Master's in International Trade & Business [MITB]
Expand your knowledge about the world of international commerce and business. Discover the Master in International Trade & Business offered by ESIC.
The Master in International Trade&Business is an unique and innovative program in the field of International Business and Commerce, grounded on the experience of ESIC as a leader in marketing education in Europe. The Master in International Marketing and Trade (MITB), running since 1985 as Máster en Dirección de Comercio Internacional, is one of the oldest courses in the area. This unique combination gives you a distinct competitive edge for your future professional development based on both academic knowledge and practical orientation. In this context, the program aims at giving a full understanding of the important processes and considerations involved in evaluating, managing, and implementing strategies in international markets while strengthening your ability to face and solve complex challenges in an increasingly globalized environment.
There are 2 options to complete the MITB: 100% in ESIC Spain or 75% in ESIC Spain + 25% in SISU Shanghai
Internationally accredited by AMBA and EFMD
Objectives
By completing the Master in International Trade&Business (MITB) you will be in the position to identify the motives and means of servicing foreign markets, address controversial issues in international trade & business, formulate your own international business plans, and appreciate the factors that drive performance in the global economy.
The MITB will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to master the complexity required for making decisions in a globalized business environment.
It will also add to your breadth of understanding of how global firms operate, prepare you to conduct business in a global context, and embrace emerging issues in international trade and business.
Academic Structure
The hybrid format allows students to personalise and make learning more flexible through ongoing training. In the hybrid classroom model, technology is integrated as an element of the learning process that guarantees continuity of training at all times.

Management Subjects
- Innovation in a disruptive world
The unit focuses on the generation and improvement of business opportunities thinking “out of the box” Innovation will be the centre of value creation in the present disruptive environment.
- Critical thinking and the art of decision-making
This unit helps the student to differentiate the problems in order to identify decisions with major impact in business minimizing efforts, costs, and time. This unit gives the tools to identify those problems differentiating the ones related to business/money from the ones related to personal/organizational issues. It develops technical abilities for decision making with limited or complex information.
- Conscious leadership
The current environment and organizations require adaptive leadership that considers not only external aspects but also the manager’s personal profile. Communication, and listening skills (feedback) are increasingly important in the plural, multicultural, and globalized environments. During this course, students will learn to know their leadership style and how to exercise it in different environments. Likewise, they must know and use the fundamental elements and structures to build clear messages that allow them to approach communication with more confidence and know how to effectively manage situations of doubt, questions or confrontation.
- Persuasive communication
The current context modifies the way we communicate and interact, the diversity of people we address, as well as the means we use to transmit messages, share, influence and achieve our purpose, highlight the importance of becoming aware of our communication style and impact, being key to know the tools and methodologies that make us more flexible in order to adapt to any situation and interlocutors without losing impact.
- Business as a global and ethical citizen
The aim of this subject is for the student to acquire the competencies and knowledge taking the decisions in an ethical way, with social corporate responsibility and the different stakeholders in a global and multicultural environment. Apply high standards of respect for human values and cultural diversity. Develop competencies to measure the economic impact of decisions when taken or even when not taken.
- Business strategy in global environments
Current organizations and environments require an adaptative leadership not just in the external facts but in the managers' profile as well. Within this framework communication abilities are more and more important in globalized and multicultural environments. Students will learn their leadership style and how to apply it in different circumstances. They will learn how to use and apply fundamental structures and elements to deliver clear and attractive messages approaching communication with confidence. They will also learn how to deal with uncertain situations, questions, or confrontational issues.

