Intellectual Property & Technology Law
To earn an Intellectual Property & Technology Certificate, a student must:
- complete at least nine units of approved course work in the subject area, including at least two courses in the core subject area;
- complete a practicum requirement related to Intellectual Property & Technology law; and
- complete an upper level writing requirement analyzing an issue related to Intellectual Property & Technology law.
Any remaining units (to reach a total of 9) must be completed by taking additional core courses and/or courses selected from the list of approved Intellectual Property & Technology Certificate elective courses.
Note: The curriculum below is subject to change and not all courses are offered every year.
| Core Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Copyright Law | 3 |
| Information Privacy | 3 |
| Intellectual Property Survey | 3 |
| Patent Law | 3 |
| Trademark Law | 3 |
| Elective Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| Antitrust Law and Intellectual Property Rights | 2 |
| Art Law | 3 |
| Entertainment & Media Law | 3 |
| Intellectual Property Seminar | 3 |
| International Intellectual Property | 3 |
| Legal Issues in Sports | 3 |
| Patent Licensing & Monetization | 3 |
Practicum Requirement
To earn the certificate, a student must participate in an experiential learning activity that is focused on intellectual property & technology law. Students may fulfill this practicum requirement in the following ways:
- completion of the Internet & IP Justice clinic;
- completion of a three unit (minimum) externship relevant to intellectual property & technology law;
- completion of 141 hours of paid work relevant to intellectual property & technology law; or
- completion of a simulation or professional skills class designated as "IP Prac" on the course schedule.
Writing Requirement
To earn the certificate, a student must complete a substantial research paper analyzing an issue relevant to intellectual property, cyberspace, or technology law. The paper must demonstrate the ability to identify, describe, and analyze the subject matter, and, should, where possible, propose a resolution. The paper must meet the standards for an upper level research and writing requirement project and may be used to satisfy that requirement and/or the requirements of a course taken for credit.
Scholastic Requirements
Intellectual Property & Technology Certificate recipients must achieve a grade of C+ or higher in each course applied to meet the certificate requirements and achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.700 or higher for all courses applied to the certificate.
A student achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 or higher for all courses applied to meet the requirements of the certificate is awarded the certificate with honors.
All course work for the certificate must be taken for a letter grade except for any approved elective course in which credit/no credit grading is mandatory. For any course in which a letter grade is not provided, a "credit" must be achieved in order for the course to be applied to certificate requirements.
Transfer Units
All course work must be taken at USF with the exception of one elective course (for a maximum of three units of credit). If a student wishes to apply to a course taken at another law school to meet the requirements of the Intellectual Property Law Certificate, prior approval must be obtained by the associate dean of academic affairs. The student must take the course for a letter grade and earn a grade of C+ or higher for credit to be applied to the Intellectual Property Law Certificate. A course taken at another law school will be transferred as "credit" only for purposes of determining the Intellectual Property Law Certificate grade point average as well as for calculating the USF semester and cumulative grade point averages.
Applying for the Certificate
To be eligible to receive an Intellectual Property & Technology Certificate, a student must submit an Intellectual Property & Tech Law Certificate application to the USF School of Law Office of the Registrar. Applications are due the student's second-to-last semester. Applications must be submitted on or before the last day to drop classes in that semester.
Students may obtain only one certificate. No student will be awarded more than one certificate upon completion of the JD degree, even if such student completed the requirements to more than one certificate program.
It is each student's responsibility to ensure that all requirements for the Intellectual Property & Technology Certificate are satisfied in a timely manner.