Understanding

Two Swiss universities offer degree programs in business education (and development): University of Zurich and University of St. Gallen. In contrast to Austria and Germany there have never been any discussions concerning the self-conception of business education (and development) in German speaking Switzerland.

At the University of Zurich business education can be understood as a part of educational science because the preparatory scientific training in business education was integrated in a uniform degree program for candidates for teaching posts in all areas in 2005. The uniform degree program does not contain any specific courses in business education. Because of the uniform degree program the polyvalent organization of the preparatory scientific training and the one-phase-model are no specific characteristics of business education in Zurich. Only the fact that the preparatory scientific training in business education does not have to be combined with a preparatory scientific training in another area can be seen as a explicit characteristic of business education. For these reasons the discipline can only be defined as an independent and integrative science with a transdisciplinary character from an organizational point of view.

At the University of St. Gallen business education and development can be seen as an independent and integrative science with a transdisciplinary character. The main reason for this self-conception can be seen in the polyvalent organization of the preparatory scientific training in business education and development in St. Gallen. The facts that students have to complete a master program in economic science and that courses in educational science are integrated in the additional study in business education and development confirm the transdisciplinary character of business education and development in St. Gallen. Moreover the one-phase-model and the fact that the preparatory scientific training does not have to be combined encourage the self-conception as an independent and integrative science. From an organizational point of view business education and development is a part of economic science in St. Gallen.

____________________________________________________________________________

Reference

_{Egger, C./Rechbauer, M. (2010): Das Selbstverständnis der Disziplin Wirtschaftspädagogik im deutschsprachigen Raum, Diplomarbeit, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Graz, S. 12-13}

_{Universität St. Gallen (2014): Wirtschaftspädagogik.} 

_{URL: http://www.unisg.ch/de/studium/master/zusatzabschluesse/zusatzausbildungwirtschaftspaedagogik/curriculum, [Stand 20.5.2014].}

_{Universität Zürich (2014): Studium im Profil Berufs- und Wirtschaftspädagogik. URL: http://www.ife.uzh.ch/research/lehrstuhlgonon/studium/profilbwp.html, [Stand 20.5.2014].}