Studies & Degrees in International Marketing
International Marketing Study Programs
International marketing applies marketing to more than one country at a time. A company that sells abroad has to decide which markets to enter and how, and then adapt its product, price, distribution and communication to customers with different languages, habits, incomes and laws. The subject combines marketing with international business: market research, branding and digital marketing on one side, and trade, cultures and export operations on the other.
What students learn
Programmes start with the general tools of business and marketing: economics, statistics, consumer behaviour, market research, brand and product management and digital marketing. The international part adds:
- selection of foreign markets and entry strategies (export, agents and distributors, licensing, subsidiaries)
- adapting or standardising the product, price and communication for each market
- cross-cultural communication and negotiation
- international trade operations, logistics and contracts
- international digital marketing and e-commerce
- one or more foreign languages
Languages are a real part of the curriculum. At ESCI-UPF in Barcelona, for example, students of the bachelor's degree in Negocios y Marketing Internacionales are taught half or all of the degree in English and learn another language chosen from German, Arabic, Korean, French, Hindi, Japanese, Russian, Turkish and Chinese.
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 the bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 credits. The degree at ESCI-UPF lasts four years and has 240 ECTS credits; the school describes it as an official degree.
- Master's degree. A master's degree usually has 90 or 120 ECTS credits in Europe and 60, 90 or 120 in Spain. The Máster en Marketing Digital Internacional at ESCI-UPF has 60 ECTS credits, is taught on campus from October to June, 80% in Spanish and 20% in English, and covers international marketing and business growth with artificial intelligence. Outside Spain, KEDGE Business School in France offers a Master of Science in Marketing taught in English.
- Vocational training (FP). In Spain the commerce and marketing family includes two higher qualifications that are close to this subject: Técnico Superior en Marketing y Publicidad and Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional.
- Short courses and study abroad. Summer schools and semester programmes offer single courses in international marketing, often in English, that the home university can credit.
Business schools frequently award their own master's qualifications alongside or instead of official degrees. Ask the school what recognition the qualification has before enrolling, especially if it will be used for further study or for a regulated procedure at home.
Where to study international marketing
SpainExchange lists 28 active schools for this subject in 11 countries. Ten are in Spain, four in France and three in the United States; Italy, Germany and Switzerland have two each, and Denmark, the United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden and Singapore have one each.
In Spain, Barcelona has the largest group of listed schools, among them ESCI-UPF and business schools such as EAE Business School, and there are others in Madrid, Murcia and Granada. Programmes are taught in Spanish, in English or in a mix of both. Abroad, the list includes business schools such as KEDGE Business School in Marseille, universities such as Lund University in Sweden and VIA University College in Denmark, and multi-country summer programmes.
When comparing programmes, check the language of instruction and the languages taught, whether a period abroad or an internship in an exporting company is included, how much data analysis and digital marketing the study plan contains, and whether the degree is official in its country.
Careers
Graduates work in the marketing and export departments of companies that sell abroad, in advertising and digital agencies, market research firms, trade promotion bodies and e-commerce companies. Typical roles are export area manager, international product or brand manager, market analyst and digital marketing specialist.
The figures below are for the United States, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Marketing managers estimate demand and identify potential markets for products and services. BLS projects that employment of advertising, promotions and marketing managers will grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 36,300 openings a year; these posts typically require a bachelor's degree and work experience in a related occupation. Market research analysts, who study consumer preferences and business conditions to assess potential sales, are projected to grow 7 percent over the same period, with about 82,000 openings a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between marketing and international marketing?
The tools are the same. International marketing adds the choice of foreign markets, adaptation to other cultures and legal systems, trade operations and foreign languages.
How long does it take to study international marketing?
A bachelor's degree takes three or four years (180 or 240 ECTS credits); the degree at ESCI-UPF takes four. A 60 ECTS master's degree, such as the one at ESCI-UPF, runs for one academic year.
Can I study it in English?
Yes, in many places. ESCI-UPF offers its bachelor's degree 50% or 100% in English, and KEDGE Business School teaches its Master of Science in Marketing in English.
Do I need to speak several languages?
English is expected almost everywhere, and a further language is an advantage for work with a particular region. Some degrees include one in the study plan, as ESCI-UPF does.