Marketing Education
The Marketing education major is a 123-hour program designed to prepare students to teach marketing and related subjects in the secondary schools. It is a national model program and meets licensure requirements to teach marketing education in Virginia. (Program sheet in an Acrobat format.)
Marketing education is a nationally recognized course of study offered in some 7,000 high schools and in most community/technical colleges nationwide. The program reaches in excess of one million students each year. It differs from typical four-year college programs in its emphasis on applied marketing skills. Most high school programs are administered through the business or career and technical education departments, and college programs are administered through the school of business-often as part of a mid-management program. Local marketing education programs often incorporate a chapter of the student organization DECA (high school) or Delta Epsilon Chi (college); many work with Junior Achievement and other youth-oriented organizations.
The marketing education teacher is a regular member of the school staff and is responsible for operating and administering this career and technical education program. The marketing teacher serves a dual role. He or she not only teaches in the classroom, but also manages the program's cooperative education program. Although the local school structure will, to a degree, dictate the actual design of the teacher's job, there are five basic roles that a marketing teacher must perform:
- Teaches one or more marketing courses
- Coordinates the cooperative education program
- Provides career guidance
- Maintains an active public relations program
- Operates and administers the total marketing program
Old Dominion University's marketing teacher education program is designed to prepare students to successfully perform these roles in the public high school. The program is approved by the Virginia Department of Education and conforms to the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Classes begin at the freshman level with their basic general education courses in English, mathematics, science, social studies, communications, and computer literacy. Students also begin to take basic business courses including salesmanship, personnel management, advertising, and complete 30 hours of observation and participation in a high school marketing education class. As they enter their junior year they take more advanced marketing and education courses including marketing principles, management principles, merchandising, foundations of career and technical education, and human growth and development. In their senior year they prepare for their student teaching experience by taking curriculum and instructional methods courses and complete one final practicum course. During the summer between their junior and senior year, students must complete a marketing-related internship that gives them marketing-related practical experience. In their final semester, students complete a 14-week student teaching experience in a high school marketing education program under the direct supervision of an experienced marketing teacher.
Students must take and pass the PRAXIS I test prior to enrolling in their senior practicum course (SEPS 408). They must pass the PRAXIS II (Marketing Education) test prior to registering for student teaching (SEPS 485). Virginia now requires all teacher licensure candidates to pass Virginia's Communication and Literacy Assessment.
Old Dominion University's marketing education graduates successfully find jobs as marketing education teachers throughout the state. Some have sought and found positions in other states such as North Caroline, Florida, Illinois, Texas, New York, Colorado, and Maryland. In addition to taking positions as teachers, some graduates decide to enter the business world and have begun careers in banking, retailing, real estate, and professional sales.
For information about becoming a marketing education teacher contact:
Dr. Mickey Kosloski
Business and Industry Training Program Director
Marketing Education Program Director
Education Building 228
757-683-4305
mkoslos@odu.edu
Ms. Sharon Davis
Fashion Merchandising Program Director
Education Building 228
757-683-4305
srdavis@odu.edu