Top Colleges | DAV College, Hislop College, Fergusson College | Amity University, Banaras Hindu University, Allahabad University, Guwahati University |
| Future Prospect | A professional career in hospitals, schools or industries. | An academic career with a lot of research and knowledge. |
Students pursuing MSc generally tend to complete their PhD in most cases as research is one of the main reasons to pursue it. On the other hand, students who want to start a professional career as soon as possible often choose Master of Arts.
MA Psychology Scope
After completing masters in the field of psychology, there won’t be a lack of jobs as there are a lot of professions related to psychology. Some of the jobs that the students can look at are mentioned in the table below.
| Profession | Job Description | Recruiting Industries | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Counsellor | It looks after the emotional and mental wellness of a patient. | Hospitals | INR 37,200 |
| Psychologist | Psychologists help people deal with problems ranging from short-term personal issues to severe, chronic conditions. | Hospitals, Schools, Prisons, Universities | INR 47,500 |
| Supervising Counsellor | Counselling supervisors have to enable the supervisees to deliver effective and ethical services. | Counselling firms, Private practitioners | INR 37,600 |
| Youth Development Manager | Supervise youth development programs along with maintaining the budget for the same. | Schools, Sports Clubs | INR 38,800 |
| Youth Care Specialist | Helps to maintain a proper environment at school, home and surroundings of a child. | Adoption Centres, Health Department of the Government, School | INR 28,500 |
| Adoption Services Director | Make sure that there is a healthy relationship between the parent and the child being adopted. | Adoption Centres | INR 37,600 |
| Alcohol and Drug Counselor | Helps an individual to walk away from drug use and help them lead a normal life. | Rehabs, Government Agencies, NGOs | INR 33,300 |
A mental counselor is expected to get a salary increment of 13% every 17 months which is way higher than the average increment of other professions which stands at 9% every 16 months. The government sector pays about 5% higher than the private sector. This profession promises a hike of around 36% after 5 years of experience and a hike of around 32% after completing the first 2 years.
Source: Salary Explorer
MA Psychology: Higher Studies
After completing MA Psychology, a student can go for doctorate studies in the field of psychology. Some of the top courses available are:
The eligibility criteria is Masters in any field but in some colleges specifically MA Psychology is required. Some of the top universities where one can get a Doctorate Degree in Psychology are:
- Guwahati University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Amity University
- Allahabad University
- Banasthali University
- Central University of Karnataka
MA Psychology is a very promising stream with good future scope. Both academic lines and professional lines are promising. Job opportunities will increase by almost 15% after completing PhD in the subject.
MA Psychology: FAQs
Ques. What is the qualification for MA psychology?
Ans. Students must complete Graduation with 50%. Most colleges do not require you to study Psychology in graduation but some colleges do.
Ques. What can I do after MA in psychology?
Ans. There are two options after MA Psychology, you can either complete your Doctorate Program or start your professional career. It goes without saying that the pay will increase a lot if you do your PhD.
Ques. Is MA Psychology in IGNOU good?
Ans. IGNOU has the same accreditation as compared to other colleges. A degree from IGNOU is the same as a degree from any other institution. Since it is an open university you can even study while working.
Ques. Is a Masters in Psychology worth it?
Ans. Psychology is a field that is going to grow in the future. With time we are going to need more psychological treatment to lead a life in this complex world that we have built for ourselves. It has good pay, good research scope and a growing market.
Ques. Should I do an MSc or MA in Psychology?
Ans. If you want to earn money now, go for an MA in Psychology, and if you want to study now and then earn a lot of money later in your life, go for an MSc in Psychology.
Ques. Can I do an MA Psychology after BCom?
Ans. Yes absolutely. MA Psychology can be done after completing graduation from any field. Only a handful colleges require Psychology in their Bachelors
Ques. Can I do MA after BCom?
Ans. Candidates who have completed the Bachelor's Degree in Commerce Stream [B.Com] can go for a Masters Degree in either of the two departments i,e. Arts and Commerce [M.A and M.Com].
Ques. What are the subjects in MA psychology?
Ans. MA Psychology covers subjects like General Psychology, Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Health Psychology, Industrial Psychology, etc.
Ques. Can I do regular MA Psychology after distance BA?
Ans. Yes, you are eligible to pursue an MA Psychology course on a regular basis, even after completion of your bachelor's through distance.
Ques. Is MA Psychology tough?
Ans. It is a very exciting subject and will help one to understand human beings better. You will understand why someone is acting in a certain way. You will know a person better than he knows himself.
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