C06099v1 Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property

Award(s): Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property (GradDipIP)
Commonwealth supported place?: No
Load credit points: 36
Course EFTSL: 0.75
Location: Distance

Notes

This course is only available by distance mode. International students are not eligible for a student visa to study this course in Australia.

Overview
Course aims
Career options
Course intended learning outcomes
Admission requirements
Inherent (essential) requirements
Recognition of prior learning
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Course completion requirements
Articulation with UTS courses
Professional recognition
Other information

Overview

UTS has established expertise and a reputation for providing courses relevant to the needs of the patent and trade mark professions. The UTS Intellectual Property program is the first at an Australian university that fulfils the entire educational requirements for registration as a registered Trans-Tasman patent attorney in Australia and New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board, as well as registration as an Australian trade marks attorney.

The unique feature of this course is that it may be undertaken entirely online, removing the need for students to attend face-to-face classes.

Course aims

Graduates can choose subjects that provide an understanding of the principles of:

the registered trade mark system in Australia and New Zealand, including the protection of unregistered marks and related forms of protection against misleading or unfair trading conduct in Australia and New Zealand
patents law, patents systems, interpretation and validity of, including the content and implications of a patent specification and claims as well as related confidential information and know-how enabling them to advise upon possible questions of patent infringement, validity and compliance
design law and practice in Australia and New Zealand, enabling them to advise upon possible questions of design infringement, validity and compliance
legal process and professional conduct regulation of trade mark attorneys and Trans-Tasman patent attorneys in Australia and New Zealand.

Graduates may also choose from optional subjects, including copyright law, global aspects of intellectual property law, intellectual property and traditional knowledge, intellectual property and human rights and intellectual property commercialisation.

Career options

Depending on the subjects taken, graduates may seek registration as a trade mark attorney in Australia and may fulfil most of the educational requirements for registration as a Trans-Tasman patent attorney in Australia and New Zealand. Arts administrators or media professionals may enhance career options through building expertise in the commercialisation or management of intellectual property assets. Other career options include: IP lawyer, IP portfolio manager, policy maker and government regulator.

This course enables overseas registered attorneys to undertake the necessary subjects that the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board requires for Australian or New Zealand registration.

Course intended learning outcomes

1.1	An advanced understanding of a complex body of legal knowledge in relation to intellectual property, including the Australian legal system, impacts of historical and ongoing Anglo-Australian laws, social justice, cultural and international contexts, the principles and values of ethical practice, and contemporary developments in law and its professional practice.
1.2	Demonstrate advanced and specialised legal, scientific and technical knowledge of Australasian intellectual property law and systems to support innovation in a range of contexts, including Indigenous law and systems.
2.1	An advanced capacity to value and promote honesty, integrity, cultural respect, accountability, public service and ethical standards, including an understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making, the rules of professional responsibility, an ability to reflect upon and respond to ethical challenges in practice, and a developing ability to engage with the intellectual property profession and to exercise professional judgment.
2.2	Recognise, reflect upon and respond to ethical issues arising in communications sector contexts in ways that demonstrate a high level of accountability and professional judgment.
3.1	An advanced capacity to think critically, strategically and creatively, including an ability to identify and articulate complex legal issues, apply reasoning and research to generate appropriate theoretical and practical responses, and demonstrate sophisticated cognitive and creative skills in approaching complex legal issues and generating appropriate responses.
3.2	Identify, synthesise and articulate complex legal and technical issues and apply analytical skills to identify innovation and generate clear, succinct and novel responses.
4.1	Well-developed cognitive and practical skills necessary to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues and demonstrate intellectual and practical skills necessary to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, legal methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions.
4.2	Research, identify and evaluate technical information, legal judgments and issues to interpret, justify, or critique propositions, conclusions and professional decisions that are underpinned by ethical research practices.
5.1	Professional and appropriate professional communication skills, including highly effective use of the English language, an ability to inform, analyse, report and persuade using an appropriate medium and message and an ability to respond respectfully.
5.2	Communicate accurately and appropriately with multidisciplinary audiences in a range of specialised and technical formats, including productive collaboration with professional teams and clients, and for patent attorneys, an ability to draft and interpret patent specifications.
6.1	Advanced collaboration skills, including effective team work to achieve a common goal in a group learning environment or the workplace.
6.2	Take responsibility to give feedback and to respond to feedback in a professional context, to work effectively with colleagues and other stakeholders and to resolve challenges through effective negotiation.
7.1	An advanced understanding of Indigenous perspectives informed by a commitment to build Indigenous professional capability, to work for and with Indigenous peoples.
7.2	Identify and challenge the deficit narratives and biases of Anglo-Australian laws towards Indigenous Australians, particularly in relation to intellectual property and cultural rights.
8.1	A high level of autonomy, accountability and professionalism, the ability to implement appropriate self-management and lifelong learning strategies, including initiating self-directed work and learning, judgment and responsibility, self-assessment of skills, personal wellbeing and appropriate use of feedback, and a capacity to adapt to and embrace change.
8.2	Evaluate and implement their own professional development and incorporate personal skills in order to work with autonomy as a responsible and adaptable professional.

