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Studies & Degrees in European Business and Management

European business and management is a business degree with a European frame. Students take the usual management subjects (accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, economics and business law) and study them in the setting of the European market, usually in more than one country and with at least one foreign language. The aim is to prepare graduates for companies that sell, buy and recruit across European borders.

That setting is specific. According to the European Union, the EU operates as a single market made up of the 27 EU countries and, with certain exceptions, 4 non-EU countries, in which goods, services, capital and persons can circulate freely. The EU has almost 450 million inhabitants and 24 official languages, and the euro is the official currency of 21 EU countries. Programmes in this field therefore add European economic integration, EU law and institutions, intercultural management and languages to the business core.

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. The Bachelor in Management (BSc) at ESCP Business School is a three-year, full-time programme of 180 ECTS credits taken in three countries. Students spend the first year in Berlin, London, Paris or Turin, the second in Berlin, Madrid, Paris or Turin and the third in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris or Turin. Teaching is in English, with some courses in French. The Bachelor in Management at Burgundy School of Business (BSB) in France has 180 ECTS credits and is taught in Dijon or Lyon. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's degree. The Master in Management at ESCP Business School lasts two years and is taught on campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw. All students receive the French Master Grande École, and the school states that the programme offers the possibility of obtaining up to four national degrees in its campus countries, under specific conditions. Students with at least two years of university education (120 ECTS credits) may apply for a pre-master year. In Spain, official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.
  • Double degrees and exchanges. Many business faculties reach the same goal with a double degree agreed with a partner university in another country, or with an exchange year. ECTS credits exist to make this possible: they allow credits taken at one institution to be counted towards a qualification at another.
  • Short and online programmes. Business schools and training providers offer shorter courses in international trade and European business. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has.

Where to study European business and management

SpainExchange lists 15 active schools for European business and management. Spain has 7, Italy, Austria and France 2 each, and Germany and the United Kingdom one each.

ESCP Business School appears with its campuses in Paris, London, Berlin and Turin. In France the list also includes Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, listed under its former name Groupe ESC Dijon Bourgogne. In Austria there are the University of Graz and Fachhochschule Salzburg, a university of applied sciences. In Spain the schools include the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in the Madrid region, Cerem - Escuela Internacional de Negocios, which teaches mainly online, and the Escuela Internacional de Gerencia (EIG) in Granada.

English is the main language of instruction in the multi-country programmes, and a second or third language is part of the curriculum. At BSB the bachelor's degree can be taken in French, in a bilingual track or entirely in English.

What to check before you apply

  • Which degree you receive and from which country. ESCP states that its bachelor's degree leads to French, German and UK degrees for students who meet certain requirements, and BSB describes its bachelor's degree as state-approved in France.
  • Where each year is taught and whether you can choose the campus
  • The language requirements for each campus
  • Whether a work placement is compulsory and in which country
  • The total cost, including housing in several cities

Careers

Graduates work in export and sales for European markets, purchasing and logistics, finance and controlling, consulting and marketing, typically in companies with operations in several countries. Languages and the experience of having lived and studied abroad are the main difference from a standard business degree. Employment figures depend on the school and the country, and those published by schools about their own graduates cannot be compared with each other.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to study in more than one country?

Not always, but it is the usual model. In the Bachelor in Management (BSc) at ESCP Business School, students study in three countries over three years.

Which languages do I need?

English in most cases. ESCP teaches its bachelor's degree in English with some courses in French, and BSB offers French, bilingual and English tracks.

How many credits does the bachelor's degree have?

The bachelor's degrees at ESCP and BSB have 180 ECTS credits, which is three years. A Spanish grado has 240 ECTS credits. If you plan to continue with a master's degree in another country, ask that university how it treats a 180-credit degree.

What can I study after the bachelor's degree?

A master's degree in management or a specialised master's. The Master in Management at ESCP lasts two years and is taught on six European campuses.