Business and Marketing Education

The program offers two majors for K-12: Business and Marketing Comprehensive and Business and Computer Science Comprehensive.  Located within the College of Education and Professional Studies, these programs will help prepare students for careers in teaching business and marketing subjects. The program is the oldest continuous Business Education program in the United States, in existence since 1913. Students graduate with a Bachelor's of Science and Education (BSE) degree.

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, Vocational Business Education (DPI License 281).

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.

A Master's of Science program in business and marketing education, which leads to Wisconsin licensure, is also offered. Other graduate programs include the post-secondary emphasis, which includes certification courses needed to teach in the Wisconsin Technical College System, or the general emphasis designed for teachers who already hold a Wisconsin teaching license.

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

Majors are instructed by award-winning faculty. All of the faculty are former K-12 teachers in business and/or marketing education.

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

• The Wisconsin Business Education Association Post-Secondary Educator of the Year Award
• Delta Pi Epsilon Outstanding Independent Research in Business Education Award
• Russell J. Hosler Award in Business Education
• International Society for Business Education Outstanding Service Award
• UW-Whitewater Instructional Excellence Award

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 (FBLA) and An Association of Marketing Students (DECA) if these student organizations are offered at high school. Participation in a cooperative work-based learning experience is also encouraged. Students should contact their high school guidance counselor for more information.

All students seeking K-12 licensure are required to complete one semester of student teaching in a high school. As an alternative to student teaching, a few school districts offer paid 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.

Business and marketing education offers annually over $10,000 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. Scholarships are also available from the Wisconsin Business Education Association.

Business and marketing education graduates are awarded a teaching license from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Placement opportunities are excellent if graduates are willing to locate where there are openings. 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 campus professional organizations.  Students will experience success and leadership opportunities by joining one or more organizations.

Professional student organizations within business and marketing education include:

• Business and Marketing Education Association (BMEA)
• Pi Omega Pi, the national business teacher education honor society
• Phi Beta Lambda, the collegiate level of Future Business Leaders of America
• Collegiate DECA

Business and Marketing and Business and Computer Science majors are assigned a faculty advisor (after the first year of general advising) to plan their program of study.

Course sequence for student four year plans:

• Business/Marketing Comprehensive 
• Business/Computer Science Comprehensive

For general advising questions regarding Business and Marketing Education please contact:

Advising Assistance Center
Winther Hall, Room 2003
Phone: (262) 472-1585
Email: education@uww.edu

Denise Roseland, Program Coordinator
Business Education
Winther 4045
(262) 472-1831
roseland@uww.edu

Student learning outcomes (SLOs) are statements of what a student will know or be able to do when they have completed a program. They represent the knowledge and skills a program has determined are most important for students to gain from that program. The most useful SLOs are specific and measurable so the program can accurately assess the degree to which students have achieved each outcome, and they align with college and institution mission and values. Data on achievement of SLOs is used to make improvements in the program and increase student success.

• Business Education program graduates will know the subjects they are teaching.

• Business Education program graduates will demonstrate knowledge in the following subject areas: Accounting & Finance, Communication & Career Development, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Information Technology, Law & International Business, Marketing & Management, and Professional Business Education.

• Business Education program graduates will know how students with broad ranges of ability grow.

• Business Education program graduates will understand that students learn differently.

• Business Education program graduates will know how to teach.

• Business Education program graduates will know how to manage a classroom.

• Business Education program graduates will communicate well.

• Business Education program graduates will be able to plan different kinds of lessons.

• Business Education program graduates will know how to test for student progress.

• Business Education program graduates will be able to evaluate themselves.

• Business Education program graduates will be connected with other teachers and the community.

In addition, students who major in Business Education will also meet the following education standards from the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC):

• [Standard 1: Content Pedagogy] He or she must understand the central concept and structure of discipline and it must be created in such a way that students can learn from it effectively.

• [Standard 2: Student Development] The teacher must be able to understand the student’s ability to grasp things and must come up with the methods that can offer better personality development of the students.

• [Standard 3: Diverse Learners] The teacher must know that the students have different capabilities of learning and based on that must train them.

• [Standard 4: Multiple Instructional Strategies] The teacher must be able to understand and use a variety of instructional strategies so that they are able to solve problems, think critically and show better performance.

• [Standard 5: Management and Motivation] The teacher must be able to understand individuals and create a learning environment to encourage positive social interactions, selfmotivation and active learning engagement.

• [Standard 6: Technology and Communication] The teacher should use verbal, nonverbal and media communication to impart knowledge in the students for their better understanding of the subject matter.

• [Standard 7: Planning] It is highly recommended that the teacher must be able to plan various things for students such as curriculum, community and students, and knowledge of subject matter.

• [Standard 8: Assessment] The teacher assesses the students formally or informally to evaluate the social, intellectual and physical development of the students.

• [Standard 9: Reflective Practice: Professional Development] The teacher is considered a reflective practitioner who can evaluate the effects of the choices and actions on others and prepares students to face the world professionally as well.

• [Standard 10: School and community Involvement] The last standard of INTASC standards is to develop the relationship amongst students, colleagues, society, parents and various other agencies to support learning and well-being.

The mission of the Business and Marketing Education (BME) program is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education while meeting the Department of Public Instruction’s requirements for K-12 licensure. This mission complements both the College of Business & Economics’ and the College of Education’s missions. Consistently, Wisconsin school districts recognize the Business and Marketing Education program at UW-Whitewater for its outstanding business and marketing education curriculum and for graduates who are highly equipped to meet the challenges of teaching. Even in the current economic climate, employment for our graduates in teaching positions continues to be good unless the graduates are geographically restricted. There are still geographic areas in Wisconsin where demand for business educators exceeds supply. In an era of financial stress for K-12 institutions, business and marketing education is still a highly desirable elective for students at the middle school and secondary levels.