Admission requirements

Applicants must have completed a UTS recognised bachelor's degree, or an equivalent or higher qualification, or submitted other evidence of general and professional qualifications that demonstrates potential to pursue graduate studies.

Previous qualifications can be in any discipline.

If you do not have an undergraduate, or postgraduate degree, you must provide the following:

a personal statement outlining relevant professional experience and reasons for pursuing this course,
a CV outlining professional and study history, and
any relevant work related references.

If an applicant does not formally meet the selection criteria but the Faculty deems the applicant to be eligible based on evidence of prior learning and demonstrated capability, the Faculty reserves the right to make an offer to the appropriate course.

Applicants may be asked to provide additional information to assist in the assessment of their application for admission.

The English proficiency requirement for international students or local applicants with international qualifications is: Academic IELTS: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0; or TOEFL: paper based: 550-583 overall with TWE of 4.5, internet based: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21; or AE5: Pass; or PTE: 58-64 with a writing score of 50; or C1A/C2P: 176-184 with a writing score of 169.

Eligibility for admission does not guarantee offer of a place.

International students

Visa requirement: To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.

Inherent (essential) requirements

Inherent (essential) requirements are academic and non-academic requirements that are essential to the successful completion of a course.

Prospective and current students should carefully read the Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement below and consider whether they might experience challenges in successfully completing this course. This Statement should be read in conjunction with the UTS Student Rules.

Prospective or current student concerned about their ability to meet these requirements should discuss their concerns with the Academic Liaison Officer in their faculty or school and/or UTS Accessibility Service on 9514 1177 or at accessibility@uts.edu.au.

UTS will make reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional experiences, course related work experience and other course activities to facilitate maximum participation by students with disabilities, carer responsibilities, and religious or cultural obligations in their courses.

For course specific information see the Faculty of Law Inherent (Essential) Requirements Statement.

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning in the UTS Intellectual Property courses is generally not granted for subjects not primarily directed to Australian or New Zealand law.

Exemption may be granted from 77905 Preparing for Intellectual Property Practice for:

completion of a dedicated intellectual property subject in the last six years, and
completion of a degree leading to practice as a legal practitioner, and
a current Australian Practicing Certificate.

The Trans-Tasman Intellectual Property Attorneys Board (TTIPAB) – the body that registers Australian and New Zealand Trade Marks and Patent Attorneys – may not recognise subject exemptions recognised by UTS students in the UTS Intellectual Property courses. Students intending to seek registration from the TTIPAB should seek RPL from the TTIPAB directly, and are advised to do this prior to seeking recognition of prior learning towards the UTS Intellectual Property courses.

More detailed information (including application, credit point limits, time limits, appeal of decision, record of precedent) about recognition of prior learning in the Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property is available at postgraduate course information.

Course duration and attendance

The course can be completed in one year of full-time or one-and-a-half years of part-time study. Students commencing in Spring session may require an additional session to complete the course.

All subjects within this course can be studied by distance online, requiring no on-campus attendance. All lectures, tutorials, course materials and assessments are distributed by a combination of web-based technology and electronic media. Students conduct all communication with the lecturer by electronic means. A number of subjects are concurrently offered in traditional face-to-face, on-campus format.

Course structure

The course requires completion of 36 credit points of subjects. As part of this course, students must complete 77905 Preparing for Intellectual Property Practice in their first session of study or be granted RPL for this subject.

Subjects are timetabled annually, but not all subjects are offered every session. The UTS Timetable Planner enables current and future UTS students to view subject timetables.

Course completion requirements

CBK90713 Choice		36cp
Total		36cp

Articulation with UTS courses

Subjects undertaken within the Graduate Certificate in Trade Mark Law and Practice (C11130) or Graduate Certificate in Intellectual Property (C11229) are recognised within the Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property. Students enrolled in either graduate certificate may apply to internally transfer to the graduate diploma program. Candidates are not awarded the graduate certificate but subjects undertaken are applied towards the graduate diploma program.

Professional recognition

Subject to final board approval, where applicants have a requisite tertiary qualification as stipulated by the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys, this course provides accredited subjects which satisfy the educational requirements necessary for registration as a Trade Marks Attorney or which lead to completing the educational requirements necessary for registration as a Patent Attorney in Australia and New Zealand.

Prospective students should check with the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board for specific subjects required to be completed for registration.

Other information

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