Specialisation Subjects
Category subjects
- Digital Metamorphosis: The Technology Factor
The most innovative companies use emerging technologies - Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Blockchain, among others - as well as data and agile methodologies to develop new products and services, business models, and customer experiences. These companies have digitally transformed themselves by making data the engine of their operations and achieving strong competitive advantages that can lead to major disruptions in markets and profound changes in the industry. However, technology is a very important element in this process, but it is not enough. Success lies fundamentally in the proper formulation of strategic intent and not on individual technologies, as well as in the ability to digitally reinvent the business, supported by leaders who foster a culture capable of changing and inventing the new, of taking risks, and of properly managing talent. This subject explores how strategies can be improved through the introduction of new technologies, the knowledge of these, the use of data for decision making, the organizational and cultural change that companies must face in order to guarantee success in this digital metamorphosis that for some companies could mean their disappearance.
- Feeling and listening to the market
Listening to and feeling the market is a fundamental competence of today's organizations. It has always been important, but increasingly the needs of customers evolve more quickly. Think about the current context, can you identify any aspects that are impacting consumer expectations and behaviors? I'm sure you will have no difficulty in identifying some, as these days, we are experiencing one of the biggest transformations and changes in our lifestyles globally. But beyond Covid19 or any other structural change affecting society, there are also countless small evolutions that are changing customers' needs, expectations, and behaviors.
Companies that want to differentiate themselves from their competitors and achieve consumer
preference must be attentive to these changes and have the tools and methodologies to identify them and react quickly and accurately.Listening to and feeling the market is the set of techniques, instruments, and methodologies that will allow us to understand and react to customer needs in an agile way, and adapt our marketing strategies based on the insights obtained.
- Strategic marketing
This subject will allow students to approach the marketing strategy under an integrative, results-oriented approach that inspires the formulation of operational and tactical initiatives of the elements of the marketing mix and the segmentation and positioning sections. Finally, attention will be paid to the configuration of the total marketing plan, integrating in a special way everything related to the digital field.
- Finance for marketing management: creating stakeholder value
Financing of assets/companies and different investment strategies to maintain growth. Critical analysis of key financial elements either generating value or being a risk either are domestic or international level. Fintech elements as part of the financial markets.
Subjects specific to your degree
- Economics for marketeers
The traditional economic model macro-micro has changed on an important scale due to two strong factors. On one hand, the fourth industrial revolution associated with digitalization, robotics, and artificial intelligence has caused a major change in how markets and the economy work. On the other hand, other elements such as global warming, the drop of fossil energies to encourage new clean energies, the aging of the population all of which, in consequence, will provoke new important changes in the economy such as the new monetary policies. (Quantitative easing).
- Strategic marketing
This subject will allow students to approach the marketing strategy under an integrative, results-oriented approach that inspires the formulation of operational and tactical initiatives of the elements of the marketing mix and the segmentation and positioning sections. Finally, attention will be paid to the configuration of the marketing plan, integrating everything related to the digital world.
- SME & Globalization
The course develops a full methodology of how a Family Business or a Small/Middle size Enterprise face globalization and how a strategic internationalization plan should be structured, as well as the means, to improve its competitive position. It discusses various tools for studying both the internal characteristics of SMEs and their external environment. When studying the activities of companies, such as their possibilities and shortcomings, resources and capabilities, core competencies, structure, and strategic plans, we will examine their leadership and internal control, in the SME and family business context. In the external analysis, the social, economic, and institutional context, competitor’s strategies, and evolution will be explored.
- Market research
This discipline is defined as the function that connects consumers with vendors through the analysis of data. It captures individuals’ behavior understanding before consumption stimuli. This analysis helps define the impact of consumer behavior within the business decision making process. Market research has become a pivotal area to build robust and meaningful marketing propositions. It contributes to analyzing consumers from a scientific standpoint to determine the drivers of their needs, which, in turn, has a significant impact on the improvement of the firms’ long-term relationship with them.
- Marketing mix
The marketing mix module will offer students tools and approaches to define customer targets and to identify their needs, to develop appropriate marketing strategies and ensure the effective use of resources as well as the profitability of marketing campaigns.
- Global market
The global market workshops aim at offering a critical view of current events, trends, and possible scenarios in the most relevant and influential markets in today´s business environment. The workshops also intend to create a space for the sharing of experiences and first-hand insights between guests and participants.
- International operations
Operations are a key part of any activity. The way to deliver value across the supply chain represents the last milestone. From transportation modes and warehousing to stock control and logistics operations, from the manufacturing to the customs or the last-mile delivery, any part is linked one to the other. The complete operational process is described in this module.
- International finance
The objective of this unit is to understand the challenges that international companies face from the perspective of international finance, especially in trade operations, working capital management, and international banking relations. Companies need to operate with financial intermediaries- and it is key that banks work with them in an efficient way. This dual perspective will highlight the risks in operating in the international arena with other companies and different types of banks in the changing and volatile international financial markets.
- Global supply chain
Logistics, communications, transportation and logistics, international trade and its management is one of the oldest and most intuitive of mercantile activities. Today, this industry is undergoing rapid and revolutionary change due to two main relevant points such as globalization and the irruption of the internet, the innovative technologies changes and, therefore, the new retail and e-commerce paradigms.

