MA Yoga is a postgraduate course which is usually 2 years long, but the duration can vary from college to college.This course trains students to develop skills in yoga therapy, to help people suffering from psychosomatic disorders, and help the society in general.
To be eligible for a MA in Yoga, students should have an undergraduate degree in Yoga or related field with a minimum 45% aggregate score. However, the eligibility for admission may differ from institute to institute. Some institutions also take on-spot physical tests to check your yoga skills.
Most of the colleges grant admission to this course on the basis of marks scored by the candidate in the previous examination, followed by a personal interview. However, very few colleges also take entrance exams for this course.
The areas that are covered during the degree include the basics and fundamentals of yoga and yoga therapy, including the human anatomy, psychological processes, practical applications, and there is much more to be learnt than just that. The average fee for this course ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 1,20,000, however, the fees for each college is different and depends upon the student’s percentage in their bachelor’s degree.
Students can pursue a Master of Science (MSc) in Yoga as well, however, the only difference between the two postgraduate courses is that a MA is more related to the arts and humanities, an MSc has a more technical and scientific focus.
Students completing MA in Yoga have the job options like Yoga Instructor, Yoga Therapist, Yoga Advisor, Yoga Specialist, etc.
The average salary for students with a postgraduate degree in Yoga is INR 1,50,000 to INR 2,00,000 but can vary depending on the experience and skills level. The salary will increase significantly if they decide to pursue a PhD in Yoga as the research aspects for yoga are extremely prevalent.
PhD in Yoga is a common course offered at many universities in India that either have a department for yoga or are purely a yoga university.
Some of the course’s major highlights are mentioned below.
| Course Level | Post Graduate Degree |
| Full-Form | Master of Arts in Yoga |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Examination Type | Semester and Annual |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s Degree, with a minimum score of 55% |
| Admission Process | Merit and Entrance Exam Based |
| Course Fee | INR 13,000 to INR 1,20,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 1,50,000 to INR 2,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Government & Private Schools, Yoga and Naturopathy colleges or institutions. ESIC General Hospital Naroda Ahmedabad, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, Centre Research Centers, Resorts |
| Job Positions | Yoga Therapy Instructor, Gym Manager-cum-Instructor, Therapist, Yoga Trainer, Consultant Yoga Therapist, Panchakarma Therapist, Marketing Field Worker, Clinical Psychologist, Receptionist & Office Assistant, Teacher/Private Tutor, Customer Relationship Executive, Front Office Assistant, Customer Relationship Executive, etc. |
- The aim of the course is to provide yoga therapy to people suffering from psychosomatic disorders. People in today’s stressful world are becoming more and more health-conscious. As a result, the need for skilled and certified yoga professionals is also increasing day by day.
- Students pursuing this degree study the different ways and techniques of yoga therapy that may be applied in order to relax and prevent people from stressing out.
- The course also involved the study of healthy habits that are to be continued alongside the asanas to maintain health and benefit the body more.
- The course is suitable for students interested in increasing muscle strength, flexibility, losing weight, etc. People interested in preventing stress, anxiety and depression, enhancing sleep patterns, reducing blood pressure and the impact of heart diseases, etc are also benefited from this course.
- The curriculum is designed to provide in-depth knowledge and information and techniques about yoga and is mainly focused on the theoretical and practical aspects of the ancient discipline.
Why Should You Study MA Yoga?
Listed below are the reasons for students to continue their education in the field of yoga by pursuing a master’s degree in it.
- Since the demand for yoga instructors and well-qualified yoga professionals has been growing by 30-35% every year, the number of yoga schools and certification academies has also increased. So, the demand for teachers and yoga instructors are expected to increase in future.
- The course is beneficial for experienced yoga instructors or health practitioners, including medical professionals who want to learn and use yoga techniques for the treatment of various diseases.
- Being skilled and certified in the practices of yoga gives students the opportunity to not only work on their career in India but easily take it abroad to establish a career there as well.
- Not only will students learn to help others through yoga, but also themselves by practising the art of yoga regularly and preventing diseases, and reducing stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
- The salary of a yoga professional can increase with the amount of experience they have gained. When they were first starting out with their professional studies - the salary may seem to be a disappointment, but it will increase with time.
MA Yoga Admission Process
Students seeking admission in the top colleges of India that offer a MA in Yoga have a similar admission process, however, there may be some variants that are not addressed below. A common application process is given below, for both merit and entrance exam based admission.
Merit-Based Admissions
Following are the steps to get admission to a college like the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya located in Bhopal that offers merit-based admissions.
- Fill and submit applications: The application should be filled up properly without any mistakes. Otherwise, it may get rejected.
- Upload documents: After filling out all the required details in the application form, students should scan and upload all the necessary documents for admission and verification on the admission portal.
