🎓 A MA or An MA? The Complete Guide to Saying Your Degree Correctly

Choosing the right article before MA seems simple until you actually say it out loud. Many people pause and wonder… Is it “a MA degree” or “an MA degree”?

You’re not alone. This small decision can change the flow of your sentence and even affect how professional your writing sounds. In academic writing, these details matter.

So let’s dig into this topic with clear examples, useful tables, real-life cases, and simple explanations.

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Understanding A MA or An MA: The Definitive Guide

When you talk about your degree, you want to sound confident. This guide teaches you why we say an MA, how article rules really work, how abbreviations change pronunciation, and how to format your academic degree correctly.

You’ll also learn about capitalization, apostrophes, style guides, and mistakes people make when using abbreviations like MA or M.A.

Let’s clear up all confusion once and for all.

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How English Articles Work: A vs An

You probably learned the basic rule in school:

• Use “a” before a word starting with a consonant
• Use “an” before a word starting with a vowel

That’s only partly true.
The real rule is based on sound, not spelling.

Correct rule:

• Use a before a consonant sound
• Use an before a vowel sound

English is full of exceptions when spelling doesn’t match the sound.

Examples That Prove It’s About Sound

Word	Starts With	Sound	Correct Article
hour	H (silent)	vowel /our/	an hour
university	U	consonant /yoo/	a university
MBA	M	vowel /em/	an MBA
MA	M	vowel /em/	an MA
master’s	M	consonant	a master’s degree

When you look at this table, you already know where this is going.
The pronunciation of M is /em/ — a vowel sound — so you say:

👉 “an MA degree”

This single rule solves 90% of the confusion.

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Why Abbreviations Change the Rule

Abbreviations behave differently from regular words, because we pronounce letters individually. That means the first sound comes from the name of the letter.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

Letter	Pronunciation	Starts With	Article
A	/ay/	vowel	an A
B	/bee/	consonant	a B
M	/em/	vowel	an M
F	/ef/	vowel	an F
P	/pee/	consonant	a P
X	/eks/	vowel	an X

So MA → pronounced /em-ay/ → vowel sound → an MA

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So… Is It A MA or An MA?

Let’s answer it directly:

**✔ The correct form is:

👉 “an MA degree”**

Why?
Because the letter M is pronounced with a vowel sound (/em/). The article matches the sound, not the spelling.

Correct Sentence Examples

• I completed an MA in Psychology last year.
• She earned an MA degree from a top university.
• He’s applying for an MA program in English Literature.

Incorrect Examples

• ❌ a MA degree
• ❌ a MA in History
• ❌ a MA program

Once you master the sound-based rule, the confusion disappears.

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Understanding What MA Means (Pronunciation + Meaning)

MA stands for Master of Arts, one of the oldest graduate degrees in the world.

You pronounce it letter by letter:

👉 /em-ay/

This pronunciation is the reason we use an MA.

Key Facts About the MA Degree

• Typically a 1–2 year postgraduate degree
• Covers humanities and social sciences
• May require coursework, research, or a thesis
• Common fields include English, Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and Communication

Let’s move into how this works when you say the full name.

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A Master of Arts or An Master of Arts?

The full term starts with the word “Master,” which begins with a strong consonant sound.

So you say:

👉 a Master of Arts degree

Never:

❌ an Master of Arts degree

Correct Examples

• She holds a Master of Arts in English.
• He earned a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago.

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Capitalization Rules for Academic Degrees

People often capitalize degrees incorrectly. Let’s break this down simply.

General Rules

• Capitalize the formal name of a degree
  • Master of Arts
  • Bachelor of Science
• DO NOT capitalize the generic form
  • master’s degree
  • bachelor’s degree
  • doctoral degree

Table: What to Capitalize

Correct	Incorrect
She earned a Master of Arts in English.	She earned a master of arts in English.
I completed my master’s degree.	I completed my Master’s Degree.
He has an MA in Economics.	He has an ma in Economics.

Examples From Style Guides

• APA: lowercase generic terms like master’s degree
• MLA: capitalize formal degree names
• Chicago: abbreviations like MA require periods only if the institution prefers it

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Possessive Forms: Master’s vs Masters

Should you write master’s degree or masters degree?

Only one is correct:

👉 master’s degree (with an apostrophe)

Why?

The apostrophe shows possession:
The degree belongs to a master.

But when you say the full formal degree, you don’t use an apostrophe:

✔ Master of Arts
✔ Bachelor of Science

Correct Usage

• I earned a master’s degree in Sociology.
• She completed her bachelor’s degree last year.

Incorrect Usage

• ❌ a masters degree
• ❌ a master degree
• ❌ a Master’s of Arts

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Abbreviating the Degree: MA vs M.A.

There are two acceptable abbreviations:

• MA
• M.A.

Both mean Master of Arts, but different regions and style guides prefer one or the other.

Regional Differences

Region	Preferred Form
United States	M.A.
United Kingdom	MA
Canada	MA
Australia	MA

Consistency Is Key

You must pick one form and stick to it throughout your writing.

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Degree vs Field of Study

Many people confuse degree names with fields of study. These examples will clear it up.

Correct Formats

• an MA in Economics
• a master’s in economics
• a Master of Arts in Economics

Each version is correct when used in the right context.

Quick Comparison Table

Phrase	Meaning
an MA	Abbreviation of the degree
a master’s degree	Generic degree term
a Master of Arts in Economics	Full formal degree name
an MA Economics	Correct but less commonly used

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Common Mistakes People Make

Even native speakers get tripped up.

Frequent Errors

• Saying a MA degree
• Writing an master’s degree
• Capitalizing degree names randomly
• Mixing abbreviations (MA, M.A., Masters, Master’s)
• Forgetting apostrophes
• Overusing capital letters in generic degree names

Why These Errors Happen

• Confusion between spelling vs sound
• Influence from regional writing styles
• Copying inconsistent online examples

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How to Avoid These Mistakes

Use this quick checklist to write correctly every time.

Article Checklist

• Does it start with a vowel sound?
  • Yes → an
  • No → a

Capitalization Checklist

• Formal degree name → Capitalize
• Generic degree term → Lowercase
• Abbreviation → Follow your chosen style guide

Consistency Checklist

• Choose MA or M.A.
• Stick with one version throughout your writing

Apostrophe Checklist

• master’s degree → apostrophe
• Master of Arts → no apostrophe

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FAQs

Is it correct to say “a MA degree”?

No. The correct form is an MA degree because “M” starts with a vowel sound (/em/).

Why do we use “an” before acronyms like MA?

Because the article follows the sound, not the letter. “M” is pronounced /em/, which starts with a vowel sound.

Is it “a Master of Arts” or “an Master of Arts”?

Always a Master of Arts because “Master” starts with a consonant sound.

What’s the difference between MA and M.A.?

Both mean Master of Arts. M.A. is more common in the US, while MA is common in the UK.

Can I say “an MA Economics”?

Yes, it’s acceptable but less common. Most people say an MA in Economics.

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Conclusion

Let’s wrap it up in one sentence:

👉 You should always say “an MA degree” because the letter M begins with a vowel sound.

When you use the full degree name, say:

👉 “a Master of Arts degree.”

Understanding pronunciation, capitalization, and abbreviations will help you write confidently about academic degrees. Whether you’re updating your resume or writing an academic paper, these rules keep your language clear and professional.