Reality Education: The Marketing Apprentice

Abstract

Rarely in the halls of academia would you ever hear, “I’d take this course even if it had no credits!” That is what students said about our Marketing Apprentice Class (The MAC), an active learning course modeled after the television show, The Apprentice. The class had teams of students compete against each other on various marketing tasks, which were judged by alumni CEOs, expert judges, and faculty advisors. Media students filmed the marketing teams performing tasks and in the board room. The course was an unqualified success in teaching students to apply marketing concepts to real business problems, and strengthening ties with alumni and the business community.