The University of Barcelona is the most formidable public institution of higher education in Catalonia, catering to the needs of the greatest number of students and delivering the broadest and most comprehensive offering in higher educational courses.
The UB is also the principal centre of university research in Spain and has become a European benchmark for research activity, both in terms of the number of research programmes it conducts and the excellence these have achieved.
Its own history closely tied to the history of Barcelona and of Catalonia, our university combines the values of tradition with its position as an institution dedicated to innovation and teaching excellence: a university that is as outward-looking and cosmopolitan as the city from which it takes its name.
The Faculty of Economics and Business is a centre of reference in the training of Economics, Business, Sociology and Statistics. It is the oldest Catalan faculty of economics and business and it formed the first class of economists that obtained the degree in Economics in Catalonia (1954-1959). In 2008 it merged with the School of Business Studies (founded in 1850) to create the current Faculty of Economics and Business.
Internationalisation is one of the Faculty’s priorities; we offer degrees in English at undergraduate and postgraduate level and have signed more than 200 exchange mobility agreements. Our focus is on entrepreneurship as we offer students on all programmes the opportunity to complete internships in firms and public institutions.
You can find more info about the University of Barcelona here.
Teaching Staff
Dr Esther Hormiga

Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship
Research interests:
- Influence on intangible assets on new venture’s success
- Entrepreneur’s personal values
- Immigrant entrepreneurship
Dr Montserrat Pareja Eastaway

Associate Professor of the Department of Economics
Research Interests
- Urban economics
- Urban problems and the impact on social, cultural and economic aspects
- Innovation, creativity and culture
Professor Paloma Fernández Pérez

Professor of Economic and Business History at the Department of Economic History
Research Interests
- Economic History and Development (Industry, Business and Sustainability)
- History of family businesses
- Spanish economic history
- Organizational innovation
- Entrepreneurial networks
Accommodation
The University of Barcelona has three halls of residence and it also cooperates with the net of organisations BCU (Barcelona University Centre) and other halls of residence, which offer a variety of accommodation oriented especially to students in a temporary study or research stay at the university.
For more information, please follow this link.
Barcelona University Centre
BCU (Barcelona University Centre) is an organisation which aims to make aspects of life outside of school easier. BCU was created to support and coordinate activities to promote Barcelona and its metropolitan area as an international university centre. It helps international students find accommodation thanks to its wide network of contacts with different kind of accommodation services (halls of residence, private apartments, rooms, etc.).
You can find more information about the accommodation possibilities offered by BCU here. Furthermore, there is a specific email address that this organisation created just for the students coming on exchange to our Faculty. You can use this email to request information about accommodation options or to ask for information around your preferences and your budget: ori.fee@resahousing.com.
Col·legis Majors (Halls of Residence)
BCU (Barcelona University Centre) is an organisation which aims to make aspects of life outside of school easier. BCU was created to support and coordinate activities to promote Barcelona and its metropolitan area as an international university centre. It helps international students find accommodation thanks to its wide network of contacts with different kind of accommodation services (halls of residence, private apartments, rooms, etc.).
You can find more information about the accommodation possibilities offered by BCU here. Furthermore, there is a specific email address that this organisation created just for the students coming on exchange to our Faculty. You can use this email to request information about accommodation options or to ask for information around your preferences and your budget: ori.fee@resahousing.com.
Details and contact info:
- General information: http://www.ub.edu/sae/allotjament/en/halls-residence.html
- Col·legi Major Penyafort-Montserrat: https://www.penyafort.ub.edu/penya-fort/?lang=es
- Email Penyafort: secretaria_penyafort@ub.edu
- Col·legi Major Ramon Llull: https://www.penyafort.ub.edu/ramon-llull/?lang=es
- Email Ramon Llull: secretaria_llull@ub.edu
- Col·legi Major Sant Jordi: http://cmsantjordi.ub.edu/eng
- Email Sant Jordi: cmsjordi@cmsantjordi.com
University of Barcelona Affiliated Halls of Residence
The University of Barcelona also has more affiliated halls of residence, which can be found here.
University of Barcelona Affiliated Halls of Residence
At Borsa Jove d’Habitatge you will find a lot of offers to share an apartment in Barcelona. You will find more information here.
Cost of living
Click here for information on the cost of living in Barcelona. Please note this is an external site and not a Universitat de Barcelona page
Visa information
Under EU regulations, you may apply for a study visa for Spain up to six months in advance of arrival. Details of the new regulations can be found here. This means that you can apply for your Spanish study visa from your home country before coming to the UK. We recommend that you do this.
If you are going to Spain in the second semester you should contact the local Spanish Embassy in your home country for details of how to apply. You should apply for a long-stay study visa. Please note that in order to apply for this type of visa for Spain you will be required to provide medical and police records from countries you have lived in. We will provide Admissions Letters from University of Barcelona for students on tracks A, B, C and D for use in your Spanish visa application.
If you are unable to apply for your Spanish visa from your home country ahead of arrival in the UK, you can apply for your visa at the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh. Please note that in this case, if you wish to apply for the long-stay study visa you will also require police and medical records from Scotland.

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
“Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union”