Postgraduate - Course3374 - Master of Intellectual Property Law

Students who commenced study in 2012 should refer to this course entry for direction on the requirements; to check which units are currently available for enrolment, refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course.

print version

This course entry should be read in conjunction with information provided in the 'Faculty information' section of this Handbook by the Faculty of Law

Managing faculty	Law
Abbreviated title	MasterIntPropLaw
CRICOS code	038584B
Total credit points required	48
Standard duration of study (years)	1 year FT, 4 years PT
Study mode and location	On-campus (City (Melbourne))
Admission, fee and application details	http://www.monash.edu/study/coursefinder/course/3374
Contact details	Coordinator Postgraduate Admissions and Publications Email: law-postgraduate@monash.edu Telephone: +61 3 9903 8500
Course coordinator	Associate Professor Moira Paterson

Notes

Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the handbook are not available for study in the current year.

Description

The graduate program in intellectual property law provides advanced offerings in this area for graduates in disciplines other than law. The extensive range of units enables students to develop and enhance their knowledge across the breadth of intellectual property subject matter, including copyright, trade marks, patents for inventions, confidential information and designs, or to pursue some selected areas in greater depth. A number of units have accreditation from the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys and their completion enables students to satisfy all the knowledge requirements for registration as a trade marks or patent attorney. Therefore, this program is especially attractive for those who seek to develop or expand a career in this area and gain a postgraduate qualification at the same time. The graduate program focuses upon both a thorough grounding in the fundamental principles of intellectual property law and its practical application as well as addressing advanced and current issues from both a local and international perspective.

Outcomes

The course objectives are those primarily defined by the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys. Upon successful completion of the course students will have acquired:

a detailed understanding of the Australian trade marks and patent and designs systems
an understanding of the required standard of professional conduct of trade marks and patent attorneys
an understanding of the Australian legal system
an overview of intellectual and industrial property and an understanding of the ways in which such property may be protected in Australia
an understanding of the rights, privileges and responsibilities of trade marks and patent attorneys
an understanding of the principles of trade marks, patents and designs systems in Australia
an ability to advise and handle the interests of a client in relation to the prosecution and maintenance of trade mark, patent and design applications
knowledge of further legal subjects relevant to trade mark, patent and design law and practice.

Maximum credit allowed

12 credit points

Professional recognition

The knowledge requirements for registration as a Patent Attorney or a Trade Marks Attorney in Australia with the Australian Government's Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys can be fulfilled by units available within the intellectual property specialisation. Further information on registration is available at http://www.psb.gov.au.

Structure

The course comprises eight six-point coursework units or a combination of coursework units and a minor thesis.

Requirements

Students must complete one of the following options:

a minumum of five coursework units in the area of intellectual property. The remaining three coursework units may be taken from the approved list of law units. Refer to 'Areas of study' for more information.
four coursework units with at least one unit in the area of intellectual property and a minor thesis of 25,000-30,000 words on an approved topic in the area.
six coursework units with at least three units in the area of intellectual property and a minor thesis of 12,000-15,000 words on an approved topic in the area.

In order to qualify to undertake one of the minor thesis options, a student must have achieved a minimum of 70 per cent in each of the coursework units undertaken. Information on the minor thesis option is available at http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/enrol/re-enrol.html

Additional course requirements and recommendation:

Students with a degree in a discipline other than law will be required to complete the unit LAW7212 Australian legal system.
Students with a law degree from a non-Australian jurisdiction must complete the unit LAW7436 Introduction to Australian legal process.
International students are recommended to undertake the unit LAW7285 Legal research and communications.

For further information regarding law units and specialisations visit

http://www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/units-overview.html

Students are advised that not all units may be available in every year.

For information on the current postgraduate law timetable visit http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/course-unit-information/timetables/postgraduate/index.html