Course structure

Students must complete eight subjects in total.

Students who do not have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete Fundamentals of the Common Law, as well as seven subjects from the prescribed list.

Students with a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete at least seven subjects from the prescribed list and may choose an eighth subject from those available in the Melbourne Law Masters (excluding Fundamentals of the Common Law).

Overview of Intellectual Property

Overview of Intellectual Property is a one-day seminar (forming the first day of Fundamentals of Intellectual Property that provides a general survey of the various regimes comprising intellectual property (IP). It is accredited by the TTIPAB as satisfying part of its accreditation requirements for Topic Group A.

Professional accreditation

Completing the appropriate subjects in the Master of Intellectual Property Law may qualify you to register as a trade marks attorney and a patent attorney under the Trans-Tasman regime. In order to qualify you should first seek advice from the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board and consult with Melbourne Law School on subject selection.

TTIPAB Accreditations for Groups A, C, E, F, G, H and I until 1 December 2019 and for Groups B and D until 26 February 2020

TTIPAB Topic Group	Satisfied by
A: Legal process and overview of intellectual property	Overview of Intellectual Property or Fundamentals of Intellectual Property and either Australian Legal Process and Legal Institutions or Fundamentals of the Common Law
B: Professional conduct	Trade Mark Practice
C: Trade mark law	Trade Marks and Unfair Competition
D: Trade mark practice	Trade Mark Practice
E: Patent law	Patent Law
F: Patent system	Patent Practice
G: Drafting patent specifications	Fundamentals of Patent Drafting
H: Interpretation and validity of patent specifications	Interpretation and Validity of Patent Specifications (Pending)
I: Designs law	Designs Law and Practice

Subject timing and format

The Melbourne Law Masters program has been designed around the busy schedules of working professionals. Subjects are offered from February to December each year.

Most subjects are taught intensively, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the subject content. Intensive subjects are typically taught over five days, either from Monday–Friday or Wednesday–Tuesday, excluding the weekend. This intensive format enables students from interstate or overseas to fly to Melbourne to attend class. Semester-length subjects are generally taught for two hours in the evening each week during the semester.

Subjects are taught in an interactive seminar style and class sizes normally range from 20 to 30 students.

Duration

As a student, you will need to enrol in at least one subject per semester and will have a maximum of four years to complete the course, including any leave of absence.

Master of Intellectual Property Law

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Entry requirements

Entry requirements for the Master of Intellectual Property Law

English Language Criteria