M3U4; MSc One year full-time, two years part-time

• Professional stream
• Business stream
• Why study IP Law?
• Course structure
• Entry requirements
• How to apply
• Contact us

See also:

• Fees
• Funding

The MSc in Management of Intellectual Property is primarily aimed at science and engineering graduates who wish to pursue a career as patent or trade mark attorneys. The programme is open to graduates from all academic backgrounds who wish to study Intellectual property at a postgraduate level.

"Our lectures are mostly conducted by barristers and solicitors who are working with reputed firms in IP, which inspires us on a daily basis and give us an opportunity to discuss our careers one to one." Nevin Jacob Koshy, MSc student 2009-10

Professional Stream

The professional stream of the MSc Managment of Intellectual Property programme is directed towards technical graduates (sciences and other technical industries) seeking qualification as patent and trade mark attorneys. Completion of the programme and election to undertake the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA) optional papers will provide exemptions from the foundation papers for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and a partial exemption for the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys foundation papers.

Business Stream

The business stream is available to graduates from any background with a minimum 2:2 in their first degree or a comparable degree from an overseas university. Students following the business stream are not eligible to apply for professional exemptions from either CIPA or ITMA as they do not meet the entry criteria.

Many employers will find a qualification in IP a highly attractive advantage - there is almost no area of life where IP rights can be ignored - Professor Guido Westkamp, Programme Director comments on the introduction of the new business stream.

Many aspects of IP law may complement an undergraduate degree in areas such as economics, business studies, cultural or language studies and similar degrees. The stream is also open for graduates with a background in science and engineering who do not wish to pursue the professional stream. The business stream allows graduates to study, in depth, the core aspects of intellectual property law and related areas as a general system, and to concurrently acquire specialist knowledge in particular fields. Students will gain profound knowledge of the law and its operation with a view to working in areas such as the press and media, the entertainment industry, the internet and software industries, or the luxury goods industries to name but few. Further sectors where knowledge in IP and related areas is seen as a particular advantage include governments, international organisations, universities or non-governmental institutions. Students have a wide choice of option modules to pursue individual interests and to thereby develop an individual educational profile.

What is Intellectual Property (IP) law?

Intellectual Property Law has become an interdisciplinary field comprising law, engineering, medical science, economics, and numerous other fields. This programme teaches the foundations of this area of law with relation to patents, trademarks and the other core areas within this field.

Why study Intellectual Property law?

The MSc Management of Intellectual Property programme was developed as we recognised the increasingly important role of intellectual property in our modern economy. There is an emerging need in industry, in commerce and in those professions concerned with intellectual property law, for science and technology graduates who have studied intellectual property law to a high level. In industry, particularly in small and medium-sized firms involved in research and development, where there is no in-house lawyer or patent agent, there is often a need for an intermediary between the firms and the external lawyer or patent agent for example; or for an executive to handle the inward or outward licensing of technology, to negotiate research and development contracts (where ownership of intellectual property is usually central to the bargaining) or generally to have a basic knowledge of current developments in the field of business law (eg. contract law, product liability law) insofar as these may relate to the firm's present or future activities.

With the introduction of the new business stream we also offer a distinct avenue for graduates from all backgrounds to gain valuable knowledge of intellectual property.

Structure of the MSc in Management of Intellectual Property

Classes usually commence mid-September with examinations in May/June. Courses are taught during the day at Queen Mary, University of London campuses and usually take place between 9.00am and 5.00pm. 

There is an initial Basic English Law examination which takes place two weeks after the start of the programme. Students then select which stream they wish to undertake. 

Students require 180 credits in total. Compulsory modules are Study Project (45 credits) and Basic Principles of English Law, Evidence and Practice (non-credit bearing but all students must pass this module at the start of the programme).

Professional stream students have core modules plus one free choice half module of 22.5 credits. In addition to this professional stream students also sit two additional papers to gain exemption from the foundation papers of CIPA and ITMA, both papers must be passed to gain the exemption for either institution.

Business stream students have a free choice of 135 credits (three full modules or six half modules or a combination of the two).

Modules

View MSc Management of IP module descriptions.

• IPLM027 Study Project (Compulsory for Professional Stream) P/T Yr 2
• IPLM028 Basic Principles of English Law, Evidence and Practice(Compulsory for Professional Stream) P/T Yr 1
• IPLM031 The Law of Competition I
• IPLM032 Competition Law and Licensing I and II
• IPLM033 The Law of Copyright and Design I(Compulsory for Professional Stream) P/T Yr 2
• IPLM034 The Law of Copyright and Design I and II
• IPLM035 Information Technology Law
• IPLM036 Intellectual Property Transactions
• IPLM037 Licensing Practice
• IPLM039 Media Law
• IPLM040 The Law of Patents I
• IPLM041 The Law of Patents I & II(Compulsory for Professional Stream) P/T yr 1
• IPLM043 Trade Mark Law I
• IPLM044 Trade Mark Law I & II(Compulsory for Professional Stream) P/T Yr 1
• IPLM047 Intellectual Property in Food, Biotechnology and Agriculture
• IPLM048 Intellectual Property in the United States

Course dates

First semester: 12 September (or first Monday following this date) until mid- December

Second semester: Early January  - late March/early April (second semester)

Examinations are provisionally scheduled to take place between late April to early June annually. These will not be confirmed until you have received your finalised timetable from the examinations office (usually at the end of March).

