Studies & Degrees in E-Commerce
E-Commerce Study Programs
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. As a subject it sits between business and computing: students learn how an online shop is built and run, how customers are attracted and kept, how orders are paid for, stored and delivered, and how the results are measured.
The sector is large. According to Eurostat, 78% of internet users in the European Union bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, up from 62% in 2015. In the United States, the Census Bureau estimates that e-commerce accounted for 17.1 percent of total retail sales in the second quarter of 2026.
What students learn
Spain's vocational specialisation course in e-commerce gives a good outline of the field. Its four modules are the administration of e-commerce platforms, relationship marketing applied to e-commerce, e-commerce logistics, and customer service for online buyers. Business school programmes add strategy and advertising: the e-commerce module of the Máster en Marketing Digital & IA Aplicada at Esden Business School covers creating and launching an online shop, marketplaces and Amazon, retail media, and user experience and conversion optimisation.
The University of Salford's MSc Digital Marketing includes a module on the digital customer, which looks at how customers browse, share, compare and shop online through websites, mobile applications and social media.
Qualifications and levels
Few institutions offer a full degree called e-commerce. It is usually a module or a specialisation inside marketing, business or computing programmes, so compare course lists and not only titles.
- Vocational training in Spain. The intermediate qualification Técnico en Actividades Comerciales includes a module on e-commerce, and the higher qualification Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad includes digital marketing. Since 2024 there is also a specialisation course, Comercio electrónico, of 700 hours, open to holders of certain higher vocational qualifications and including a training period in a company.
- Two-year colleges in the United States. Community and technical colleges teach online selling inside business programmes. Alexandria Technical & Community College in Minnesota, for example, has a Marketing & Sales Management programme in which students develop business plans, create marketing campaigns and learn to sell across platforms.
- Bachelor's degrees. E-commerce appears as courses within business administration, marketing or computer science. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
- Master's programmes. Esden's master's lasts one academic year, has 12 modules and 60 ECTS credits, and is offered part-time on campus in Madrid, hybrid or fully online. Salford's MSc takes one year, has 180 UK credits and is taught on campus. Inesdi Business Techschool in Barcelona offers a Máster en Marketing Digital e Inteligencia Artificial Generativa. For master's programmes at private business schools, ask the school what recognition the qualification has.
Where to study it
The SpainExchange directory lists 36 schools for this subject: 18 in Spain, 13 in the United States, and one each in Greece, Australia, the United Kingdom, China and Switzerland. In Spain many are business schools and university centres in Barcelona and Madrid; in the United States many are community and technical colleges.
Programmes in Spain are usually taught in Spanish, and those in the United States and the United Kingdom in English. Many business schools offer online or hybrid formats, which matters if you plan to study from abroad; if you need a student visa, ask the school and the Spanish consulate whether the format you choose qualifies.
Careers
Spain's vocational training portal lists the jobs the specialisation course leads to, among them e-commerce technician, e-commerce specialist, e-commerce logistics technician, customer relationship management (CRM) specialist, digital customer service specialist and e-commerce manager. Graduates work in companies of any size, in start-ups or on their own account.
Official statistics rarely count e-commerce jobs as a separate group. As a related indicator, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of market research analysts to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035; they typically need a bachelor's degree.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a degree in e-commerce?
Rarely as a degree of its own. It is usually taught as a module or specialisation within marketing, business or computing programmes, as a vocational course, or as part of a master's in digital marketing.
Can I study e-commerce in Spanish vocational training (FP)?
Yes. There is a 700-hour specialisation course in Comercio electrónico for holders of certain higher vocational qualifications, and the intermediate qualification Técnico en Actividades Comerciales includes an e-commerce module.
Do I need to know programming to study e-commerce?
Not for the business-oriented programmes, which focus on platforms, marketing, logistics and customer service. Programmes in computing departments go further into web development, so check the course list.
Can I study e-commerce online?
Often, yes. Esden Business School, for example, offers its digital marketing master's in hybrid and fully online formats as well as part-time on campus in Madrid.