ADVANCED EDUCATIONRank I Programs

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Advance Your Rank. Elevate Your Impact. Earn More.

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Advance Your Teaching Career with Bellarmine

Bellarmine’s fully online Rank I program is designed for certified Kentucky educators who want to deepen their expertise, increase their salary, and step confidently into leadership roles. With flexible tracks and personalized guidance, you'll grow as an educator and rise as a leader.

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What is Rank I?

In Kentucky, Rank I is the highest level of certification for teachers and often leads to significant salary increases and advancement opportunities. Bellarmine’s program meets all EPSB and CAEP standards and is built around the real needs of today’s classroom educators.

Program Highlights

  • 100% online: Built for working teachers
  • CAEP-accredited and EPSB-approved
  • 60 credit hours of graduate-level coursework (including your master’s)
  • Minimum of 15 hours completed at Bellarmine
  • Guided Professional Growth Plan and personalized faculty advising
  • Capstone aligned to your area of interest or endorsement

Choose Your Track

Curriculum and Instruction: A flexible, customizable track aligned with Kentucky Teacher Performance Standards. Includes the Teacher Leader Endorsement option.

Literacy Specialist: A P–12 endorsement focused on literacy instruction, intervention, and schoolwide leadership. Prepare for roles as a reading coach, literacy resource teacher, or classroom specialist.

Use a Bellarmine MAED as Your Launchpad

Already considering or enrolled in a Bellarmine MAED program? Bellarmine's MAED tracks including Instructional Leadership, Literacy Specialist Endorsement, STEAM, and Trauma-Informed Practices, can count toward Rank I certification.

This means you can pursue your passion now and build momentum toward Rank I without duplicating coursework. Our faculty advisors will help you map your progress from MAED to Rank I efficiently and strategically.

Take the Next Step

Bellarmine’s Rank I program gives you more than a credential; it gives you clarity, confidence, and the flexibility to grow without stepping away from your classroom. Apply today and unlock your full potential as a teacher-leader.

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All advanced-level teacher education programs at Bellarmine University's Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education are recognized by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). View CAEP Annual Reporting Measures

Admission Requirements

  • A valid Professional Teaching Certificate (Kentucky or equivalent).
  • Two recommendation forms:
    • One from your current principal or their designee.
    • One from a supervisor or colleague (e.g., department chair, employer, or former professor) who can speak to your potential for graduate-level study.
  • Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official language proficiency scores:
    • TOEFL iBT score of 80 or higher, or
    • Equivalent scores on the IELTS or MELAB
    • Bellarmine reserves the right to request a TOEFL score from any applicant based on review of materials.
  • International applicants must submit additional documentation. See the application form for details.

Learn more about Bellarmine University.

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Contact

For more information, call 502.272.7100 or email your questions to admissions@bellarmine.edu.