International Business Schools and Programs in Spain

International Business Studies in Spain

International business programmes prepare students to manage companies that buy, sell, invest or operate across borders. Students combine the core of a business degree (accounting, finance, marketing, strategy and economics) with international trade, logistics, intercultural management and foreign languages. In Spain the subject is taught as an official bachelor's degree at many universities, as an official master's degree, and as a higher vocational qualification in international trade. Business schools also teach their own programmes, often in English. Madrid and Barcelona have the most schools in our directory for this subject.

How the degree is organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits, which usually means four years, and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits. The main official routes are:

• Bachelor's degree in International Business (Grado en Negocios Internacionales): a search in RUCT, the Ministry's register of official degrees, returns 13 records for "negocios internacionales", including degrees at ESIC Universidad, the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, the Universitat de València, the Universitat Ramon Llull and the online Universidad Internacional de La Rioja. Some combine the subject with economics, such as the Grado en Economía y Negocios Internacionales at the Universidad de Alcalá and the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. The Universidad de León offers a Grado en Comercio Internacional.
• Official master's degree (máster universitario): RUCT lists, among others, master's degrees in international business at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the Universidad de Sevilla, the Universitat de València and CUNEF Universidad.
• Higher vocational training (FP): the Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional, in the commerce and marketing family, lasts 2,000 hours and focuses on foreign trade operations, international marketing and logistics.
• School-own programmes: business schools also run bachelor's, master's and MBA programmes that lead to their own qualification. These are not official Spanish degrees, so check the status of a programme before you enrol.

Where to study international business in Spain

Madrid and Barcelona have the most schools for this subject in our directory, with others in cities such as Elche, Pamplona, Granada, Valladolid, Seville, Valencia and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Examples:

• ESCI-UPF (Barcelona): the school of international business and marketing linked to the Universitat Pompeu Fabra teaches an official Grado en Negocios y Marketing Internacionales of four years and 240 ECTS credits, 50% or 100% in English, at €138 per credit. Students also learn another language, such as German, Arabic, Korean, French, Japanese or Chinese, and can take part in exchange programmes.
• ESIC, Business & Marketing School (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid region): its Bachelor's Degree in International Business is a four-year, on-site programme taught in English in Madrid and Valencia, with intakes in September 2027. ESIC lists fees of €13,245 / €14,495 per year, subject to change.
• Universidad Miguel Hernández (Elche): a public university whose Grado en Negocios Internacionales / International Business appears in RUCT.

Admission and language

To enter a bachelor's degree with a secondary-school qualification from another country, most students first apply to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees, and then apply to each university. Private universities and business schools also run their own admission process. For a higher vocational cycle you need the Bachillerato or an equivalent qualification, or you must pass an entrance test.

Many programmes in this subject use English. Several official degrees carry an English name in RUCT (Bachelor in International Business), and some are taught fully in English. Other programmes, especially at public universities, are taught mainly in Spanish, so check the language of each course.

Recognition and careers

If you already have a foreign university degree and want to take a master's degree or work in Spain, the Ministry distinguishes between homologation (homologación), which allows you to practise a regulated profession in Spain, and a declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of a degree (bachelor's or master's).

Graduates work in export and import, purchasing, international expansion, finance, logistics, marketing, market research and sales, in private companies, public bodies and international cooperation organisations. For the vocational qualification, the Ministry lists roles such as foreign trade technician, international marketing technician, freight forwarder and logistics coordinator.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an international business degree take in Spain?

An official bachelor's degree has 240 ECTS credits, usually four years. An official master's degree has 60, 90 or 120 credits.

Can I study international business in Spain in English?

Yes. ESIC teaches its Bachelor's Degree in International Business in English, and ESCI-UPF offers its degree 50% or 100% in English. Several official master's degrees also have an English name in RUCT.

Is a business school's international business programme an official degree?

Not always. Official degrees appear in RUCT; many business school programmes lead to the school's own qualification, which is not an official Spanish degree.

Is there a vocational route into international trade?

Yes. The Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional is a 2,000-hour higher vocational qualification that prepares for jobs in foreign trade, international marketing and logistics.