Economics Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain
About Economics Schools and Programs in Madrid, Spain
Economics studies how households, companies and governments use limited resources: markets and prices, growth, employment, public finances, money and international trade. Students learn economic theory together with mathematics, statistics and econometrics, and apply them to real data. Madrid, as Spain's capital and home of the Banco de España, has a wide range of economics programmes, from bachelor's degrees to research-oriented master's and doctoral programmes.
How economics degrees are organised
Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits, normally four years of full-time study, and master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits. Official degrees are listed in the ministry's Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos (RUCT). Alongside the grado en Economía, many universities offer related degrees and double degrees that combine economics with business administration, finance, law or politics.
Where to study Economics in Madrid
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM): its Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales teaches an official grado en Economía; the faculty lists 10 bachelor's degrees, 6 master's degrees and 3 doctoral programmes.
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid: its Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales offers bachelor's and double degrees, master's and doctoral studies. The RUCT also lists a UCM degree in Filosofía, Política y Economía.
- Universidad CEU San Pablo: private university with an official grado en Economía. The university states that students can specialise in finance or international business and work with tools such as Bloomberg and SPSS.
- Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED): official grado en Economía by distance learning.
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas: among its official master's degrees is a research methods master in management, economics and finance.
- CEMFI, Centro de Estudios Monetarios y Financieros: created by the Banco de España, it teaches a Master in Economics and Finance, an official two-year degree of 120 ECTS awarded by the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP), and a PhD in Economics and Government.
- Saint Louis University, Madrid: teaches four-year U.S. undergraduate degrees in English, with no previous Spanish required; its departments include Business and Economics. These are U.S. degrees, not Spanish official degrees.
Spanish public and private universities teach mainly in Spanish; SLU-Madrid is the option on this list for students who want a full degree in English. CEMFI presents its programmes in English on its website, but confirm the language of instruction with the centre.
Admission and recognition
Students who finished secondary school outside Spain usually apply first to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter a Spanish bachelor's degree, and then apply to each university. Graduates with a foreign degree who want to take a Spanish master's can ask the ministry for a declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of their degree (bachelor's or master's).
Careers
Economics graduates work as analysts in banks, consultancies and companies, in public administration and regulators, in international organisations and in research. Madrid concentrates many of these employers, including the Banco de España and the head offices of large Spanish companies. A research master's such as CEMFI's is a common route into doctoral programmes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an economics degree take in Madrid?
A grado en Economía has 240 ECTS credits, normally four years. A master's adds one or two years; CEMFI's Master in Economics and Finance has 120 ECTS over two years.
Can I study economics in English in Madrid?
Yes. SLU-Madrid teaches its U.S. degrees in English, with no previous Spanish required. At Spanish universities and at CEMFI, check the language of each programme before applying.
Can I study economics in Madrid by distance learning?
Yes. UNED, Spain's national distance-learning university, has an official grado en Economía.