Understanding

The field of business education and development in Austria is seen as an autonomous science with trans-disciplinary character. Graduates of the university program business education and development gain the degree Master of Science or Magister/Magistra of social and economic science and are qualified for several occupational fields: teaching business related subjects in secondary vocational schools (age 14-19), after two years professional experience in the economy, in-company education and training and high level adult education. They furthermore have the option to pursue an administrative career in private or public enterprises or specialize in research at a university or corporate level. One of the main objectives is to shape the education-transfer between science, school and economy in a way that enables a flexible and effective exchange between theoretical research and practical application.

There are four universities in Austria where business education and development can be studied: Graz, Innsbruck, Linz and Vienna. These four locations offer two basic emphases: in addition to the focus on the qualification as teachers, Vienna, Innsbruck and Graz are heavily connected to the field of business studies whereas Linz has the educational sciences as second priority. Another essential aspect is the single-phased structure of this university program what means that the teaching internship is included in the regular program. Hence the Master program in Graz, Innsbruck and Vienna (Linz: Diplomstudium) is extended to 5 semesters.

As the Map of Business Education is a research project of the Institute of Business Education and Development of the Karl-Franzens-University Graz the following understanding of business education and development focuses on the point of view from Graz.

The field of business education and development represents a scientific approach to pedagogic questions with an economic context. The focus lies within all kinds of economic education, both specific to subject and personality and goes all the way to the rationalization of economic actions through moral and ethics. Showing a transdisciplinary character, business education and development features a strong linkage between economic science and pedagogy/educational science. Following Urbschats understanding of business education and development (1965) the economy represents the research area and pedagogy the orientation guidelines. The constant reflexion of thoughts and actions is heavily emphasized.

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Reference

_{Arnold,R./Krämer-Stürzl, A. (1999): Berufs- und Arbeitspädagogik. Leitfaden der Ausbildungspraxis in Produktions- und Dienstleistungsberufen, 2. Auflage, Cornelsen Verlag, Berlin.}

_{Liszt, V. et al. (2013): Handlungsfelder der Wirtschaftspädagogik, in: Stock, M./Slepcevic-Zach, P./Tafner, G. (Hrsg.): Wirtschaftspädagogik. Ein Lehrbuch, Uni-Press Verlag, Graz, S. 121–196.}

_{Tafner, G./Stock, M./Slepcevic-Zach, P. (2013): Die Wirtschfspädagogik als Disziplin, in: Stock, M./Slepcevic-Zach, P./Tafner, G. (Hrsg.): Wirtschaftspädagogik. Ein Lehrbuch, Uni-Press Verlag, Graz, S. 3–118.}

_{Urbschat, F. (1965): Wirtschafspädagogik, in: Beckerath von, E. (Hrsg.): Handwörterbuch der Sozialwissenschaften. Zugl. Neuauflage des Handwörterbuch der Sozialwissenschaften, Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart/Tübingen/Göttingen, S. 203–210.}