MA Ancient History Course, Admission, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Jobs and Salary, Scope, 2023

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Sounak Banerjee

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MA Ancient History is a 2 year PG course that gives the knowledge of ancient history and archaeology of Indian subcontinent.

Note: Students who wish to pursue their education in Management field or get a career boost, can check MBA course.


MA Ancient History course includes the culture, institutions, antiquities, ideas, and concepts through ages from Pre-historic period down roughly to thirteenth century A.D.

Students can be admitted into MA Ancient History course through undergoing specific Entrance Exams, Round of Personnel Interviews, Group Discussion with ease. The Average Course Fees can be around INR 1,500 to 5 Lakhs.

Checkout: top MA colleges in India

After Successfully completing the MA Ancient History course, one can pursue higher studies in History, Archeology and can apply for Government Jobs by appearing in Civil Service Examination. The Average MA Ancient History Course Salary per Annum will be around INR 2-8 Lakhs, varied by experience, knowledge and skills of one.

After completion of MA Ancient History course, one can also opt to enroll in Indian Council of Social Science Research, Indian Council of Historical Research, and Archeological Survey Of India, etc. They can also opt for Phd courses in the relevant field.

MA Ancient History Course Highlights

Course Level Postgraduate
Full form MA Ancient History
Duration 2 Years (4 Semester)
Examination type Semester
Eligibility Must Hold Bachelor’s Degree (Graduation) from a recognized College/ University of the Country in any of the Commerce or Arts or Science stream with securing at least 45% to 50% marks in aggregate. Though Students from Arts Stream will be Preferable.
Admission process Merit Based, Entrance exam and Several round of Personal Interview
Average Course fee INR 5,000 to INR 7,00,000.
Average Annual Salary INR 4,20,000 to INR 7,20,000
Top Recruiters National Heritage Agencies, Government and Private Museum, Jaypee Group, Essar, Karnataka State Department of Archeology, Orissa State Department of Archeology, National Museum, Government Museum and Art Gallery
Job Positions Historians, Valuers, Archaeologist, Archivist, Curator and other several position in Government Departments, Museum Education Officer
Admission Process

MA Ancient History: Admission Process

The most popular entrance exams in the country are BHU PET and JNUEE, which are required and mandatory for admission into Primarily Public Universities/Colleges. Private institutes also conduct their own examinations, Several Rounds of Personal Interviews, Group discussions and sometimes rely on the national/ state level entrance exams. 

Generally the Procedure to be keep in mind when applying for Entrance exam-based Admission is mentioned below:

  • Registration: Generally Date of Registration for the Entrance Exams are announced by the Institute/Colleges prior to the Final Admission. A Desired Student needs to be created an Account with some basic details like Full Name, email-id, phone number, Age and Current Status.
  • Fill up Details: The Subsequent step is to fill up the application form of relevant exams with all necessary details with utmost care. Care must be taken to ensure that the details provided here are True in all the manners, Accurate and correct.
  • Submission of Mandatory Documents: Then Students have to Scan and upload all mandatory documents like Class 10th - 12th Mark sheets, Bachelor’s Degree (If candidate had done Diploma then the Marksheet of the same). Those Documents need to be uploaded in a specific format only (mentioned therein Bracket like Doc File, PDF format, JPEG/PNG), as specified by the University/ Institute’s Exam application portal.
  • Application Fees: An application fee is to be paid online through Net Banking or Specified NEFT A/C provided thereon, during the submission of the application form. Sometimes it differs from Institute to Institute though some relaxation provided to candidates belongs to SC/ST/OBC/EWS Category, read it carefully.
  • Download Admit Card: Admit cards are released online, generally before a week or prior to the day of examination. The admit card must be downloaded and printed out by the students to be used and presented to Invigilator on the day of the examination.
  • Examination: Prepare for the exam as per the syllabus, past and last year papers of Potential Institutes. Don’t forget to give Mock Test for the same. Appear for the examination on the date announced by the Colleges, Universities with fulfilling all the necessary requirements mentioned in the Admit Card itself.
  • Result: Generally Results are announced by the colleges in a couple of weeks or in months from the day of the exam. If a candidate is successful in qualifying the entrance examinations, they will get an email confirming the same and are also eligible for the next round like Personal Interview/Assessment.
  • Counseling and Admission: The last stage is Counselling, which is held only for those students who have successfully cleared the entrance examinations. The student can now take admission in the MA Ancient History course after proper counseling.

