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Studies & Degrees in Commerce

Commerce is the study of how goods and services are bought and sold: sourcing and purchasing, distribution and logistics, sales and negotiation, marketing, retail, e-commerce and trade between countries. It sits close to business administration and economics, but it looks at the company from the side of the market and the customer.

The word covers two kinds of programme. In Spain and much of continental Europe and Latin America, commerce (comercio) means commercial management and trade. In countries such as Australia, Canada and India, a Bachelor of Commerce is a general business degree, often with a major in accounting or finance. Read the study plan before choosing; the title alone does not tell you which of the two you are getting.

What students learn

The study plan of the Grado en Comercio at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid for 2026-27 gives a good picture of the first kind. It starts with economics, accounting, mathematics, business organisation, law and a foreign language. Later years bring commercial law, commercial distribution and logistics management, purchasing and inventory management, sales management and negotiation, consumer behaviour, e-commerce, international trade and market research, and the degree ends with a work placement and a final project.

The Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) in Australia shows the second kind: financial accounting, business finance, company accounting, management accounting, taxation law and auditing.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training in Spain (FP). The Comercio y Marketing family has official titles at every level: a basic title in commercial services, the grado medio Técnico en Actividades Comerciales (2,000 hours), and grado superior titles such as Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional (2,000 hours) and Técnico Superior en Gestión de Ventas y Espacios Comerciales.
  • Bachelor's degrees. A Spanish bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Universidad Complutense de Madrid awards the official title of Graduado o Graduada en Comercio at its Facultad de Comercio y Turismo. The UniSC Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) takes three years and has 24 courses. It is accredited by CPA Australia, and international students on a student visa can only take it full-time.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Business schools also offer their own master's programmes in sales management, international trade or digital commerce; ask the school what recognition the qualification has.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 97 active schools for commerce. Spain has the most, with 23, followed by Canada (9), Australia (7), France (6), Argentina (5) and the United States (4). India, Mexico, Zimbabwe and Egypt have three each.

The list is varied. It includes universities such as the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain, the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada, UniSC in Australia, the Université d'Avignon in France, the University of Madras in India, the Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile and the Universidad Abierta Interamericana in Buenos Aires, as well as business schools and postgraduate institutes in Madrid and Barcelona.

The language of instruction usually follows the country: Spanish in Spain and Latin America, English in Canada, Australia, India and the United States, French in France. The Madrid study plan includes compulsory language courses for commercial management, in English, French or German.

Careers

Commerce graduates work in sales, purchasing, retail management, import and export, logistics, marketing and customer service, or run their own shop or trading company. The official job profiles of the Spanish FP titles are a useful guide. Técnico en Actividades Comerciales leads to posts such as sales representative or manager of a small shop. Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional leads to foreign trade technician or freight forwarder. A Bachelor of Commerce with an accounting major leads towards the accounting profession.

Official figures exist for some of these occupations. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with about 123,400 openings each year. It notes that a high school diploma is generally enough to sell non-technical products, while representatives selling scientific and technical products usually need a bachelor's degree.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between commerce and business administration?

Business administration covers the whole company, including finance, human resources and operations. Commerce, in the Spanish sense, concentrates on buying, selling, distribution and trade. A Bachelor of Commerce in Australia, Canada or India is closer to a general business degree.

How long does a commerce degree take?

A Spanish grado has 240 ECTS credits, normally four years. The Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at UniSC in Australia takes three years. Spanish FP cycles in commerce have 2,000 hours.

Can I study commerce without going to university?

Yes. In Spain the vocational titles Técnico en Actividades Comerciales and Técnico Superior en Comercio Internacional are official qualifications in this field.

Which countries have the most schools for commerce?

In this directory Spain has 23 of the 97 schools, followed by Canada with 9 and Australia with 7.