Studies & Degrees in International Management
International Management Study Programs
International management is the study of how companies are run across borders. It covers the same ground as a general management degree (strategy, finance, marketing, operations and people) and adds the questions that appear when a firm works in several countries at once: which markets to enter and how, how to lead teams from different cultures, and how trade rules, exchange rates and local law affect decisions. Related degree titles include international business and global management, and their content overlaps heavily.
Most programmes combine classroom teaching with case studies, company projects, foreign languages and a period abroad. At Hochschule Luzern in Switzerland, for example, the Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration includes a mandatory international experience in the fourth semester: either a semester at a partner university or a supervised internship at a company with international operations.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degree. In the European Higher Education Area a bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits, and 60 credits correspond to one full year of study. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. International management is often an English-taught track or specialisation within business administration. The bachelor's degree at Hochschule Luzern lasts six semesters and is taught entirely in English.
- Master's degree. This is the most common level for the subject, usually under the name Master in Management or MSc in International Business. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Master in Management at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management is a Master of Science with 120 ECTS credits, taught in English over four semesters. At IAE Bordeaux University School of Management, the second master's year in International Business Management lasts one academic year, has 60 ECTS credits and is taught in English. The Master in Management at IE Business School in Madrid lasts 15 months and is taught in English.
- Joint programmes. The CEMS Master in International Management is a joint programme of an alliance of business schools and companies. At Copenhagen Business School students take it in the second year of their MSc, spend one semester abroad at one of 33 CEMS partner universities and must document skills in three languages, including English.
- MBA and short programmes. Schools also offer MBAs with an international focus for people with work experience, and summer programmes that give a first contact with the subject. Many private schools award their own qualifications; ask the school what recognition the qualification has before enrolling.
Where to study international management
SpainExchange lists 42 active schools for international management. Spain has 12, the United States and France 5 each, Germany and the United Kingdom 4 each, Denmark 3 and Italy 2. Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Mexico and Japan have one school each.
In Spain the list includes IE Business School in Madrid, EAE Business School, with campuses in Madrid and Barcelona, and the Universidad de Extremadura. The Máster en International Business at EAE is taught entirely in English in Madrid or Barcelona, and the school asks for a minimum English level of C1. In France, KEDGE Business School teaches its MSc International Business entirely in English on three campuses, and IAE Bordeaux is the business school of the Université de Bordeaux. Other examples are Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany, Copenhagen Business School and VIA University College in Denmark, the University of Southern California and Boston University in the United States, and the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico for students who prefer to study in Spanish.
English is the usual language of instruction, also in countries where it is not the local language. Schools ask for proof of level: Frankfurt School requires excellent written and spoken English and a GMAT or GRE score or its own admission test.
Careers
Graduates work in export and area management, business development, purchasing and supply chain, consulting and international project management, and in the graduate programmes of multinational companies. Language skills and experience abroad count as much as the degree title.
Management posts are reached with experience. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that top executives typically need at least a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience. It counted about 3.6 million general and operations managers in the United States in 2025 and projects employment of top executives to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 304,100 openings each year. These figures apply to the United States only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between international management and international business?
The titles vary by school and the content overlaps. Compare the study plans: how much is general management, how much is trade and foreign markets, which languages are taught and whether a period abroad is compulsory.
Do I need a business degree to take a master's in international management?
It depends on the school. Frankfurt School asks for a first degree of at least 180 ECTS credits. IAE Bordeaux asks for a four-year degree, equivalent to 240 ECTS credits, in business administration, management, economics, law or a related field for direct entry to its second master's year.
How long does it take?
A bachelor's degree has 180 or 240 ECTS credits, which is three or four years. A master's degree takes one to two years: 60 ECTS credits at IAE Bordeaux and 120 ECTS credits over four semesters at Frankfurt School.
In which language are the programmes taught?
Mostly in English. The programmes named here at Hochschule Luzern, Frankfurt School, IAE Bordeaux, IE Business School, EAE Business School and KEDGE Business School are all taught in English.