Studies & Degrees in Administrative Management
Administrative management is the office work that keeps companies and public bodies running: handling documents and correspondence, bookkeeping, payments, the paperwork of purchases and sales, personnel administration and customer service. In Spain the name refers above all to an official vocational qualification, the Técnico en Gestión Administrativa. It is an intermediate vocational training cycle (FP de grado medio) in the professional family Administración y Gestión. Nine of the 11 schools listed for this subject in our directory are in Spain, so this page describes the Spanish system.
According to TodoFP, the vocational training portal of the Spanish Ministry of Education, holders of the qualification can classify, register and file communications and documents, record accounting documents, carry out treasury tasks and support the selection and training of staff. The training plan includes these modules, among others:
- business communication and customer service
- administrative operations of purchases and sales
- administrative operations of human resources
- auxiliary treasury operations
- accounting technique and the processing of accounting documents
- computer processing of information
- professional English
The cycle also includes a training period in a company, which is an integrated part of the curriculum, and a simulated company module called Empresa en el aula.
Qualifications and levels
Intermediate level (grado medio). The Técnico en Gestión Administrativa has 2,000 hours of training. It corresponds to level 4A of the Spanish qualifications framework (MECU). Applicants need the certificate of compulsory secondary education (Graduado en ESO) or a higher qualification, a basic vocational training title, or a pass in the entrance exam for intermediate cycles. Candidates for that exam must be at least 17 in the year they sit it.
Higher level (grado superior). The next step in the same family is the Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas, also 2,000 hours and at MECU level 5A. It is open to holders of the Bachillerato and to holders of an intermediate vocational training title, so graduates in Gestión Administrativa can continue with it. A second higher cycle in the family, Técnico Superior en Asistencia a la Dirección, also has 2,000 hours.
University. A higher vocational training title gives access to university, with the possibility of having some modules recognised. The related bachelor's degrees are in business administration. One example is the Grado en Dirección de Empresas at the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU in Barcelona: four years, 240 ECTS credits, taught as a bilingual degree.
Short courses. Private training centres also sell shorter courses in office administration. They are not the same as the vocational training cycles described above. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has before enrolling.
Where to study it
Our directory lists 11 active schools for this subject: nine in Spain, one in the United States and one in Iraq. In Spain the cycles are taught in secondary schools and in vocational training centres. Two examples from the directory:
- IES Faro de Maspalomas, in Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), lists the Técnico en Gestión Administrativa among its intermediate cycles and the Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas among its higher cycles.
- Aranda Formación, in the Madrid region, offers the higher cycle in Administración y Finanzas and marks it as valid for a stay for studies, which matters for students from outside the EU.
The language of instruction is Spanish, and the curriculum includes a module of professional English. Part of the curriculum is set by each autonomous community, which decides on the optional module, so details differ slightly from region to region.
Students with school certificates from another country must have them recognised before they can enrol in an official vocational training cycle. The Ministry of Education handles the recognition (homologación) of foreign non-university studies; start the procedure early.
Careers
TodoFP lists these jobs for the intermediate qualification: administrative assistant (auxiliar administrativo), office assistant, administrative assistant for collections and payments, commercial administrative clerk, personnel administration assistant, receptionist, customer service employee and treasury employee. Holders can work in any sector and in public administrations.
The higher qualification in Administración y Finanzas leads to posts with more responsibility, such as administrative officer in accounting, logistics, banking and insurance or human resources, or in tax, legal and labour consultancies.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Gestión Administrativa cycle last?
The official qualification has 2,000 hours of training, including a period in a company.
What do I need to enrol?
The Spanish certificate of compulsory secondary education or a higher qualification, a basic vocational training title, or a pass in the entrance exam for intermediate cycles. Foreign school certificates must first be recognised in Spain.
Can I continue studying afterwards?
Yes. The title gives access to other vocational training cycles, such as the higher cycle in Administración y Finanzas, and to the Bachillerato. A higher cycle in turn gives access to university.
Is the course taught in English?
No. The cycles are taught in Spanish, with professional English as one of the modules. International students need enough Spanish to follow classes and to work in an office during the company placement.