Short answer
How do Bismarck teachers move to a higher column on the salary schedule?
Bismarck's schedule has nine columns: BA, BA+15, BA+30, BA+45, MA, MA+15, MA+30, MA+45 and MA+60/EdD. Semester credits beyond the bachelor's move a teacher across the BA columns; only courses taken after the master's count toward the MA+ columns. Each course needs approval from the superintendent's office before you enroll, and contracts are adjusted on or before the second Tuesday of September and of January.
Source: Certified Teacher Negotiated Agreement 2025–2027 and 2026–2027 salary schedule, Bismarck Public Schools. Checked .
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How is the Bismarck teacher salary schedule organized?
The 2026–2027 salary schedule runs nine education columns across the top, BA through MA+60/EdD, and steps from 0 down the side. A footnote explains the plus signs: they denote "semester credits earned beyond the bachelor's degree." Teachers with National Board Certification receive an annual addition on top of the schedule amount.
The lower columns stop early. Under Section IV of the 2025–2027 agreement, the BA column ends at step 9, BA+15 at step 15 and BA+30 at step 20. A long-serving teacher on one of those columns stops getting step raises until a column change opens more steps, which is one practical reason credits matter in Bismarck.
New hires may bring up to sixteen years of K-12 teaching experience in 2025–26 and seventeen in 2026–27, wherever it was earned, according to Section V of the same agreement. The district publishes each year's schedule on its salary schedules page; we do not reproduce the figures. Our guide to reading a salary schedule walks through a grid like this one.
Which units count toward a Bismarck column change?
Semester credits, approved in advance. The district's Certified Teacher Manual (revised July 2026) lists the "Criteria for Course Approval" and says that "an approved course can be applied towards a lane change":
- Level: "Must be a graduate level course."
- Field: the course must be in an appropriate field, such as a math class for a math teacher, or a general course appropriate for all teachers, such as positive discipline in the classroom.
- Timing: courses may be taken while on professional or personal leave.
The agreement adds two limits. Only courses taken after the master's degree count toward MA+15, MA+30, MA+45 and MA+60. And an undergraduate course earns credit only "in cases determined exceptional" by the superintendent's office, on a written application with a justification letter filed before the course.
Career and technical educators without a bachelor's degree follow a separate track in the agreement: approved college credit moves them from the BA column to BA+30, and to BA+45 if they file a plan of study toward an associate or bachelor's degree with Human Resources (for teachers hired from 2011–12 on). Quarter-hour conversions are not addressed in the agreement, so ask Human Resources about a quarter-system course before enrolling. Our article on units that count covers the common tests.
Does Bismarck require approval before you take a course?
Yes, for every course. Section I.A of "Salary Schedule Advancement and Placement" in the agreement reads: "All courses must be approved by the Superintendent of Schools or designee to qualify for advancement credit prior to enrolling in the course." The career and technical track repeats the rule for its course work hours.
Tuition help has its own approval. The agreement's Educational Assistance Program covers course work approved by the superintendent's office that is "a part of a course of study for an advanced degree," with a cap per five-year period. The Teacher Manual adds that the study plan is approved by the Human Resources Director and that courses are taken outside work hours. Stand-alone credits taken only for a lane change are not covered by that program. Keep a copy of each approval; our article on pre-approval forms explains why.
When are transcripts due, and when does the new column take effect?
Section II of the agreement's contract terms, "Contract Changes," covers teachers who have "earned a salary adjustment due to additional graduate credits":
- Proof: the request comes with a transcript from the college, a grade report from the college, or a letter from the institution acknowledging successful completion with grades pending.
- Adjustment dates: contracts are adjusted on or before the second Tuesday of September and the second Tuesday of January.
- Proration: the adjustment is prorated for the rest of the contract year. Requests received after September 1 or after January 1 are reflected in the following months.
So a teacher who finishes approved summer courses should file before September 1 to be in the September adjustment, and a fall course should be filed before January 1. Source: 2025–2027 agreement. Our transcript deadlines article explains why filing dates usually control pay.
Do the same units count toward North Dakota license renewal?
Often, but under a different test. The Education Standards and Practices Board renews a five-year license with 30 days of contracted teaching and six semester hours of re-education credit earned within the license dates, documented on a transcript (N.D. Admin. Code ch. 67.1-02-02). The board accepts undergraduate or graduate-level coursework; Bismarck counts an undergraduate course toward a column only in exceptional cases. The ESPB renewal page has the application steps, and the North Dakota renewal section has the full rules.
