A Master of Arts (M.A.) is the study of subjects within the field of arts, humanities, and social sciences. Subjects include history, communication studies, diplomacy, public administration and political science, and the degree prepares graduates for roles within the education and academics, arts and design, and media and communications sectors. You may choose to focus on public policy, for example, and learn to understand descriptive and normative theory with the practice of policy analysis, which will prepare you for a career in transnational policy-making. Or you may decide to study the fascinating history of science, technology, and medicine and either research further at world-renowned institutions or go on and study a PhD in the field. Studying an M.A. means focusing on a key concepts and ideas within your chosen subject, and many universities also offer a wide range of optional modules that allow for you to pursue your own substantive interests. You could pair a study in public policy with courses that cover the boom of big data in culture and society. Graduates with an M.A. represent a body of graduates who wish to delve deep into current developments of society, while maintaining an understanding and fascination for the history that has made these developments possible in the first place, a positive addition to any resume.