Bachelor's degree in Economics

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Barcelona

Program Overview

The Bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of Barcelona equips you with practical and theoretical knowledge to manage economic affairs in private companies, public institutions, and organizations of economic or social relevance. This four-year program combines rigorous economic theory with real-world application, preparing you for leadership roles in consulting, evaluation, and strategic decision-making across sectors.

Curriculum Structure

First and Second Year: Foundations
During your first two years, you'll build a solid economic foundation through core subjects like Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, which teach you how individual markets and entire economies function. You'll also develop essential technical skills through Mathematics and Computer Tools for Management, enabling you to analyze complex economic data and solve practical business problems. These foundational courses blend lectures, group work, case studies, and practical exercises to ensure you understand both theory and real-world application.

Third and Fourth Year: Specialization and Practice
In your final years, you'll deepen your expertise through advanced courses such as International Economics, Financial Management, and Strategic Management, allowing you to explore specialized areas that match your career interests. The teaching intensifies over these semesters with all subjects taught entirely in English, preparing you for international work environments. Your studies culminate in a six-month full-time internship at relevant organizations across various economic sectors, where you'll apply everything you've learned while simultaneously developing your Bachelor's Degree Final Project.

Focus Areas

International business environments, financial management, economic policy analysis, strategic consulting, and data-driven decision-making in both public and private sectors.

Learning Outcomes

Students develop competencies in economic analysis and evaluation, management consulting, strategic planning, financial assessment, and the ability to conduct research in economic and business contexts.

Professional Alignment

The program prepares graduates for roles in public administration (municipal, regional, and national government), international organizations (European Central Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, OECD), and financial services, as well as positions in commercial economics, project evaluation, and competition regulation.

Reputation & Employability

The Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona is recognized as a leading centre for teaching and research in economics, business, sociology and statistics, combining strong academic tradition with modern research capacity.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

At the University of Barcelona's Faculty of Economics and Business, our Bachelor's degree in Economics puts practical skills front and center, helping you build real-world expertise through hands-on opportunities like supervised internships and entrepreneurial projects. You'll have access to dedicated facilities such as computer rooms equipped for economic analysis and modeling, a specialized library with resources tailored to teaching and research in economics, and innovative workspaces for startup ventures—the first of their kind in Catalonia's university system. These tools ensure you're not just learning theory but applying it right away, whether through group-based final projects or industry placements.

Here's how our program makes experiential learning come alive for Economics students::
- Supervised internships: Curricular placements are built into your degree, assessed by tutors and recorded academically; non-curricular options go up to 900 hours via formal agreements with companies and institutions.
- EUS Program internships: After your first two years (120 credits), qualify for this English-taught track ending with a six-month full-time internship at local or international organizations, alongside your final project.
- Group projects and final work: Tackle collaborative Bachelor's Degree Final Project (TFG, 6 ECTS) after 180 credits, often involving real economic analysis with tutor guidance.
- Computer rooms and digital tools: Faculty-specific labs for students, staff, and researchers, ideal for econometrics, forecasting, and data work in courses like those in the EUS Program (e.g., Econometrics I, Financial Management).
- Entrepreneurial workspaces: Pioneering facilities to launch and develop your own projects, promoted through wide-ranging internship and startup agreements.
- Research support via UB School of Economics: Access platforms with 22 consolidated research groups, over 200 active researchers focusing on areas like growth, trade, public economics, and game theory—perfect for deepening practical skills.

Imagine stepping into roles like economic analyst, policy expert, or financial specialist with this edge—our grads are ready for it.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Barcelona are well prepared for careers where analytical thinking, economic understanding, and decision-making skills are essential. Many go on to work as economic analysts, financial consultants, policy advisors, and data or business specialists in public institutions, private companies, and international organisations.

Future Progression & Opportunities:
• Career Support & Services: The University of Barcelona offers dedicated career guidance through its faculty services, including professional orientation, internship coordination, workshops, employability training, and networking activities with employers to support students in entering the job market.
• Employment Stats: The University of Barcelona is recognised for strong graduate employability, with high employment rates reported in recent evaluations, reflecting the value of its degrees in the labour market.
• University–Industry Partnerships: The Faculty of Economics and Business regularly collaborates with companies and organisations through career events, talks, recruitment sessions, and internship opportunities that connect students with real professional environments.
• Long-Term Accreditation Value: As one of Spain’s leading and most established public universities, the University of Barcelona offers a degree that is widely respected by employers and institutions across Europe and internationally.
• Graduation Outcomes: The programme equips students with strong quantitative, analytical, and economic skills that prepare them for professional roles in finance, consulting, government, research, and international organisations.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this degree, students can continue with specialised master’s programmes in areas such as Economics, Finance, Data Analysis, Business, or Public Policy at the University of Barcelona or other top universities. Those interested in research or academic careers can also pursue doctoral studies to further deepen their expertise.