Studies & Degrees in Business Administration
Business Administration Study Programs
Business administration is the study of how organisations are run. It covers the functions that every company, public body or non-profit needs: accounting and finance, marketing and sales, operations and logistics, human resources, business law, economics and strategy. Students learn to read a balance sheet, analyse a market, plan a budget and organise people and processes.
It is a broad, general degree. That is its main attraction and its main limitation: graduates can work in almost any sector, but they usually need to specialise, through optional courses, internships or a master's degree, to stand out. It is also one of the most popular fields. In the United States, business was the most common field for bachelor's degrees in 2021-22, with 375,400 degrees or 19 percent of the total, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Qualifications and levels
- Bachelor's degrees. In Spain the degree is the Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas (ADE), an official bachelor's degree (grado) of 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad de Navarra it takes four years in Pamplona and is taught in Spanish and English; the university describes it as training in finance, marketing, operations, people management and general management. In the United States and Canada the usual name is Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or B.S. in Business Administration, with a specialisation. San Diego State University, for example, offers accountancy, finance, financial services and general business, among others, within a single degree, and the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada offers a four-year BBA with co-op semesters of paid work experience. In the United Kingdom, universities such as the University of Westminster teach BA Honours degrees in business management, alone or combined with accounting or a language.
- Master's degrees and the MBA. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Specialised master's degrees (finance, marketing, human resources) usually follow straight after a first degree. The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a general management qualification, and schools set their own entry conditions, which may include work experience. Ask each school what it requires and whether its master's is an official degree.
- Vocational training. In Spain the higher vocational qualification (FP de grado superior) Técnico Superior en Administración y Finanzas lasts 2,000 hours and leads to administrative jobs in offices, sales, finance, accounting and logistics. In the United States, community colleges award two-year associate's degrees: 113,100 associate's degrees in business were conferred in 2021-22.
- Online study. The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) teaches a fully online ADE degree of 240 credits in Spanish or Catalan.
Where to study
SpainExchange lists 616 active schools for business administration. The United States has 175 and Spain 127, followed by the United Kingdom (28), Canada (15), Germany (15), Argentina (12) and France (11). In Spain the list includes the Universidad de Navarra, the Universidad de Cádiz, Saint Louis University's Madrid campus, and EU Business School and the Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Barcelona. Elsewhere it includes London South Bank University and the University of Westminster in London, The Ohio State University and San Diego State University in the United States, the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada, OsloMet in Norway and Siam University in Bangkok.
Programmes are taught in the language of the country or in English, and some Spanish universities teach the degree in both Spanish and English. With so many schools to choose from, neutral criteria help:
- whether the degree is an official, state-recognised qualification in the country where it is taught
- whether the business school holds an international accreditation; AACSB, for example, combines self-assessment with peer review, and the Association of MBAs accredits MBA, DBA and master's programmes
- the language of instruction and the specialisations offered
- internships, co-op terms and exchange agreements
Careers
Graduates start in roles such as financial or business analyst, accountant, auditor, marketing or sales executive, human resources officer, logistics planner or consultant, or they join or start a family business. Management positions come later. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that top executives typically need at least a bachelor's degree and considerable work experience.
For the United States, the Bureau projects that overall employment in management occupations and in business and financial occupations will grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035, with about 1.1 million and about 886,600 openings a year respectively. Employment of top executives is projected to grow 5 percent over the same period. These figures describe the US labour market only.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a business administration degree take?
In Spain the Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas has 240 ECTS credits and takes four years. The BBA of the University of the Fraser Valley in Canada also lasts four years. An official master's in Spain adds 60 to 120 ECTS credits.
What is the difference between a business degree and an MBA?
A bachelor's degree in business administration is a first university degree. The MBA is a postgraduate qualification in general management, taken after a first degree; some schools also ask for work experience.
Can I study business administration in English in Spain?
Yes. The Universidad de Navarra, for example, teaches its ADE degree in Spanish and English. Check the language of each programme before applying.
Can I study business administration without going to university?
Yes. In Spain the higher vocational course in administration and finance lasts 2,000 hours, and in the United States community colleges offer associate's degrees in business.