MA Ancient History: Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for MA Ancient History aspirants is not much complicated and is as follows. Though the eligibility criteria will differ from institute to institute and colleges to colleges offering the said course.

  • Candidates must have held a Bachelor's Degree in the same field with History, Human Psychology as major subjects.
  • The qualifying aggregate score required in Bachelor’s Degree is 50% to 55%. Though Some relaxation is provided to Students from reserved category in age and in marks.
  • Candidates who have a Diploma in History, done after class 10th are also eligible for the admission.

MA Ancient History: Entrance Exams

There are many National and State-level entrance exams to appear for the admission into the MA Ancient History Program. Listed below are some of these popular entrance exams.

  • JNUEE: Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Exam (JNUEE) is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) at the National level. It is held twice in a year, in the month of May and October of each year for admission into Undergraduates and Postgraduate programs in all streams.
  • Jain Entrance Test: Jain Entrance Test (JET) is the Entrance Exam Conducted by Jain University situated in Bangalore, Karnataka. The examination is held in both mode i.e. online and offline, conducted over three hours and the paper is of 100 marks. 
  • BHU PET: Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Test (BHU PET) conducted by Banaras Hindu University at University level. It is held in an offline mode, conducted over two hours and the paper is of 360 marks, containing 120 Questions each carrying 3 Marks. 

Following table shows the important dates to be kept in mind for application and examination of the above-mentioned examinations.

Examination Date of exam
JNUEE Check here
Jain Entrance Test Check here
BHU PET Check here

MA Ancient History: Tips to Prepare for Entrance Exams

To help candidates prepare effectively and efficiently for the entrance examinations, the following pointers can be referred to keep in mind.

  • Prepare a Proper schedule and try to stick with a timesheet for studying. Include each topic in every subject and stick to the time allocated to each and every matter which is critical from an exam point of view. 
  • This will ensure the entire syllabus is covered without missing any tricky point at least once and revised if possible. 
  • Allocate at least minimum 2 to 3 hours for study on a day-to-day basis and then increase the same when examination has not much time to leave.
  • Mind the basic Concept of subject and sensitivity thereon. The basics will be the key to form the base for the more advanced and relatively typical chapters later on when you are done with the syllabus at once. A strong understanding and proficient knowledge of the basics will be useful.
  • Allocate some specific time for the more typical topics to resolve it. If needed, approach a teacher/professor or subject matter expert of your known to help go over the topics again in which one may face an issue.
  • Try to read more and more of Competitive books that are read by Civil Service Aspirants as most of the toppers recommend the same.

MA Ancient History: Tips to get Admission in a Good College

To secure admission into a top-ranked MA Ancient History college of the country, a number of factors come into play. Some of the following tips, tricks will be helpful to prepare for the same.

  • Since most of the institutes have individual tests, aspirants can prepare for them by studying respectively for each exam.
  • They are required to have a UG degree, with a predisposed interest in the different aspects of a political science course.
  • Candidates must keep the crucial dates of the entrance examination and application deadline in mind and must take early action against all of the requirements.
  • Students must be updated with the current affairs of the world, with a jotted down knowledge of the stream they wish to excel in.
  • They must also be prepared for the personal interview sessions and try to excel in their public speaking and communication skills.

MA Ancient History: What is it about?

  • MA Ancient History offers a wide range of knowledge to the candidates of the historic period of India along with World History as well.
  • The Main goal of this course is to enhance the knowledge of students and make them understandable enough to conserve Indian Heritage and its diversity.
  • Along with-it students are also experienced in field work related to Archeology and related matters thereon.
  • It provides a large range of opportunities to students to study chronological and geographical interesting topics about the Indian Ancient History.
  • Throughout the MA Ancient History  graduates will build strong writing, analytical thinking, and research skills that will benefit them as writers, editors, or analysts.
Top Colleges