Where can Bismarck teachers earn graduate-level units?
Every district, Bismarck included, decides for itself whether a course counts for the purpose a teacher needs it for: a column move, a stipend, license renewal or an added endorsement. No provider, university or website can make that decision, so the rules above come first, and written approval from Bismarck's human resources office is the safest record to have before you pay.
Before you enroll: Bismarck's 2025-2027 agreement says: "All courses must be approved by the Superintendent of Schools or designee to qualify for advancement credit prior to enrolling in the course." The Certified Teacher Manual adds that an approved course "must be a graduate level course" in an appropriate field or general to all teachers. Get the approval before you register; a course taken first and approved later is not what the agreement describes.
| Question | What Bismarck says | What to look for on the provider's site |
|---|---|---|
| Type of unit | Bismarck: Graduate level semester credits; undergraduate only if deemed exceptional | Semester or quarter units, graduate-level or not, and the university named on the transcript and its accreditor |
| Grade | See units that count | Letter grade or pass/fail on the transcript |
| Deadline | Bismarck: September 1 or January 1; for the next contract adjustment | Published grading and transcript-posting time, and any rush option |
| Approval | Bismarck: Superintendent or designee, before enrolling | Course descriptions or syllabi you can attach to an approval form |
| Price | Not set by the district | All-in price per credit, including any university or first-course fee (compare) |
Graduate-level credit providers, listed with the same facts
With those rules in hand, compare providers on the same points. Providers listed on this site, each with the same facts:
- Teacher Friendly: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $336 first course for 3 credits (price notes)
- Credits for Educators: self-paced online, units through University of the Pacific; $297 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Fresno Pacific University CE: self-paced, up to 1 year, units through Fresno Pacific University; ≈$475 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Graduate Credit Courses: self-paced, units through Cal Poly Humboldt; $570 for 3 credits (price notes)
- Model Teaching: self-paced, 1 year, units through a choice of six universities, including University of the Pacific; $359 for 3 credits (price notes)
- PD Courses (University of La Verne): online or pdf, semester-based, units through University of La Verne; $420 for 3 credits (price notes)
The provider directory lists 28 providers and programs by what teachers need them for, and Compare sets published prices for 16 of them side by side, with transcripts from 11 universities. A listing on this site does not mean Bismarck has approved a provider or course; only the district can do that. TeacherPayGuide has commercial relationships with some providers it lists; how listings work.
Bismarck salary questions teachers ask
Does Bismarck pay more for credits beyond a bachelor's degree?
Yes. The schedule has BA+15, BA+30 and BA+45 columns before the master's and MA+15 through MA+60 after it. Each course needs approval from the superintendent's office before you enroll.
Do undergraduate courses count in Bismarck?
Only in cases the superintendent's office deems exceptional, on a written application with a justification letter filed before the course. The Teacher Manual's approval criteria call for a graduate level course.
When does a Bismarck lane change show up in pay?
Contracts are adjusted on or before the second Tuesday of September and of January, prorated for the rest of the year. Requests received after September 1 or January 1 are reflected in the following months.
What proof does Bismarck accept?
A college transcript, a college grade report, or a letter from the institution confirming completion with grades pending.
Where can Bismarck teachers take graduate-level courses for salary credit or renewal?
Bismarck decides which courses count, under the rules on this page, so check with human resources before you enroll. Providers that teachers compare include Teacher Friendly, Credits for Educators, Fresno Pacific University CE, Graduate Credit Courses, Model Teaching and PD Courses (University of La Verne). They differ in format, transcript university, grading time and price; the provider directory and the Compare page list 16 providers with the same facts for each.
Sources
- Certified Teacher Negotiated Agreement 2025–2027, Bismarck Public Schools. Checked
- 2026–2027 Salary Schedule, Bismarck Public Schools. Checked
- Salary Schedules, Bismarck Public Schools Human Resources. Checked
- Certified Teacher Manual (revised July 2026), Bismarck Public Schools. Checked
- N.D. Admin. Code chapter 67.1-02-02, North Dakota Legislative Branch. Checked
- Renewing a License, North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board. Checked
Reviewed November 12, 2026 by TeacherPayGuide editors.Report an error