- Review: The admissions team at the university will then review the students’ applications and see if they fit the eligibility and selection criteria. The shortlisted students will proceed to the interview round.
- Personal Interviews: Universities conduct personal interviews so that they can get an idea of the candidate’s nature and background in regards to the university’s selection criteria.
Entrance Exam Based Admission
The admission procedure to gain admission in a student’s desired university which shortlists students on the basis of entrance exams, like Bhubaneshwar’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology is given below:
- Fill and submit application forms
- Upload the required documents
- Application Fee Payment
- Register for Entrance Exam: If the university that the student has applied to does not directly register the student for the entrance exam, it is the student’s responsibility to register well before the deadline.
- Writing Exams and Results: After the release of the examination dates by the conducting body, The admit cards will be released. Once the examination is over, the review process begins which is followed by the declaration of results.
- Personal Interviews: If the results of the entrance exam meet the university’s eligibility and selection criteria, those candidates will be invited for a personal interview either online or on campus.
MA Yoga Eligibility
The eligibility criteria to get admission in the top colleges of India that offer MA in Yoga are as follows:
- Completion of a graduate course in any stream or some universities ask for a BA/ BSc in Yoga Therapy or a background in Yoga.
- The minimum percentage that needs to be scored by the candidate is 50%, with a 5% relaxation in most universities for minorities.
- As such, there is no age limit for any yoga course, however, some universities have the upper age limit of the postgraduate course as 35 years.
If a student’s current qualifications are not listed on the university’s website, it would be beneficial for them to directly contact the admissions team or an admissions officer to find out whether or not they are eligible for the course.
MA Yoga Entrance Exams
For a Master of Arts degree in a subject like Yoga, there is not a large number of national-level entrance exams, however, most universities have their own written tests, and formal examinations, the list of which is given below.
| Exam name | Exam date |
|---|---|
| PUBDET | Check PUBDET Exam Dates |
| APU UG NET | |
| TS EAMCET | Check TS EAMCET Exam Dates |
Other than these, universities and institutes conduct written aptitude and knowledge tests that can be considered as entrance exams, but they are course and university-specific.
How to Prepare for these exams?
The entrance exams are usually MCQ based. The syllabus for the exam usually comprises subjects and knowledge areas covered in the Graduate Level. The syllabus is according to the Regulations of the respective discipline issued by CCIM/CCHA (for the AIA PGET).
A list of points that can be helpful for students to prepare for the entrance exams conducted by the government, and the private body (university) are given below:
- Students must be thorough with the examination syllabus as they can prepare for the exam easily if they are well-versed with the syllabus.
- Students should also try to attempt as many past question papers as they can so that they can achieve a better understanding of the exam pattern and the type of questions that will be asked.
- Learning how to manage time is one of the most important things that students should invest their time in because they will have to answer 100 questions in the span of ninety minutes.
- Students should not refer to more than one book as a reference because if they take help from multiple books and need to find just one concept - it wastes time.
- Students should stay fit and healthy while preparing for exams instead of stressing themselves out and wasting time by doing that.
- Make a proper timetable so that time can be allocated easily, and almost equally for normal everyday life, and exam preparation.
- It is extremely important for students to be familiar with the marking scheme as it will help them decide which questions to leave if in a rush, as well as the negative marking scheme.
Check the full list of MA Entrance Exams in India.
How to get admission in top MA Yoga colleges?
The following points should be kept in mind if students are seeking admission in the top colleges of India that offer MA Yoga:
- Students should stay updated with the college’s recent press releases, notices and eligibility criteria, cut-off, application deadlines, processes, etc.
- Since the admission process can continue only if students meet the eligibility criteria, like 55%; it is absolutely necessary to score well in their bachelor’s degree exams.
- Students should start preparing for entrance exams as soon as possible so that they have more than enough time to polish their basic concepts. They should also keep a track of general knowledge while getting practice with the type of questions that will be asked.
- Make sure that applications are submitted on time or even early as it will give students plenty of time to get rid of the tension, and focus on entrance exam preparation.
