MSc IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
- Director: Yulia Kasperskaya
- Credits: 60 ECTS
- Language: Spanish 55%, English 45%
- Fee level: €1,660.2 (€4,920 non-EU)
- Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year will open on December 1st, 2024
The MSc in Business Research is designed to provide students with advanced training in the research skills, techniques and methodologies to conduct their own research into business and business competitiveness.
The MSc in Business Research is a one-year programme which provides students with advanced training in the research skills, techniques and methodologies to conduct their own research in business. The programme can also be taken part-time over two years.
Students who successfully complete the master will have developed the knowledge and skills to begin the preparation of a doctoral thesis and may therefore request admission to the PhD in Business. Attainment of the MSc degree also prepares students for careers in research and policymaking in the public and private sectors. You must note, however, that it is a research-oriented programme and not a professional MBA.
The MSc in Business Research offers international research excellence in business administration and management. It also provides the means for students to develop skills and abilities in research that meet the highest standards. Students are exposed to a rich training curriculum as well as a wide offering of master classes, research seminars, workshops and conferences. These offerings shape academic skills and at the same time create sensitivity for practical business opportunities and challenges.
The programme attracts students from around the world. A typical class profile has a percentage of international student of over 60%. As the master subjects are taught in Spanish (55%) and English (45%), a good command of both languages is needed. The final language % depends on the elective subjects selected for each student in their enrolment.
Students must complete 60 credits comprising 30 core course credits and 30 free-elective credits. Given its research orientation, the master degree requires a teaching model that combines a practical approach with master classes, which provide the conceptual foundations of business research. Lessons in the computer room are essential in order to master statistical techniques and databases.
General information and indicators
The University of Barcelona annually publishes performance indicators for the MSc in Business Research. These figures are linked to the Faculty’s internal quality assurance system and allow for accurate monitoring of the development of the programme, identification of areas for improvement and greater accountability. The data can be accessed through the following link.
The MSc in Business Research is designed to provide students with advanced training in the research skills, techniques and methodologies they will need to conduct their own research in business. The programme content aims to develop a student’s ability to identify research topics of importance to the academic community, understand relevant new theories, essential paradigms and trends, search for and select relevant qualitative and quantitative data and analyse, interpret and transform data into useful information. Contents will also contribute to the mastery of the design stages involved in business research activities and the ability to apply the most appropriate qualitative methodologies for high-quality research.
The programme consists of 60 credits of taught modules, including four compulsory subjects (30 credits) and eighteen free-elective subjects (30 credits). It therefore requires one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. The academic year is divided into two semesters, which cover the period allocated for the Master’s Thesis (TFM). Digital Repositori of the Master Final Thesis Dissertations.
Core subjects are instrumental and methodological while free-elective courses allow students to focus on aspects that interest them. These elective courses are divided into six areas:
1. Strategy and Entrepreneurship
2. Technology and Operations Management
3. Accounting
4. Finance
5. Marketing
6. General Management
Academic year 2024-2025
The MSc in Business Research is aimed at students with a strong research orientation in the field of business. A large share of our students request admission to the PhD in Business after completing the programme. However, the MSc also provides a good background for those planning to pursue a research career in the private sector.
Applicants should bear in mind that the MSc in Business Research has little in common with an MBA, which has a much more practical approach and pays less attention to research. For those looking for a professional career path, the University of Barcelona offers an Executive MBA programme.
Knowledge of languages
Prospective applicants also need a good command of Spanish and English, as teaching is carried out in both languages. Around 55% of all the courses are taught in Spanish and the remaining 45% are taught in English.
Candidates will have to prove at least a B1 Level or equivalent* of English/Spanish. Applicants are exempt from documenting English/Spanish certificates if they are native speakers or hold a university degree taught in English/Spanish.
Please upload a copy of it in the application form. Additionally, you can also report the score to us directly via your test center. We also accept other certificates as long as they are proof of fluency in English.
