Management Schools and Programs in Spain

Management Studies in Spain

Management is the study of how organisations are run: setting strategy, organising people and resources, making decisions with financial and market information, and leading teams. In Spain the core undergraduate qualification is the bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management (Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas, ADE), one of the most widely taught degrees in the country. After it, or after a degree in another field, students can take an official master's degree in management, a business school master's or an MBA. Madrid and Barcelona have the most schools for this subject in our directory, with eleven each.

How management studies are organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, Spanish bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits, usually four years, and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits. The main routes are:

• Bachelor's degree in ADE: a search for this degree in RUCT, the Ministry's register of official degrees, returns 100 records, at public, private and online universities. Many universities also offer double degrees, for example ADE with Law, Computer Engineering or Tourism.
• Other management degrees: some universities have their own approach. Mondragon Unibertsitatea's official Grado en Liderazgo Emprendedor e Innovación (LEINN, entrepreneurial leadership and innovation) has 240 ECTS credits over four years, is taught in Spanish, Basque and English, and runs labs in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Málaga.
• Official master's degree (máster universitario): RUCT returns 134 master's records with "management" in their name, such as the Master in Management at the Universitat Jaume I, the Master in International Management at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas and the Master of Science in Management at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
• Business school programmes: business schools teach master's degrees, MBAs and executive programmes. Some are official, but many lead to the school's own qualification, so check RUCT before you enrol.
• Higher vocational training (FP): the Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas, in the administration and management family, lasts 2,000 hours and prepares for administrative work in accounting, finance, human resources and logistics.

Where to study management in Spain

Madrid and Barcelona have most of the schools in our directory, and there are management programmes at public and private universities across the country, from Santander and Bilbao to Alicante, Castellón and Tarragona. Examples:

• Universidad de Alicante: a public university whose Grado en ADE has 240 credits and 650 places, of which 370 are for the single degree and the rest for double degrees with Computer Engineering, Law and Tourism. A first-enrolment credit costs €12.79; teaching is in Spanish, with some subjects in Valencian and English.
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CUNEF Universidad, Universidad Católica de Ávila and Mondragon Unibertsitatea: all teach the official Grado en ADE listed in RUCT.
• Universitat Jaume I (Castellón) and Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Madrid): both teach official master's degrees in management, in Castellón and Madrid respectively.
• ESCP Business School, Madrid campus: its Master in Management (MiM) lasts two years, requires a bachelor's or master's degree, and is taught across six European campuses including Madrid, where the main campus is in Puerta de Hierro.

Admission and language

To enter a bachelor's degree with a secondary-school qualification from another country, most students first apply to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees, and then apply to each university. Master's degrees require a previous university degree; business schools also assess applicants with their own tests and interviews. For the higher vocational cycle you need the Bachillerato or an equivalent, or a pass in an entrance test.

Public universities teach mainly in Spanish, sometimes with subjects in a regional language or in English. Many private universities register their degrees in RUCT with an English name as well (for example, Bachelor in Business Administration at the Universidad de Navarra), and business school master's programmes are often taught in English.

Recognition and careers

If you already hold a foreign university degree, the Ministry distinguishes between homologation (homologación), which allows you to practise a regulated profession in Spain, and a declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of a degree (bachelor's or master's).

Management graduates work in general management, finance, marketing, human resources, operations and consulting, in companies of every size, in the public sector or in their own business. For the vocational qualification, the Ministry lists roles such as accounting, financial, human resources and logistics administrator.

Frequently asked questions

What is ADE?

ADE stands for Administración y Dirección de Empresas, the Spanish bachelor's degree in business administration and management. It has 240 ECTS credits and usually lasts four years.

Can I study management in English in Spain?

Yes. Several official ADE degrees and master's degrees in management have English-language versions, and many business school master's programmes are taught in English. At public universities, teaching is mainly in Spanish.

Is a business school master's in management an official degree?

Only if it appears in RUCT as a máster universitario. Many business school programmes lead to the school's own qualification.

How much does a management degree cost at a public university?

It depends on the university and the region. At the Universidad de Alicante, for example, a first-enrolment credit of the Grado en ADE costs €12.79.