MA Yoga Syllabus
The course syllabus of MA Yoga includes subjects covering Philosophy of Yoga, its History, Lineage with the Indian Society, Yoga according to various faiths, and much more. The Year-Wise subject breakup is given in the table below.
| First Year | Second Year |
|---|---|
| Basics of Yoga - Philosophy of Yoga | Perspectives in Consciousness - Jainism, Buddhism, Sufism, Christianity |
| Basics of Yoga II - Basic Sanskrit | Scientific Study of Yoga and Consciousness |
| Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology | Consciousness: Western & Interdisciplinary |
| Basic Psychological Processes and Disorders | Message of Upanishads |
| Consciousness & Yoga | Therapeutic Yoga Practice II |
| Theoretical Perspectives of Yoga | Advanced Techniques of Yoga |
| Health and Yoga | Patanjali Yoga Sutras and Shad Darshanas |
| Basic Research Methodology and Statistics | Traditions of Shramana Dhare |
| Applications of Yoga | Case Studies |
| Therapeutic Yoga Practice I | Dissertation |
MA Yoga Important Books
Books are the most important aspects of any course. We have tabulated some of the most important books for the MA Yoga course in the table given below.
| Name of the book | Author |
|---|---|
| The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living | Stephen Cope |
| Yoga: The Greater Tradition | David Frawley |
| Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga | B.K.S. Iyengar |
| Yoga Anatomy | Leslie Kaminoff |
| The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice | T.K.V. Desikachar |
| Yoga as Medicine | Timothy McCall |
| Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes | Mark Stephens |
MA Yoga Top Colleges
MA Yoga course is provided by many reputed universities and yoga institutions in India. Some of the topmost universities and yoga institutions providing this course are listed in the table below.
| College Name | City | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Sai Nath University | Ranchi | INR 10,000 |
| Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology | Bhubaneshwar | INR 1,19,000 |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya | Bhopal | INR 13,650 |
| Gujarat Vidyapith University | Ahmedabad | INR 20,750 |
| Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth | Pune | INR 21,000 |
| Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya | Indore | INR 34,711 |
| Banaras Hindu University | Varanasi | INR 4,620 |
| Shoolini University | Solan | INR 75,691 |
| Jiwaji University | Gwalior | INR 30,760 |
| Rabindranath Tagore University | Bhopal | INR 30,000 |
Source: College Websites
MA Yoga College Comparison
The table given below compares three of the top colleges in India that offer a MA in Yoga on the basis of several parameters.
| Parameters | Patanjali University, Haridwar | Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Pune | Jain Vishwabharti University, Rajasthan |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Overview | Aims at innovating teaching-learning and research to produce professionally competent, personally elevated and socially empathetic alumni. | Renders traditional Yogic lore in a systematic and rational way so making it more accessible and understandable to everyone. | Quality education to satisfy students and to give them opportunities to cultivate a personality blended with spiritual and moral values. |
| Collegedunia Ratings | 7.2/10 | 8.9/10 | --- |
| City | Haridwar | Pune | Rajasthan |
| Average Annual Fee | INR 33,500 | INR 90,000 | INR 17,250 |
| Average Annual Package | INR 2.5 LPA | INR 2 LPA | INR 3 LPA |
| Top Recruiters | Sarva, Cultfit, etc. | None listed. | None listed. |
Source: College Websites
MA Yoga Distance Education
Distance education refers to the learning of those students who may not always be present physically at the university. Many universities in India offer distance education like Jain Vishwabharti University, Uttarakhand Open University, and many more.
The average cost of distance education to pursue a MA in Yoga is INR 9,500 to INR 22,000 per year, which can vary according to the guidelines of a university.
Given below is a list of colleges that offer distance education for a Master of Arts degree in Yoga:
| College Name | Location | Duration | Average Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttarakhand Open University | Nainital | 2 years | INR 3,675 |
| Jain Vishwabharti University | Nagpur | 2 years | INR 15,525 |
Course Comparison
MA Yoga vs MSc Yoga
A direct comparison of a MA Yoga can be made with an MSc Yoga. In the table below, the two courses are compared on the basis of several parameters.
| Parameters | MA Yoga | MSc Yoga |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | Post Graduate Course | Post Graduate Course |
| Objective | Yoga is taught with an approach related to arts and humanities. It focuses more on its history, its connections with Indian Culture and heritage, etc. It does not include any technical approach to learning yoga. | Yoga is taught in a more scientific and technical way. It involves studying Yogic methods as a part of Science and learning how these methods can be used as a therapy against diseases. |
| Duration | 2 years | 2 years |
| Examination Type | Semester, and annual exams | Semester, and annual exams |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 13,000 to INR 1,20,000 | INR 10,000 to INR 26,500 |
| Eligibility | Bachelor’s Degree | Bachelor’s Degree |
| Admission Process | Merit or Entrance Exam Based | Merit or Entrance Exam Based |
| Colleges | Jain Vishwabharti University, Patanjali University, Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, etc. | Bangalore University, The Global Open University, Karpagam University, The University of Patanjali, etc. |
| Average Salary Offered | INR 1,50,000 to INR 2,00,000 | INR 2,00,000 to INR 2,50,000 |
| Job Roles | Yoga Therapy Instructor, Gym Manager-cum-Instructor, Therapist, Yoga Trainer, Consultant Yoga Therapist, Panchakarma Therapist, etc. | Yoga Therapist, Yoga Instructor, Yoga Teacher, Research Officer - Yoga and Naturopathy, Yoga Aerobics Instructor, Therapists and Naturopaths, etc. |
Source: College Websites
Check the top MSc Yoga Colleges in India
MA Yoga Job Prospects and Career Options
- By earning a professional degree in Yoga, students get a direct pass to enter the world of fitness, and an entire world full of job opportunities.
