Study business in Spain - 18 institutions

Every foreigner has the opportunity to get a quality business education in Spain. The chance to study in two languages at once - English and Spanish - together with affordable tuition fees, low prices for food and accommodation attracts thousands of students from abroad. It is possible to become a student of a prestigious faculty related to business administration in the international market in universities and the best business schools in Spain - the latter can be divided into three categories:

1. Prestigious international business schools in Spain with many years of experience
2. Rating business schools working with MBA programs, with the support of international organizations
3. Young institutions where the number of foreign students is small, but in the arsenal of brilliant results of graduates and noticeable rating positions.

Levels of business training programs:

• Bachelor
• Master
• Doctorate
• MBA.

High-quality and prestigious business education is available in the best universities - such programs also work for foreign students. Classes are held in English and Spanish : with a weak basic level of one of them, it is possible to take preparatory courses that last 10-12 months. University faculties related to business education are presented in the table:

Each educational institution offering higher business education in Spain has the right to put forward its own requirements for applicants. The main things you need to know when planning your future studies:

• All introductory documents must be certified and translated into Spanish by certified translators
• The required level of English is not lower than B2
• Submit papers as early as possible, as the number of places on a business program is usually limited.

The best Spanish schools offering business education in Spain :

• ESE Business School
• ESADE Business School
• ESEUNE Business School
• EU Business School
• EADA Business School
• IED Istituto Europeo di Design .

Getting a Bachelor's degree in business programs takes 3-4 years. Candidates for programs with an economic specialization can be candidates holding an internationally recognized A-level diploma. Some requirements for applicants differ depending on the university, among the main 4 conditions can be distinguished (for example, the most prestigious university of Barcelona):

• Mandatory - the certificate of school education must be legalized, translated and equated with the analogue of the Spanish certificate. The legalization procedure depends on the educational system of the country that issued the certificate: it can be homologation or obtaining admission to university studies - “Credencial de Acceso”. If the candidate is not a citizen of one of the EU countries or partner countries under a bilateral agreement, you must pass the state exam - Selectividad (for IB and EB diploma holders there is no need to take this exam).
• Applicants who are citizens of non-EU countries and do not have a residence permit can try to apply for the quota allocated to foreigners by the country's educational system, or choose a simplified scheme of admission, which implies a higher payment.
• Spanish higher education institutions accept candidates with incomplete higher education - it will be necessary to submit an application for recognition of the courses taken. To do this, the candidate should clarify in advance all the rules and terms for the recognition of programs by the administration of the particular faculty. The usual list of documents attached to the application: academic certificates of each individual course, extracts with grades, etc. Documents duly translated and certified are considered by the Academic Academic Council, and it also makes its decision on the admission of a future student to classes.
• A candidate can apply on the basis of a Bachelor’s diploma through homologation.

The cost of one academic year at the business faculty of a prestigious Spanish university is about 2000 €.

You can get a quality business education and become a student of business schools by combining work with study - many institutions offer flexible admission conditions. For example, EU Business School offers several months when exams are held:

• October
• February
• June
• August.

The school offers modern curricula focused on three “pillars” of the business sphere:

• Business ethics
• Managerial skills
• Entrepreneurial initiative.

You can take high-quality business courses in Spain at one of the branches: their location is Barcelona and Montreux. The language of instruction is English, so any foreign student can study here even with insufficient command of Spanish, but with English proficiency from B2. The best specialties offered by EU Business School:

• Business Administration
• Public Relations, Communication
• Tourism Management
• Restaurant Management
• International relationships
• Sports Management
• Internet, design, innovation
• Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• HR
• Finance.

Courses are held in small international groups (students from 100 countries). The school confidently holds the status of prestigious thanks to partnerships with universities in New York, California, Boston and Bangkok.

The cost of undergraduate studies at a business school is 2000 € -20000 € / year.