MA Ancient History: Top Colleges

College Name Average Annual Fees
Jawaharlal Nehru University INR 1,500
Banaras Hindu University INR 5,000
Visva Bharati University INR 4,000
St. Xavier's College INR 75,000
Jain University INR 50,000
University of Madras INR 11,000
Karnataka University Dharwad INR 16,000
Vikram University INR 10,500

MA Ancient History: College Comparison

Parameter Jawaharlal Nehru University Banaras Hindu University University of Madras
Objective JNU is one of the best Public Universities and provides diverse knowledge to its students in the field of Law, History, Politics, Human Practices Commerce and Management. Banaras Hindu University is one of the best Maha Vidyalaya since 1916 which offers various UG, PG and Diploma courses. University of Madras is Public State University, in Chennai, Tamilnadu established in 1857, it is one of the oldest Universities in India.
Location Delhi, DL Varanasi, UP Chennai., TN
NIRF Ranking 2020 2 3 22
Average Annual Fee INR 1,500 INR 5,000 INR 11,000
Average Annual Placement Package INR 7,00,000 INR 4,50,000 INR 3,25,000
Top Recruited Companies Hughes, Europa, Siemens, Nagarro, KRONOS, Nortel Networks Morgan Stanley, Bosch, Times Internet, IFFCO Tech Mahindra, Cognizant, Karvy

MA Ancient History: Course Advantages

The goal to attain a MA Ancient History degree will depend on each individual’s aspirations, attitude, goals and dedication. Following are some of the reason to pursue this course:

  • Reputed Profession: MA Ancient History is one of the best programs in which candidates gradually gain their knowledge along with interesting Syllabus such as important issues regarding Ancient History, their lifestyle and their adoption to derive some conclusion, Perspective and Foresight of the past people.
  • High Pay: In comparison of other MA courses, MA Ancient History provides a good opportunity to the desired candidates to secure high salary package because of their specification in particular field i.e. History.
  • Career Opportunities: This course provides vast opportunities as Jobs in government sectors are quite high. They can work as historians, museum curators, archivists, archaeologists, high school teachers, etc. 
  • On completion of the Program, students will be able to get handsome salary packages ranging between INR 4,20,000 and INR 7,20,000 depending on candidate’s knowledge, relevant skills and expertise in the field.
  • Candidates can further pursue courses in the same field such as MPhil in History, PhD in History and PhD in Archeology.

MA Ancient History vs MA (Public Policy)

The course comparison between MA Ancient History and MA Public Policy is as follows. Also check out: Top MA Public Policy Colleges in India.

Parameters MA Ancient History MA (Public Policy)
Duration 2 Years 2 Years
Focus Area History, Modern Civilization, Phases of Transformation, Cultures to being Modern from Ancient, Civilization, Socialization, Globalization. Education – Public Finance - Economy, Stages of Revolution, Public Health and Wealth, Urban Development, International Relations
Admission Criteria State or national level entrance examination. State or national level entrance examination.
Eligibility Criteria UG Degree UG Degree
Average Course Fees INR 5,000 to INR 7,00,000 INR 4,000 to INR 5,00,000
Job Options Historians, Valuers, Archaeologist, Archivist, Curator and other several positions in Government Departments, Museum Education Officer. Economic Development Officer, Executive Non-Profit Director, HR Director, Public Affairs Director, Research Director, Public Relation Consultant
Areas of Employment Archaeology, Museology, Academia, Researcher and Civil Servants. Private Sector Job, Non-Profit Sector Job, Government Sector Job
Average Placement Package INR 4,20,000 to INR 7,20,000 INR 3,00,000 to INR 6,60,000
Syllabus

MA Ancient History: Syllabus

The subjects taught for the MA Ancient History program are almost similar in most of the law colleges. The syllabus for the entire MA Ancient History course is as follows.

