At Bellarmine, our Bachelor of Arts in Education degree has a reputation for producing excellent teachers who are prepared for the classroom. But did you know that adding a master’s degree could help you earn a significant pay bump in only one additional year?

Many school districts award higher salaries to teachers who have a master’s degree. In Jefferson County Public Schools, which is the largest school district in Kentucky and an employer of many Bellarmine Education graduates, teachers with a master’s degree earn $6,600 more annually than teachers with only a bachelor’s degree.

Those who have already have a bachelor’s in Education and have passed their teacher certification can earn their Master of Arts in Education at Bellarmine in just one year. For those who want to become teachers but have a bachelor's degree in something other than Education, our Master of Arts in Teaching program can help you make the transition. This program is flexibly designed to accomodate full-time workers.

Undergraduate students at Bellarmine who want to become teachers, but who are majoring in something other than Education, can do so through the Early Entry Master of Arts in Teaching track, which allows them to begin their graduate coursework during their senior year. This enables undergrads to earn their master’s quicker while saving money on tuition, while also qualifying for the $6,600 salary increase even as a new teacher.

Bellarmine also offers programs for teachers who already have a master’s degree. Teachers with a master’s can complete our Rank I Post-Master’s Program and earn an additional $6,600 annually, and those with a master’s degree and three or more years of teaching experience can complete either our Master of Arts in Education or Education Specialist in Instructional Leadership and School Administration programs and become a principal in four semesters.

And if you’re interested in moving from K-12 education into a role in higher education, Bellarmine offers a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership as well as two Ph.D. programs to help you make the leap: the Ph.D. in Education and Social Change and the Ph.D. in Higher Education leadership.

Whether you’re looking to increase your salary in your current position or interested in moving into a different role, Bellarmine’s graduate Education programs provide the path to get you there. Visit the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education page to learn more about our graduate Education programs.

Bellarmine alumni and current teachers in the Jefferson County Public Schools and the Archdiocese of Louisville qualify for a 20% discount on master’s programs and a 15% discount on doctorate programs.