Duration of business programs in Spain - 1-2 years. The procedure for admission (may vary slightly from different universities):

• Send a preliminary application on the university website or on a paper form provided by the administration of the selected institution
• Present a diploma of completion of undergraduate studies, an extract of a gradebook with grades for all academic semesters, if necessary, legalize a diploma (not all universities present this requirement) or affix an apostille to official lawyers. All documents must be translated into Spanish
• Provide a motivation letter with the reasons that prompted the applicant to study business disciplines in this educational institution
• To get a visa - the basis for obtaining is a preliminary document of enrollment in a university
• Provide a document on passing the DELE language test: in some educational institutions it is not needed or the test is conducted by the university itself. Most Master's programs are taught in Spanish (Catalan, Basque), a good command of English will not be sufficient.

Future students also need to understand that in order to enter Spanish business schools for master's programs, students from abroad do not have to be a graduate of a Bachelor's degree at their own university: it is really possible to start the application process for admission already at 3-4 undergraduate courses. The cost of studying for a Master's program is 1500-1800 € from “state employees”, 3000-4000 € in private institutions and business schools.

Universities in Spain, as part of business education, offer doctoral programs (PhD) on the basis of their institution or in partner centers that are engaged in relevant research: this allows graduate students to significantly expand the amount of knowledge gained.

The main conditions for admission to graduate school for business programs:

• It is necessary to finish undergraduate and graduate studies, and in that direction (or close to it), which is chosen for future research
• If the applicant does not have the necessary degrees, he can do it with a qualification that, according to ECTS, is gaining at least 300 credits (detailed information can be found on the website of NARIC, the national academic information center). ECTS credits are accumulated in the learning process - the development of each new program gives a certain amount of them: for example, one academic year - 60 credits
• For admission, it may also require accreditation of the diploma of the native country in an official institution at the Spanish Ministry of Education, for example, in a consulate. In rare cases, some universities may invite an applicant for an interview or require an application written in person with an indication of their experience. All documents submitted must be translated into Spanish by a certified translator and certified at a consulate or embassy
• Applicants from non-EU countries must apply for a type D visa (valid for 3 months with further extension)
• Provide 2 photos, a questionnaire, proof of payment of the fee, medical insurance, data on future candidate work
• It is important to provide proof of solvency during your studies in Spain (approximate amount is 530 € per month).

For admission to the next academic year, applications are accepted from January to May of the current. Some universities start classes in October, so the dates may be slightly shifted.

The main business training programs in Spain are divided into two levels:

• Formal studying. During the year, the graduate student prepares to write a research work - selects the necessary information, coordinates the topic. 
• The main stage is the direct writing of the work: 3 years - the term for graduate students in full-time studies, 5 years - for those who combine study with work. To help get a doctor of science degree, curators are attached - teachers who help in the selection of materials.

The cost of postgraduate studies is not calculated for the academic year, but for a loan, approximately equal to the hours of study. 

The list of some business PhD programs offered by universities in Spain:

• Doctorate in Business Economics and Quantitative Methods (Carlos III University of Madrid)
• Official Doctoral Program in Economic Analysis and Business Strategy (UNIVERSIDADE DA CORUÑA)
• Doctorate in international business taxation.

For managers, business courses are offered by the most prestigious universities in MBA programs - Master of Business Administration, including international. Some of the most requested courses are:

• Business Administration - Specialization in International Management (Geneva Business School, Madrid Branch)
• MBA in International Management ( Business School in Barcelona )
• International MBA Madrid - Shanghai (EAE Business School International)
• MBA in Management and Business Management (ESEM).

Form of classes - full-time, afternoon, evening classes. Course duration - 1 academic year, beginning - October. A mandatory requirement is that the candidate has experience in the specialty, usually 3 years. Classes include:

• Business games
• Conferences
• Debate
• Drawing up a business plan, etc.

MBA programs work in all areas: entrepreneurship, operations management, accounting, finance, planning, marketing, management. The average cost is 9600 €.