Semester I Semester II
History of India Up to C.A.D. 650 Historiography, Concepts and Methods
History of India from C.A.D. 650 to 1206 A.D. Social and Economic System and Institution
State in India Religions and Philosophical Ideas
Paleography and Epigraphy Numismatics
Semester III Semester IV
Prehistoric India Proto-historic India
Principle and Method of Field Archeology Early Historical Archeology
History of a Stupa and Rock Cut Architecture Indian Temple Architecture
History of an Indian Sculptures and Paintings Indian Art and Iconography (600-1200)

MA Ancient History: Recommended Books

Tabulated below are some of the MA Ancient History subject books that can help students to have a broader and better understanding of the course:

Name of the Book Author
India’s Ancient Past R.S Sharma
The Wonder that was India A.L Basham
History of Modern India Bipan Chandra
Medieval India Satish Chandra
Job Profile

MA Ancient History: Job Prospects

The History field has a wide scope of job opportunities in comparison to other fields like Commerce and Science. They may be hired in many different sectors of the industry from . Some History professionals are also able to secure jobs in Various sectors such as Archaeology, Museology, Academia, Researcher and Civil Servants etc.

Some of the most common job profiles that a MA Ancient History student can opt for along with job description and salary package are mentioned in the table below.

Job Position Average Annual Salary
Historian INR 4,80,000
Archivist INR 5,00,000
Curator INR 4,20,000
Archeologist INR 6,60,000
History Teacher/ Professor/ Lecturer INR 6,00,000
Future Scope

MA Ancient History: Future Scope

  • The Postgraduate Students can prefer to do jobs on completion of this program or can go for higher studies. 
  • PhD in History: Doctor of Philosophy is a Doctorate course in History. The program is specifically designed for those students who want to develop skills in conducting Research and Investigation work by using best methodologies available thereon.
  • Competitive examinations: The one who has done MA Ancient History, can opt for various Competitive examination, Civil Services held at both State and National Level as they have good knowledge and experience of the field, examination and work. Government jobs are the most secured and high payable one.
FAQs

MA Ancient History FAQs

Ques. What is MA Ancient History Course?

Ans. MA Ancient History is a 2 Year Long Full Time Program of which includes Professional, and Expertise knowledge of the History Field. The main aim of the course is to provide Knowledge and Study related to Ancient History, their lifestyle, various cultures, traditions and compliance pertaining to History, prevailing in the country in a combined manner.

Ques. What is the major difference between MA Ancient History and MA (Public Policy)?

Ans. Basically MA in Ancient History course more focuses on study of Ancient History of Human Being, Phases of Their Transformation, Modern Civilization, Socialization and Globalization of the same whereas MA in Public Policy majorly focuses on Public Health, Wealth, Education, Public Finance, Management, Urban Development and International Relations regarding Trade and Practices.

Ques. Which is the best College for MA Ancient History in India?

Ans. There are so many Private and Public Institutes/Universities/Colleges available across the country which offered the MA Ancient History course in Full Time Mode and Distance Mode. Though Jawaharlal Nehru University and Banaras Hindu University are one of the best History Schools in India, followed by University of Madras, as per, NIRF Ranking 2020.

Ques. What is the career opportunity of an MA Ancient History course?

Ans. As compared to a normal MA course, a specialized course of MA Ancient History enables a lot of opportunities for students in various sectors such as Historians, Archivists, Curators, Archeologists, Librarian, History Teacher/ Professor/ Lecturer in Nationalized Colleges across India.

Ques. What are the subjects taught in MA Ancient History?

Ans. The Main Subjects that are taught in MA Ancient History is as Follow.

  • Outlines Of Human Histories
  • Studies in Indian Archeology
  • Cultural Heritage
  • History of Arts and Architecture in India
  • Ancient Civilization of India
  • Indian Religions
  • Ancient Indian Polity
  • Indian Philosophy
  • Indian Religions
  • Indian Temple Architecture
  • Numismatics

Ques. Which are Options left to Pursue after Completion of MA in Ancient History?

Ans. After successfully completing the Master’s course in Ancient History, one can get a handsome job and can also pursue MPhil and PhD in History and Archeology. One can also go for Civil Service Examination as a Major in History Subject, they already had learnt.

Ques. Are Entrance Exams Compulsory for MA Ancient History Course?

Ans. Some of the best Colleges like JNU, Banaras Hindu University made it compulsory for the students to appear for the Entrance exam if they want to avail the admission into the same. Though at the same time there are Colleges/Institutes such as Panjab University which don't conduct Entrance exams and offer Direct Admission into the course.

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