 His thesis was on the subject of international cocoa trade in Ghana.Bateman was associate professor of economics at the United States Air Force Academy, 1964–67; professor of economics at BYU and director of Center for Business and Economic Research, 1967–71; and dean of the BYU business school, now the Marriott School of Business, 1975–79.While he was dean, he instituted the BYU Management Society in 1977.