Business Education and Marketing Education

The program offers three majors for K-12 teaching in business education and marketing education: business education, marketing education, and a comprehensive major in business and marketing education.

Located within the College of Business and Economics, this suite of majors will help prepare students for careers in teaching business and marketing subjects. The program has been the oldest continuous program in the United States, in existence since 1913. Students graduate with a bachelor\\\'s of science in education degree.

A master\'s of science program in business and marketing education, which will lead to Wisconsin licensure, is also offered. Other graduate programs include the post-secondary emphasis to teach in the technical college system or the general emphasis for those who already hold state teacher licensure.

Business and marketing education majors acquire subject matter knowledge in all areas of the business curriculum, including information technology, marketing, accounting, personal finance, business law and general business. Also included is the career and technical education certification, formally known as vocational education.

This program meets the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction\\\'s PI-34 certification requirements for the teaching license at the K-12 level. Specialized courses and field experiences specifically prepare business and marketing education majors for the challenging but rewarding career of teaching. Graduates will be able to teach business subjects at any level in the K-12 system.

The program is accredited by the the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and is recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Majors are instructed by award-winning faculty. All of the faculty are former teachers in business and/or marketing education.

The following awards have been attained by the teacher education faculty:

• The North Central Business Education Outstanding Administrator Award
• The Wisconsin Business Education Association Post-Secondary Educator of the Year Award
• Allied Academics Outstanding Research and Best Paper Award
• Delta Pi Epsilon Outstanding Independent Research in Business Education Award
• Russell J. Hosler Award in Business Education

All faculty members present research at state, regional, national and international conferences; they also publish their research in professional and refereed journals. Faculty are very accessible to students and take responsibility for all teaching and advising.

Students who wish to pursue business and marketing education should possess good basic language skills and critical-thinking ability for college entrance, plus enthusiasm for business and marketing subjects. Students are encouraged to join Future Business Leaders of America and An Association of Marketing Students (DECA) if these student organizations are offered at your high school. Participation in a cooperative work-based learning experience is also encouraged.

Selected secondary courses can be used to meet requirements in the program. Students should contact their high school guidance counselor for more information.

This program has received the \"National Program of Excellence\" award in 1994, 1997 and 2003 as the No. 1 program in the nation for preparing teachers of business and marketing. This honor was given by the Association for Career and Technical Education.

As an alternative to student teaching, school districts offer internships to students who are eligible to student teach. The internship replaces the student teaching experience, and applicants must be eligible to apply.

For related work experience, business and marketing pre-service and in-service teachers are encouraged to work in business to upgrade their business experience that will enhance classroom instruction. These and other related work hours can be applied to the career and technical education license requirement. The department offers a course that allows students to earn three hours for each hour worked; these hours may then be applied to their requirements for Department of Public Instruction (DPI) vocational licensure.

The department offers annually over $6,000 worth of scholarships specifically for business and marketing education majors. One example is the Mary Hermanson Brooks Scholarship, which provides $3,500 to a student in the first year of the major.

Business and marketing education graduates are awarded a teaching license from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Placement opportunities provide a 100 percent placement rate if graduates are willing to locate in a school district throughout the state of Wisconsin. There are also opportunities to teach in other states as the program has a national reputation for producing high-quality teachers.

At UW-Whitewater, students are encouraged to be active members of professional organizations. Students will experience success and leadership opportunities by joining one or more organizations.

Professional student organizations within business and marketing education include

• Marketing Education Association (the collegiate affiliate of the state and national Marketing Education Association)
• Phi Beta Lambda, the collegiate level of Future Business Leaders of America
• Pi Omega Pi, the national business teacher education honor society
• Delta Pi Epsilon, the graduate honor society

Business and marketing majors are assigned a departmental faculty advisor (after the first year of general advising) to plan their program of study. Majors are also assigned a professional education advisor in the College of Education, in accordance with DPI requirements.