Optional Subjects
Subjects or activities are freely chosen by the student to personalise a part of their master's degree and thus complete their skills development. Students can choose subjects related or unrelated to their discipline, experience what it is like to study abroad, or prepare for a certification.
It will be possible to take the elective courses in English or Spanish and select the ones that are of most interest to the students, regardless of the category of the program they are taking. There are two levels for each elective subject; an essential level or an advanced level, which will depend on the content of the program.
Management
- Management & Investment on financial assets
- The Start Up journey
- Re & Upskilling: boost your professional efficiency
- The journey to develop a global business
Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Marketing Automation for Operational Marketing
- Purpose Branding
- Sales 4.0: new digital models
Technology
- Essential cybersecurity for non-technical Executives
- Essential Big Data and IA for non-technical Executives
- Internet of Value (Technologies for non-technical Executives)
- Business 4.0: Process Automation (RPA)
*The teaching (remote model) of these subjects will be subject to timetables depending on the composition of groups, and may not coincide with the programme timetable.
- Google tools for decision making (Google Tools)
- Software for Smart Marketing (Hubspot Software Marketing)
- Advanced Marketing (CIM - Chartered Institute of Marketing)
- Scrum in practice (Professional Scrum Máster Certification -PSM)
- People Analytics (Certificate Program)
*This does not include exam fees for any certification or individual CIM tutoring.
There are 2 options to complete the MIB:
- 100% in ESIC Spain
- 75% in ESIC Spain + 25% in SISU Shanghai
You will have the opportunity to strengthen your international profile and enhance your professional development while continuing the MIB curriculum. This period in China includes a stay in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone, one of the world’s largest and economically most relevant, and within these visits to incubators, companies, logistics centers, warehouses, etc.
*If for any reason beyond ESIC's control, travel to the city of destination is not available, a suitable alternative will be provided.

Final Project
This part of the program takes the form of an individual project. The purpose of this project is to take participants onto the next stage of professional development while helping them to grow from a behavioural perspective. The project aims to enable students to:
- Take one of the key emerging themes identified during the program and apply it to a major business project within their organization or business sector.
- Identify the skills and knowledge required to implement the business project successfully and assess their competence in these areas.
- Evaluate the success of the business project in the light of current knowledge on the topic.
- Evaluate their role within the project in terms of skills and behaviours. Participants will be encouraged to develop personal effectiveness through critical self-awareness and self- reflection.
The project must involve international operations.
*Academic Structure subject to change
Outgoing profile
- Managers of global companies
- International Consultant
- International Marketing Director and Manager
- International Purchasing Director and Manager
- International Trade Specialist
- Logistics Operations Specialist
Alumni data
Functional areas of our alumni
Geographical areas
where our alumni work
Campuses and prices where taught
Master's in International Trade & Business [MITB] in Madrid
Duration
- Modality: On-site
- Duration: 12 months
Language
- English
Credits, prices and admissions
- Intakes 10/2022: € 16.900
Campus ESIC en Madrid

Avenida Juan XXIII 12,
Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid
91 452 41 00
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Master's in International Trade & Business [MITB] in Barcelona
Duration
- Modality: On-site
- Duration: 12 months
Language
- English
Credits, prices and admissions
- Intakes 09/2022: € 16.900
Campus ESIC en Barcelona

Carrer de Marià Cubí, 124 | 08021
Barcelona
93 414 44 44
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Master's in International Trade & Business [MITB] in Valencia
Duration
- Modality: On-site
- Duration: 12 months
Language
- English
Credits, prices and admissions
- Intakes 10/2022: € 16.900
Campus ESIC en Valencia

Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 55 | 46021
Valencia
96 361 48 11
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