Course content

All students are required to study the core subject units: Patent Law, Copyright and Designs Law, Law of Trade Marks and Unfair Competition, Competition Law, and Basic Principles of English Law, Practice and Evidence in term one. Occasional additional second semester options may be available.

Assessment

• Three-hour, 15-minute papers for each full core option, for example Copyright and Designs Law I and II.
• Two-hour, 15-minute papers for each half option (if half options are run).

Closed book examinations operate for all courses.

Patent Attorneys

Students are offered the chance to undertake additional special papers for intending Patent Attorneys. Those who opt to undertake these exams gain exemption from the CIPA Joint Examination Board foundation-level exams and also gain a pass in the additional Certificate of Intellectual Property Law.

Entry Requirements

For professional stream, minimum 2.2 honours degree in natural or medical sciences or engineering. Graduate degrees in mathematics, computer sciences or economics will be considered, but must show that a considerable amount of their previous study covered the areas of science and technology.

For business stream, graduates from any background with a minimum 2:2 in their first degree.

Non-native English speaking applicants for either streams will be required to demonstrate a proficiency in the English language (IELTS or equivalent). View the English language requirements for more information.

How to apply

Apply online

Contact

Sharon Watson
MSc & Certificate Administrator
Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8098
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882 8101
email: ccls-ip@qmul.ac.uk

• Profile 1
• Profile 2
• Profile 3
• Profile 4

Deborah Sewagudde, UK

MSc Management of Intellectual Property 2010-11

GSK Prize Winner

“I made the decision to pursue a career in Intellectual Property shortly before I completed the BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College. After graduating in 2008, I applied for trainee patent attorney roles for two years without much success! Then, following speculative emails and informal visits to London IP firms, I decided to do the MSc in Management of IP at Queen Mary. It was one of the best decisions I ever made! The course provides a crash course in the basic principles of law, and a well-structured and detailed look at IP and how this fits into the general commercial setting. The legal professionals and guest speakers whom lecture on the course are second to none in their respective fields and may even be your future employers. Maintaining contact with them will literally do wonders for your IP career; be it for an internship or a job recommendation. The reputation of the course itself is enough to give you a push through the door. The Barbican location of the campus is brilliant; down the road from Holborn (so you can literally walk to a CIPA event or to an IP firm at lunch and drop in your job application).

You get the added benefit of the MSc IP mailing list, through which you get to hear about the latest IP jobs, particularly those that are not even advertised. I have only just graduated and am still going through the job application/interview process but even then, am thoroughly enjoying it as I understand what I am doing and I have a newfound appreciation for IP in general.”

Nevin Jacob Koshy, India

MSc in Management of Intellectual Property 2009-10

'My presence in Queen Mary, University of London is one of the many things that I relish in my life. Ever since my graduation in 2007 as a biotech engineer from Calicut University, India, I wanted to do my specialization in Intellectual property (IP) law. After getting two years legal and research experience with Mahyco Research Centre, I decided to specialise by interest further in law (Intellectual property).

Queen Mary was always in my priority right from the beginning, along with two other universities. However, that priority became my choice because of the unique syllabus structure and the collaborations the college has with Chartered Institute of Patent Attorney (CIPA). In my knowledge, Queen Mary is the only college in United Kingdom that gives Masters in Management in Intellectual Property. The college has an excellent reputation in United Kingdom and especially among the patent attorney firms. As mentioned before, because of the collaborations that the department has with the CIPA, I become a partly-qualified patent attorney with the completion of the course. This unique advantage that one get from this course gives a head start when compared to others. The college and equally the department strive constantly for the welfare of the students. Our lectures are mostly conducted by barristers and solicitors who are working with reputed firms in IP, which inspires us on a daily basis and gives us an opportunity to discuss our career on a one-one.

Apart from the ‘must to do’ curricular activities, London is one of the most exciting and happening places one would ever imagine. You will never fall short of things to do (provided you have enough time to take a break from studies). The diverse culture you meet every day, the work experience you get, the feeling of being a student back again and the knowledge that you gain on a daily basis makes it worth the effort I had put into and of course without any say the work of divine providence.'

Marie Jansson, Sweden

MSc Management of Intellectual Property

"After completing a BEng in Biochemical Engineering in London, I knew that lab work was not for me. In my final year of the course, I had taken a law elective and for the first time in years found something I was enthusiastic about. I decided to convert to law but was reluctant give up on my scientific background. So after my law conversion course, I looked for a masters specialising in Intellectual Property and found that Queen Mary offered the most highly-rated and specialised course.

Management of Intellectual Property provides a brilliant introduction to Patents, Trademarks, Copyright and their interrelation with Competition Law. The structure and detailed nature of the course gives a great overall picture of IP. In large part due to the course, I am currently qualifying as a solicitor and patent attorney at a dynamic young firm called Ipulse. The course was incredibly useful for me as it demonstrated how I could couple my scientific background with law and provided confirmation that my future lay in Intellectual Property."

Watch Marie's profile video to hear more about her experience at Queen Mary.

Charlotte Duly

MSc in Management of Intellectual Property

"Queen Mary, University of London provided the ideal venue; close to central London and easy to get to. Queen Mary offered a fairly niche course that I decided to embark on after completely changing my career direction. Queen Mary's reputation in relation to this course is excellent so I wouldn't have considered any other university.

The course was intensive but well planned and thoroughly enjoyable and set me on my way to a career that I love (and one that I had not considered prior to embarking on the MSc at Queen Mary). I am currently an Assistant Trade Mark Attorney working in London at Boult Wade Tennant and I passed my exams in November 07."