Master of Arts (Scotland) - Subjects Awarded

Subjects Awarded

The MA is awarded only in fine art, the liberal arts, humanities, social sciences and theology at these universities. For science, the degree of Bachelor of Science (BSc) is awarded for four years of study in the field of science and the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) is the four year degree in law. Both of these area can be awarded with honours (four years) or as ordinary or designated degrees (three years).

Degrees in some disciplines lead to the award of either an MA or BSc. A prominent example is psychology. For example, students studying psychology or management at the University of St Andrews or the University of Dundee may be awarded an MA or a BSc depending on whether they are a member of the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Sciences (respectively). At the University of Aberdeen, students studying psychology are awarded an MA or a BSc depending on which they register for; while the psychology content is identical for both, the difference lies in the non-psychology constituent courses taken in first and second years. Those on MA programmes study psychology alongside the liberal arts (e.g. languages) or social sciences, while those on BSc programmes study other pure sciences such as biology.

The Universities of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh also offer the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (BD) as a four-year course. The Bachelor of Divinity is offered at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews, but as a postgraduate degree for a student who has already completed a Master of Arts - the undergraduate degree in divinity/theology is designated Master of Theology (MTheol)).

Newer undergraduate degrees are either undergraduate Bachelors or undergraduate Masters in the advanced undergraduate degree scheme as above.