Public Administration/Management Schools and Programs in Spain

Public Administration/Management Studies in Spain

Public administration studies how governments and public bodies are organised and managed: administrative law, public finance, human resources, policy and the management of public services. In Spain it is taught at university through two families of bachelor's degrees, management-oriented degrees in public administration and degrees that combine political science with public administration, followed by official master's degrees in public management.

How the degrees are organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees 60, 90 or 120. The ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) lists two main degree types:

• Gestión y Administración Pública (public management and administration), a management-focused degree
• Ciencia Política y Administración Pública and similar names, which combine political science with public administration

The Universidad de Málaga describes its Grado en Gestión y Administración Pública as a degree designed to train managers and middle managers in administrative and financial management. Alongside administrative and financial management, students take subjects in computing, law, statistics, economics, accounting, human resources, organisational planning, documentation and sociology, all applied to public administration. The degree has 240 ECTS credits over four years and is taught in Spanish.

At the Universidad de Jaén, the 240 credits include 12 credits of external placements and a 6-credit final project. Students can choose a specialisation (mención) in public administration or public management. The university also states that the degree prepares students for the selection exams to enter the civil service, and it offers a double-degree route with a master's from the Università della Calabria in Italy.

Admission and language

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed to enter a Spanish bachelor's degree. Documents must be legalised and translated, and the application is then made to each university within its own deadlines. In some regions admission is centralised: in Andalusia, for example, pre-registration and the allocation of places are handled by the Distrito Único Andaluz.

Places vary by university; the Universidad de Málaga's degree was verified for 75 places. Because the subject is closely tied to Spanish law and institutions, programmes are taught mainly in Spanish (at Málaga, only in Spanish), so a good level of the language is essential.

Where to study public administration in Spain

Universities in our directory with a RUCT-registered degree in Gestión y Administración Pública include the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad de Alicante, the Universidad de Almería, the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, the Universidad de Jaén, the Universidad de Málaga, the Universidad de Oviedo and the Universidad de Zaragoza. The Universitat de Barcelona offers it jointly with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Degrees combining political science and public administration are registered at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universidad de Salamanca, the Universidad de Murcia and the Universitat de València.

For postgraduate study, RUCT lists official master's degrees such as the joint master's in public management of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Universitat de Barcelona and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra; the master's in advanced public management at the Universitat de Barcelona; and two master's at the Universidad de Granada, in public management and in development cooperation and public management. The Universitat Pompeu Fabra also offers a master's in government and public management in Latin America. In the field of social policy, the Escola de l'IGOP of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona runs a master's in social policy and community action.

Recognition of the qualification

Public administration is not a regulated profession in Spain; the Universidad de Málaga states this on its degree page. A foreign degree in the field therefore cannot be homologated, but the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities can issue a declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of the degree (bachelor's or master's).

Careers

According to the Universidad de Jaén, graduates can carry out management, coordination, implementation and advisory tasks in public administrations, political institutions and other public bodies at European, national, regional and local level, which are entered through competitive exams (oposiciones) or by contract. Typical areas include:

• administrative and financial management in public bodies
• human resources and organisation in the public sector
• advice to political institutions
• public policy and social programmes
• consultancy for companies that work with the public sector

Frequently asked questions

How long is a public administration degree in Spain?

Four years. Degrees such as Gestión y Administración Pública have 240 ECTS credits, as at the Universidad de Málaga and the Universidad de Jaén.

What is the difference between Gestión y Administración Pública and Ciencia Política y Administración Pública?

The first focuses on administrative, financial and human-resources management in public bodies. The second combines public administration with political science.

Does the degree prepare for civil-service exams?

Yes, in part. The Universidad de Jaén lists preparation for the selection exams for the civil service among the aims of its degree. Access to public posts is through oposiciones or by contract.

Is there a master's focused on Latin America?

Yes. The Universitat Pompeu Fabra has an official master's in government and public management in Latin America, registered in RUCT.