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Studies & Degrees in Import & Export Management

Import and export management is the part of business studies that deals with buying and selling goods across borders. It covers how a company chooses foreign markets, negotiates and writes an international sales contract, moves the goods, clears customs, gets paid and manages the risks along the way. It is also taught under the names international trade, foreign trade and international business.

Students learn international marketing and negotiation, trade documents and customs procedures, international transport and warehouse logistics, international payment methods and trade finance, and usually a business foreign language. Two sets of rules appear in almost every programme. The Incoterms rules of the International Chamber of Commerce are eleven three-letter trade terms used in contracts for the sale of goods; they have been in use since 1936 and were last updated in 2020. In the European Union, the Union Customs Code, in force since 1 May 2016, is the common framework for customs rules and procedures.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training (FP) in Spain. The official qualification is Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional, a higher-level cycle (grado superior) of 2,000 hours in the Comercio y Marketing family. Its modules include international marketing, international negotiation, administrative management of international trade, international finance, warehouse logistics, international goods transport and international payment methods, and it includes a training period in a company. Entry is open to holders of the Bachiller, among other routes, and holders of the title can go on to a university degree with possible recognition of modules.
  • Bachelor's degrees. At university the subject is usually a specialisation or a set of courses within a degree in business administration, international business, economics or marketing. An official Spanish bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits.
  • Master's and postgraduate programmes. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Universities also offer their own lifelong-learning programmes, such as the Máster de Formación Permanente of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits, which must be kept clearly apart from official university degrees. Ask each school which of the two its programme is.
  • Short courses. Chambers of commerce, business schools and online providers run short courses on customs, Incoterms, export documents or trade finance for people already working in a company.

Where to study

SpainExchange currently lists one active school for import and export management: the Master Marketing, Commerce and Distribution Program of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona. More schools teach the subject under related headings, so it is worth looking at international business, international trade and logistics as well.

Programmes in Spain are taught mainly in Spanish, and in Catalonia sometimes in Catalan; some master's programmes are in English. Because customs and tax rules differ between countries and trade blocs, check which legal framework a programme teaches. A course built around European Union customs law is most useful for work in or with the EU.

Careers

According to TodoFP, the Spanish ministry's vocational training portal, holders of the Comercio Internacional title work as foreign trade technicians, international trade agents or assistants, international sales and marketing technicians, freight forwarders, shipping agents and logistics operators, in companies of any sector. University graduates move into export management, purchasing, supply chain and trade finance roles in companies, banks, freight forwarders and customs brokers.

For the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes the related occupation of logistician as analysing and coordinating an organisation's supply chain. It projects employment of logisticians to grow 18 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average, and notes that the job typically requires a bachelor's degree.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university degree to work in import and export?

No. In Spain the vocational title Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional (2,000 hours) leads directly to jobs in foreign trade, and it also gives access to university. Management positions more often ask for a bachelor's or master's degree.

What are Incoterms and why are they taught?

They are eleven three-letter trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce for contracts for the sale of goods. Import and export contracts commonly rely on them, which is why courses cover them.

Is a master's in international trade an official degree?

It depends on the programme. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits; a Máster de Formación Permanente is a university's own lifelong-learning programme. Ask the school what recognition its qualification has.