U.S. Patent Practice (MS)
U.S. Patent Practice (MS)
This program offered by College of Arts & Sciences
Program Description
The Master of Science (MS) in U.S. Patent Practice prepares
students who have a science or engineering background* to
practice as patent agents before the United States Patent
and Trademark Office in patent cases. (A patent agent is
a non-attorney whose license, issued by the Patent and
Trademark Office, allows them to prepare and prosecute patent
applications.)
In addition, the coursework is designed to help prepare students
to take the Patent Agent Bar Examination.
This program provides the theoretical and practical knowledge
needed to enter the field of patent agency well-prepared to
prepare and prosecute patent cases. This program does
not administer the Patent Agency Bar Examination, as the
administration of the examination is the exclusive province of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Please note that the MS in U.S. Patent Practice is not
approved by the American Bar Association and is not
intended to prepare students to work as paralegals.
*Pursuant to the General Requirements Bulletin for Admission
to the Examination for Registration to Practice in Patent Cases
before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, patent
agents must possess the “legal, scientific, and technical
qualifications necessary to enable him or her to render applicants
for patents valuable service.” Section 10.7. See Section 10.7
for educational credentials that can demonstrate the required
scientific and technical training. Students in this program are
entirely responsible for ensuring that they qualify to sit for the
Patent Agent Bar Examination. For more information, please visit
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/oed/examregist.htm.
Two elective courses (6 credit hours) from the following:
•
•
•
•
PATA 5500 Global Intellectual Property Law (3 hours)
PATA 5510 Copyright and Trade Secret Law (3 hours)
PATA 5520 Trademark Law (3 hours)
PATA 5530 Ownership, Licensing, and Transfer of
Intellectual Property (3 hours)
• PATA 5540 Computerized Patent Searching and Patentability
(3 hours)
Successful completion of Webster’s U.S. patent practice program
should not be construed to imply state, local, or board certification,
as only the United States Patent and Trademark Office licenses
patent agents.
Degrees
This program is offered at the St. Louis home campus.
• PATA 5120 Foundations in Intellectual Property Law (3
hours)
• PATA 5200 Patent Drafting (3 hours)
• PATA 5210 Patent Prosecution (3 hours)
• PATA 5300 Patent Office Ethics (3 hours)
• PATA 5310 Patent Law Regulations and Procedures (3
hours)
• PATA 5400 Patent Litigation in the Federal Courts (3 hours)
• PATA 6000 Integrated Practices in U.S. Patent Office
Procedure (3 hours)
Admission
Students who are interested in applying to this degree program
should see the Admission Section of this catalog for general
requirements.
Send all admission materials to:
Office of Admission
Webster University
470 East Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
• Understand the fundamentals of legal reasoning and
analysis.
• Understand the legal environment in which individuals,
businesses, and the judiciary operate.
• Be able to apply the theory of legal research and writing to
practical problems encountered in patent litigation.
• Obtain the practical knowledge needed to enter the field of
patent agency well prepared to prepare and prosecute patent
cases.
• Understand the rules and regulations governing the filing
and prosecution of applications before the U.S. Patent
and Trademark Office, including both the legal and ethical
obligations of those practicing before the Office.
• Master the computer skills necessary to search for patents
and find court precedent regarding various patents.
• Learn the fundamentals of intellectual property law and how it
applies to patent litigation.
Program Curriculum
The 36 credit hours required for the MS degree
in patent practice
must include the following courses:
• LEGL 5000 Introduction to Legal Studies (Requisite Course)
(3 hours)
• PATA 5100 Introduction to Patent Law (3 hours)
• PATA 5110 Patent Research and Writing (3 hours)
Webster University 2016-2017 Graduate Studies Catalog DRAFT
1