Law (Intellectual Property Law) - LLM, PDip

Program Overview

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Overview

This pathway in Intellectual Property Law equips postgraduate students with the necessary in-depth knowledge to practise intellectual property law or work in creative industries. It also provides an excellent foundation for students who may wish to pursue a research degree in the field.

The pathway provides students with a detailed insight into the dynamic and growing area of intellectual property law by taking a distinctively contextual approach: delineating its histories, materialisations and practices, as well as analysing their conceptual foundations and dilemmas.

The students will be introduced to critical, practical and socio-historical approaches to the framing and studying of intellectual property related problems. Such a contextual and critically informed approach to the study of intellectual property is unique in the UK and international postgraduate degree programmes. The modules are taught by distinguished academic specialists who cover a large and diverse range of subjects within the field.

Students can choose to spend one term (either Autumn or Spring) at our Canterbury campus and one (either Autumn or Spring) at our Brussels centre (returning to Canterbury to complete the dissertation) under our split-site option for this programme. The split site option is charged at a different rate. Please see under Fees below for more information. Programmes at our Brussels centre are offered primarily in International Law and Human Rights Law. Students are responsible for organising their own accommodation in Brussels. Please contact the University's Accommodation Office for information about the availability of short term accommodation in Canterbury.

Studying for a Master's in Law (LLM) at Kent means having the certainty of gaining an LLM in a specialist area of Law. The Kent LLM gives you the freedom to leave your choice of pathway open until after you arrive - your pathway being determined by the modules you choose.

An interview with Intellectual Property Law expert Dr Hyo Yoon Kang is available to read on the Law School's Mastering Law blog.

Program Outline

Course structure

Duration:

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time (September start); 15 months full-time, 28 months part-time (January start)

You can tailor your studies to your particular needs and interests to obtain an LLM or Diploma in Law in a single pathway, in two pathways jointly, or by choosing a broad range of modules in different areas of law to obtain a general LLM or Diploma in Law.

Your choice of pathway will be shaped by the modules you take and your dissertation topic. To be awarded an LLM in a single pathway, at least three of your six modules must be chosen from those associated with that pathway and your dissertation focusing on that area of law. The other three modules can be chosen from any offered in the Law School. All students are required to take the Legal Research and Writing Skills module. To be awarded a major/minor pathway you choose three modules associated with one pathway, and three from another pathway, with the dissertation determining your 'major' pathway.

For example, a student who completes at least three modules in International Commercial Law and completes a dissertation in this area would graduate with an LLM in International Commercial Law; a student who completes three Criminal Justice modules and three Environmental Law modules and then undertakes a dissertation which engages with Criminal Justice would graduate with an LLM in Criminal Justice and Environmental Law.

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January entry

Students who begin the Kent LLM on a full-time basis in January study over a period of 15 months. You study three taught modules in the first spring term and three taught modules in the autumn term. In your second spring term, you write your dissertation. Dissertation submission will be on the final day of the second spring term (usually in early April).

During the summer vacation, you are:

required to participate in an online module (Legal Research and Writing Skills)

encouraged to begin researching your dissertation

required to attend the LLM Student Conference (in June)

encouraged to explore work experience and internships (where visa conditions permit)

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Modules

The following modules are indicative of this pathway. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation and student demand.  Most pathways will require you to study a combination of subject specialisation modules and modules from other pathways so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

LW801 Intellectual Property 1: Copyright and Breach of Confidence

LW934 Intellectual Property 2: Patents and Trade Marks

LW813 Contemporary Topics in Intellectual Property Law

LW933 Intellectual Property and Industrial Practices

LW847 World Trade Organisation (WTO) Law and Practice 1

LW921 Privacy and Data Protection Law

LW925 Cultural Heritage Law

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Teaching

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Teaching and assessment

The postgraduate programmes offered within the Law School are usually taught in seminar format. Students on the Diploma and LLM programmes study three modules in each of the autumn and spring terms. The modules are normally assessed by a 4-5,000-word essay. Students undertaking an LLM degree must write a dissertation of 15,000 words.

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Programme aims

This programme aims to provide:

LLM: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) advanced research, writing and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.

PDip: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) written and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.

LLM: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of particular areas of law.

PDip: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of the subjects studied.

LLM & PDip: A degree of specialisation in areas of law and policy chosen from the LLM option streams available and an opportunity for students to engage with academic work at the frontiers of scholarship.

LLM & PDip: A critical awareness of the operation of law and policy, particularly in contexts that are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution.

LLM: The skills to undertake supervised research on an agreed topic in their specialisation and to encourage the production of original, evaluative analysis that meets high standards of scholarship.

LLM & PDip: Critical, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to a wide range of contexts.

LLM & PDip: The skills of academic legal research and writing.

LLM: A sophisticated grounding in research methods.

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Learning outcomes

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Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

the institutions, principles and structures of law in areas studied, and the policy background and interrelationships between them

the key concepts, policy issues, principles; and relevant sources of law and policy in the areas studied

the substantive law relevant to a range of key areas of law and policy

the theoretical, social and academic debates which underlie the substantive areas of law studied

the practical contexts in which law operates

the importance of evaluating law alongside its theoretical and practical contexts: and

the relationship and inter-relationship between areas of law studied.

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Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in the following:

effectively applying the knowledge of law and policy in areas studied to a wide range of situations where relevant practical or theoretical issues are under consideration

evaluating issues according to their context, relevance and importance

gathering relevant information and access key sources by electronic or other means

formulating arguments on central issues and areas of controversy, and being able to present a reasoned opinion based upon relevant materials

recognising potential alternative arguments and contrary evidence to your own opinion, and presenting a reasoned justification for your preference

independence of mind and the ability to offer critical challenge to received understanding on particular issues

the ability to reflect constructively on your learning progression.

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Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following:

the ability to identify and characterise issues relating to areas of law studied, which arise in practical situations

the ability to research and access the main sources of law and policy that are relevant to the area of law studied

the ability to appreciate and evaluate the main theoretical and political perspectives that underlie the legal provisions

the ability to provide a reasoned and justified opinion as to the possible legal consequences in particular circumstances

awareness of the limitations of present knowledge and matters needing to be resolved by further research

the ability to utilise research skills, at least, to commence further research into unresolved issues

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Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in the following:

the ability to identify relevant issues from potentially complex factual situations

the ability to undertake research from a diverse range of sources;

the ability to summarise detailed and complex information concisely and accurately

the ability to formulate arguments in verbal presentations and defend these against opposing views

presenting information and arguments in written form, in accordance with academic conventions, and appropriately to the intended readership

evaluating personal performance.

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Careers

Employability is a key focus throughout the University and at Kent Law School you have the support of a dedicated Employability and Career Development Officer together with a broad choice of work placement opportunities, employability events and careers talks. Details of graduate internship schemes with NGOs, charities and other professional organisations are made available to postgraduate students via the School’s Employability Blog.

Law graduates have gone on to careers in finance, international commerce, government and law or have joined, or started, an NGO or charity.

Information about the internship programme for LLM students can be found on the Kent Law School Employability blog.