- Students with a MA in Yoga not only have job opportunities in fitness but they can also work for the government under AYUSH.
The employment sectors for yoga professionals with a MA in Yoga are listed as follows:
- Government and Private Schools
- Yoga Colleges & Institutions
- Yoga Research Centers
- Hotels & Resorts
- Gym and Fitness Centers
- Health Club
Some of the important profiles available to MA Yoga candidates are listed in the table below.
| Name of Job Profile | Job Role Description | Average Salary Offered |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga Instructor | Create a curriculum and also lead groups in various levels and types of yoga practice. | INR 1.8 LPA |
| Yoga Therapist | Prescribes specific regimens of postures, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques to suit individual needs. | INR 3.5 LPA |
| Yoga & Naturopathy Research Officer | Supervise research projects and work with their team to ensure that the project remains on schedule. | INR 2.4 LPA |
| Yoga Advisor/Consultant | Provide advice and suggestions related to yoga exercises. | INR 4 LPA |
| Yoga Aerobic Instructor | Instructs, leads, and motivates individuals or groups in exercising strength training, and stretching. | INR 2 LPA |
| Yoga Studio Manager | Responsible for the studio’s day-to-day functioning, and training employees as well. | INR 2.5 LPA |
Source: Payscale
The salary can either increase or decrease on the basis of the skills and experience of the student.
MA Yoga Future Scope
- After pursuing MA Yoga, students have the opportunity to work at Health Clubs, Yoga & Pilates Studios, Special Needs Centres, Gyms and in individual clients homes.
- There are also various self-employment opportunities as students can establish their own Yoga Schools and Studios.
- Studying Yoga at a professional level also opens various job opportunities in the fields like Research, Management, Hospitals, Academics, Administration, Consultation, etc.
- The government has made it compulsory to have a yoga teacher in every school, so the demand for yoga professionals has also increased, hence, job opportunities are readily available.
- After pursuing their Master of Arts in Yoga, students can decide whether they are interested in pursuing a doctorate level degree in yoga (PHD Yoga).
- The PhD in Yoga is a three-year course, and to be eligible for this, students have to score a minimum of 55% in their master’s degree. Students will study yoga therapy in-depth to help those suffering from psychosomatic disorders. They will also learn how to treat patients with facilities available at hospitals and through yoga treatments.
Some universities that offer a PhD in Yoga in India are listed below:
MA Yoga FAQs
Ques. What are some courses that can be pursued in Yoga other than MA?
Ans. Yoga can be studied at an undergraduate level with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, at the postgraduate level with a Masters of Arts (MA) and Masters of Science (MSc) degree, and at the doctorate level with a PhD. Other than this, if students are not willing to commit two or three years to study yoga, they can also pursue a diploma, or a teacher’s training certificate course in Yoga as well.
Ques. What can I study after my MA in Yoga?
Ans. Students can decide to take up a PhD in Yoga if they are ready to commit, and are also incredibly devoted to yoga.
Ques. What are the skills required to be eligible for a MA in Yoga?
Ans. No college specifies these skills, but in general, colleges want to select students that want to pursue a yoga course and have some basic Yoga skills.
Ques. What is the eligibility criteria for admission in the MA Yoga?
Ans. Students should have completed their bachelor’s degree in any field and scored a minimum of 55% in their finals.
Ques. How long is a MA in Yoga?
Ans. A Master of Arts in Yoga is usually two years long.
Ques. Are there any distance education options available?
Ans. Various yoga universities provide students with the option to not attend classes on campus, and instead opt for distance education - like Uttarakhand Open University, and other options given above.
Ques. Does yoga have any prospective careers in the government sector?
Ans. Yes, the Indian government has created many job opportunities for yoga professionals. They have even made Yoga compulsory at the school level education.
Ques. What is the examination mode for distance education students?
Ans. The examination mode for distance education students is decided on the sole discretion of the universities - so it may be online, or students will have to come down to the college campus to give the exam.
Ques. Can yoga professionals be self-employed?
Ans. Yes, they absolutely can be self-employed by starting their own yoga studio or creating a yoga mobile app to make the art of yoga more accessible to people, or even be a freelance yoga instructor, trainer or teacher who can visit homes of each individual student and give them one-on-one classes.
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