*Minimum level recommended for Certificates:
BEC 1 in English/Spanish
Premilinary English Test with Merit (PET pass)
TOEFL iBT 42-71 (Code C086)
IELTS 4.0
To be considered for the MSc programme, applicants must have one of the following:
1. An official degree issued by a Spanish university;
2. An official degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that grants access to official master’s degree programmes;
3. An official degree issued by a higher education institution outside the EHEA that has been legalised or that carries official recognition.
The MSc in Business Research attracts ambitious and driven students, most of whom wish to pursue a PhD in Business. While most students have a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, others come from Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences, etc. Successful candidates work together and learn from a striving community from around the globe. The typical cohort comprises around 20 students from many different nationalities, mainly from Europe, America and Asia.
Get to know more our students HERE.
Students who successfully complete the master will have developed the knowledge and skills to begin a doctoral thesis and may therefore request admission to the PhD in Business. This is one of the most popular career choices for MSc in Business Research graduates. In fact, the master is intended to serve as a foundation for doctoral research, which in turn constitutes the first step towards an academic career.
Not all students decide to follow this route, though. Some prefer to make the transition to the labour market straight after finishing their master degree and others wait until they have completed their doctorate. According to data provided by the Catalan government, 95.4% of all PhD social sciences graduates find a job in less than three years, and the unemployment rate is below 3.3%. Therefore, the MSc and the PhD allow students to improve their position in the job market.
Former MSc students have been placed in academic and research institutions worldwide (meet Maria de Lourdes Eguren PhD in Business and MSc in Business Research alumni).
The Faculty of Economics and Business has a dedicated Careers Services office, which offers guidance and facilitates employment for graduates. It manages the Job Bank, where companies post job offers and available work placements. The Career Services office also works to strengthen students’ entrepreneurial skills and offers the Coworking Space as a place for developing projects and sharing ideas and strategies.
Fees
- – 1,660.20 euros (60 credits | 27.67 euros/credit) for national students from EU member states, from countries that are members of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) or from Switzerland, Andorra, and China; or long-term residents in Spain.
- – 4,920 euros (60 credits | 82 euros/credit) for foreign students who are not nationals of EU member states, of countries that are members of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein) or of Switzerland, Andorra, and China; or residents who are not long-term residents in Spain.
More information about the tuition fees, deductions and increases HERE.
Funding
You can find information about available scholarships at the Universitat de Barcelona’s website.
APPLICATION PERIOD FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026 WILL OPEN IN DECEMBER
In order to present your application you have to follow these steps:
FIRST
Check that you meet the entry requirements for the MSc in Business Research.
SECOND
Complete the application form, which will allow the academic committee to evaluate your candidacy.
Academic Committee Resolutions
1st period | Application received from December 1, 2024, to January 17, 2025. Resolutions on February 15, 2024.
2nd period | Application received from January 18 to March 14, 2025. Resolutions on April 5, 2025.
3rd period | Application received from March 15 to May 16, 2025. Resolutions on May 31, 2025.
4th period | Application received from May 17 to July 1. 2025. Resolutions on July 15, 2025.
If there are any vacancies, a new period will be opened.
THIRD
Pay the application fee. Please note that you will have to indicate the degree you are applying for. Choose the option “Recerca en Empresa”. After completing the form you will have to pay the €30’21 application fee. Most major credit cards are accepted.
To complete the application process, it is necessary to have submitted both forms and have paid the application fee. Only complete applications will be considered.
Important note: The platform for the application fee payment will be available from January 2024. All the applications received so far will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee and payments will be required afterward.
FOURTH
If the academic resolution is positive, you must present the required DOCUMENTS in order to validate them and obtain the final admission.
Admission deferment policy: Students admitted to the programme that are unable to attend may request a deferment of the admission to the following academic year (only once). Requests must be sent by email to business.school@ub.edu before September 1st. Each request is reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Please note that deferments are not guaranteed.