Studies & Degrees in MBA
MBA Study Programs
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a postgraduate programme in general management. It is designed to give professionals a thorough understanding of business and management principles, rather than depth in a single function.
The letters MBA describe a type of programme, not a protected degree title. What the diploma is worth depends on who awards it and under which rules, so the first question to ask any school is what kind of qualification its MBA leads to.
What students learn
The core is similar almost everywhere. The Máster Universitario en Dirección de Empresas (MBA) of the Universidad de Murcia, for example, covers business strategy, marketing, accounting, finance, management skills and human resources. Most programmes work with business cases, group projects and company assignments, and add electives or a specialisation such as finance, digital marketing, project management or entrepreneurship in the second part.
Formats and levels
- Full-time MBA. One to two years of full-time study. The International MBA of IE Business School in Madrid is taught in English, lasts 11, 15 or 19 to 23 months and starts in September and January. The full-time MBA of the Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW Sydney can be completed in 12 months, with an optional one-year extension.
- Executive and part-time MBA. For managers who keep working. The Global Executive MBA of IE Business School is a 15-month, part-time blended programme for senior professionals. The Executive MBA of ENAE Business School in Murcia has 60 ECTS credits, can be followed on campus or in live online classes, and is aimed at managers and experienced professionals.
- Online MBA. Cerem's MBA with a specialisation in project management is fully online, lasts about 14 months and has 72 ECTS credits.
- American-style MBA in Europe. Schiller International University offers a 12-month accelerated MBA of 36 US credits (72 ECTS). The university is accredited in the United States by the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).
Official degree or the school's own qualification
In Spain the difference matters. An official master's degree (máster universitario) has 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits and is verified under Real Decreto 822/2021. The MBA of the Universidad de Murcia is one of these: 60 ECTS credits, one year, taught on campus in Spanish, with 30 places.
Universities may also award their own qualifications (títulos propios), among them the Máster de Formación Permanente of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Many MBAs at business schools belong to this group or are the school's own diploma. Cerem states that its MBA leads to its own private diploma and to a Título Propio - Máster de Formación Permanente of the Universidad Nebrija. ESDEN Business School describes its MBAs and master's programmes as its own. An own qualification is not an official degree. If you need the degree for a doctorate or for recognition in another country, ask the school in writing which of the two it awards.
Internationally, three bodies accredit business schools or their programmes: AACSB, EQUIS and the Association of MBAs (AMBA), which accredits MBA, DBA and master's programmes. Accreditation of this kind is voluntary and separate from state recognition.
Admission
An MBA requires a first university degree. Many programmes also ask for work experience: at the International MBA of IE Business School participants are on average 30 years old and bring around six years of professional experience, and the minimum is three years. Schools may also ask for an admission test, an interview and, for programmes in English, proof of language level.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 114 active schools for the MBA. Spain has 49, the United States 19, France seven, Germany five and Australia four. Italy, Zambia and Switzerland have three each.
In Spain the list includes IE Business School, ESEI International Business School, ESDEN Business School, Cerem, ENAE Business School, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Cádiz and Florida Universitària. Abroad it includes San Diego State University, UNSW Sydney, MODUL University Vienna and EU Business School, which teaches one-year MBAs in English at campuses in Barcelona, Geneva and Munich and online, with start dates in October, January and March.
English is the usual language at international business schools. MBAs at Spanish public universities are mostly taught in Spanish.
Careers
MBA graduates move into general management, consulting, finance, marketing, operations and their own companies. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that top executives typically need at least a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience, and that top executives of large corporations may have an MBA. It counted about 3,890,600 top executive jobs in the United States in 2025 and projects growth of 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an MBA take?
Between one and two years. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; the MBA of the Universidad de Murcia takes one year, and the International MBA of IE Business School 11 to 23 months.
Do I need work experience for an MBA?
Often, but not always. IE Business School sets a minimum of three years for its International MBA, and executive MBAs are aimed at experienced managers. Other programmes admit recent graduates.
Is an MBA in Spain an official degree?
Only when it is a máster universitario, such as the one at the Universidad de Murcia. Many business school MBAs are own qualifications (títulos propios) or private diplomas. Ask the school which qualification it awards.