Advertising Schools and Programs in Spain

Advertising Studies in Spain

In Spain, advertising is studied mainly as a university bachelor's degree, nearly always combined with public relations or marketing. Alongside public and private universities there are business schools, creative schools and vocational training (FP) centres with shorter programmes. Most teaching is in Spanish, which makes the subject easy to access for students from Latin America and for anyone who already speaks the language.

How the degree is organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, which regulates university education, an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits, spread over four years of 60 credits each. The most common title is the Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas (Advertising and Public Relations), but the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) lists many variants: Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing (Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Ramon Llull), Advertising and Corporate Communication (Universitat Jaume I), Creative Advertising (Universidad Camilo José Cela) and Advertising, Ideation and Brand Communication (Universidad Francisco de Vitoria). A RUCT search for bachelor's degrees containing "publicidad" returns 57 records, some of them older degrees being phased out.

At the Universidad de Sevilla, for example, the degree takes four years, is taught on campus and in Spanish. To graduate, students must prove a foreign language at CEFR level B1, a requirement that the Universidad de Alicante also applies.

After the bachelor's degree, students can take an officially recognised master's degree of 60, 90 or 120 credits. Many business and creative schools also offer master's programmes and courses that are the school's own qualifications (títulos propios), not official degrees, so it is worth checking before enrolling. There is also a vocational route: the higher-level FP cycle Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad (Higher Technician in Marketing and Advertising) lasts 2,000 hours. Access is possible with the Spanish Bachillerato, among other routes, or through an entrance test.

Admission, language and costs

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed to enter a bachelor's degree. Documents have to be legalised and translated in good time, and the application for admission is then made to each university within its own deadlines.

Places at public universities are limited. The Universidad de Sevilla offered 142 places for the 2025-26 academic year and received 356 first-choice applications; the Universidad de Alicante offers 240 places. In Alicante teaching is in Spanish, with some subjects in Valencian and English, and at the Universidad de Málaga the degree is taught in Spanish.

Tuition at public universities is charged per credit: €12.62 at the Universidad de Sevilla, which from the second year applies a 99% reduction on the credits passed the previous year, and €14.03 per credit for first enrolment at the Universidad de Alicante, which publishes separate fees for non-resident students from outside the EU. A full year has 60 credits. Private universities and schools set their own prices.

Where to study Advertising in Spain

Barcelona and Madrid have most of the schools in our directory, followed by Murcia. In Barcelona, the Universitat de Barcelona and the Universitat Ramon Llull offer official degrees in advertising, public relations and marketing, and the Universidad de Vic has a similar degree in the province of Barcelona. In the Madrid region there are, among others, the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria and ESIC in Pozuelo de Alarcón (its degree in Advertising and Public Relations is listed in RUCT under ESIC Universidad), the Universidad Camilo José Cela, the Universidad Europea de Madrid and the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija.

Elsewhere, degrees are offered by the Universidad de Sevilla, the Universidad de Málaga, the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Alicante, the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón, the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera near Valencia, the Universidad de Murcia and the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), the Universidad de Valladolid and the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. For a more practical, creative training, Miami Ad School Madrid offers specialisation courses and master's programmes accredited by the Universidad Euneiz.

Recognition of the qualification

An official Spanish bachelor's degree is valid throughout the country and is listed in RUCT. Advertising is not a regulated profession in Spain: the Universidad de Málaga states this on its degree page. Holders of a foreign advertising degree therefore cannot apply for homologación, which gives access to a regulated profession, but they can apply for a declaración de equivalencia, which certifies the academic level. Applications are made only through the ministry's online portal (sede electrónica). Students who take a Spanish degree and want to work at home should check their own country's recognition rules.

Careers

According to the Universidad de Sevilla, career paths after the degree centre on strategy, creativity, media planning, corporate communication and public relations. The roles that the Ministry of Education links to the FP cycle in Marketing and Advertising include:

• marketing technician
• advertising technician
• public relations technician
• organiser of marketing and communication events
• media assistant in advertising agencies
• market research and public opinion technician

To specialise, universities offer related official master's degrees; the Universidad de Sevilla, for example, lists the master's degrees in Institutional and Political Communication and in Screenwriting, Narrative and Audiovisual Creativity.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an Advertising degree take in Spain?

The official bachelor's degree takes four years and has 240 ECTS credits. The FP cycle Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad lasts 2,000 hours.

Can I study Advertising in Spain in English?

Most degrees are taught in Spanish. Some universities, such as the Universidad de Alicante, offer subjects in English, so check the language of each programme.

Do I need to have my Advertising degree recognised to work in Spain?

No. Advertising is not a regulated profession, so homologación does not apply; if you need formal recognition of your level, you can apply for a declaración de equivalencia from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

How much does an Advertising degree cost at a public university?

Fees are charged per credit: €12.62 at the Universidad de Sevilla and €14.03 for first enrolment at the Universidad de Alicante. A full academic year has 60 credits.