BACHELOR'S + MASTER'S5-Year Programs

Students from any discipline are eligible to apply for early entry into the two Master’s degree programs in the Department of Communication. This allows students to complete Master’s level courses during their senior year and obtain both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in 5 years. Receive major discounts and advance your career prospects. The GRE is not required for admission to either program. How it works: Students apply during junior year with a minimum 3.2 GPA in any major and at least a B in Phil 101 and Math 200/205. Take 4 graduate-level courses at the undergraduate tuition rate and complete final six courses upon completing the Bachelor’s degree. Four courses count toward the undergraduate degree, meaning there is a nearly $9,000 discount on a graduate degree.

Master of Arts in Communication (MAC): Students will apply communication theory to contemporary organizational and social issues, and they’ll explore ethical and legal issues related to communication across all media. This program can be customized to fit your specific research interests and future career path.

Master of Science in Digital Media (MSDM): Students will create, evaluate and utilize contemporary tools of communication, and they will explore digital innovations that are changing the way we do business. This program allows you to build a digital portfolio that will give you a competitive edge in the job market.

For more information:
Kyle S. Barnett, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Media Studies Director of Graduate Programs Department of Communication
(502) 272-7270 or kbarnett@bellarmine.edu

The School of Education offers a competitively-priced Early Entry programs for our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for middle and/or secondary teaching. Bellarmine undergraduate students can begin taking graduate MAT courses their senior year and complete a Masters level teaching certification in a 5th year. Students will have the option to complete an Early Entry MAT and teaching certification in Elementary, Middle, or High School.  Each grade level and content area has specific content and GPA requirements.  To have your transcript reviewed for eligibility, please contact Graduate Admissions.

Bellarmine graduates are highly sought after. Starting salary varies depending on the school district in which one finds employment. For example, the 2019-2020 starting salary for a teacher in the Jefferson County School District with a master’s degree is $48,944. In the same district, the average teacher salary is $63,000 with top earners making almost $90,000 per year.

For more information:
Jessica T. Ivy, PhD
Assistant Professor and MAT Chair
(502) 272-7809 or jivy@bellarmine.edu

The Five-Year MBA program offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to complete their baccalaureate degree along with a Master’s in Business Administration in five years. Students with any undergraduate major are eligible for this dual program. “Those who meet admission requirements (grade point average or GMAT score) may apply to our AACSB-accredited MBA program in their junior year. Most will begin taking MBA classes in their senior year. Up to twelve MBA course credit hours may be substituted for requirements for any Bellarmine undergraduate degree. In most cases, the MBA courses may replace up to 12 credits of undergraduate free elective credits. Undergraduates majoring in business disciplines may replace up to 12 hours of required undergraduate coursework with MBA courses.

The Bachelor’s degree is conferred at the end of the fourth year upon completion of the required 120 credit hours. The remaining 27 hours of MBA coursework will be completed during the following summer, fall, and spring semesters. Dual-degree candidates are eligible for admission in either the virtual or weekend tracks of the MBA program.

Dual UG/MBA students pay their normal undergraduate tuition while completing the baccalaureate degree. MBA tuition is paid starting after completion of the undergraduate degree.

• The program is 39 credit hours, with no prerequisites. The curriculum consists of ten core courses, two MBA electives, and an international business requirement. The program and courses are described in more detail here.
• Three fundamental threads run throughout the Bellarmine MBA program: (a) innovation, (b) social responsibility and ethics, and (c) strategic thinking.
• The Bellarmine MBA is a cohort and team-based program; students move through the core curriculum together in teams of four or five students with complementary strengths.
• Students may opt to pursue a concentration in Analytics, or emphases in Marketing, Finance, Innovation or Management.

For more information, please contact:
Jorge Pazmiño, Director of Graduate and Executive Education Programs
The Rubel School of Business
(502) 272-7240 or jpazmino@bellarmine.edu

Students in the Exercise Science program Health and Wellness or Sport Performance tracks may apply for early entry to the Master of Health Science Health Promotion and Social Change track. Interested Exercise Science majors should apply during their junior year.

Admitted students complete 12 credit hours of graduate coursework during their senior year. They complete the remaining 18 credit hours in the summer, fall, and spring earning their MHS one year after finishing their bachelor’s degree.