The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition; the University of Augsburg; the Technical University of Munich (TUM); the George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
MIPLC classes are taught entirely in English. Likewise, any interaction with the MIPLC administration takes place in English, so that a knowledge of German is not necessary.
Regular applicants: Intake open from 1 December to 30 April
Applicants for the DAAD scholarship "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses": Intake open from 1 June to 15 October of the previous year
The tuition fee for the LLM programme in "Intellectual Property and Competition Law" is 39,500 EUR for the entire year of studies.
Please visit our website for more information.
The Munich Intellectual Property Law Center's Master of Laws programme is unique in its international and interdisciplinary coverage of intellectual property (IP) and competition law. It aims to provide a comprehensive and international education by exhaustively treating European, US, and international IP systems.
The MIPLC's modularised curriculum comprehensively discusses patents, trademarks, copyright, designs, geographical indications, etc., as well as competition law, innovation and related economics/business aspects in a wide and varied range of courses. Our international faculty from Europe, the US, and Asia comprises professors from our prestigious partner universities, senior judges, IP experts of renowned corporations, and leading researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition. Their impressive backgrounds guarantee multifaceted discussions and allow for an understanding of intellectual property in its broadest sense. The programme covers both civil law and common law jurisdictions and thus prepares graduates for operating effectively in any legal environment.
Our modularised curriculum, spanning two semesters, contains the following elements: introductory courses, the mandatory basic modules, numerous elective modules, the Master's thesis, an optional eight-week internship, and several extracurricular activities.
The introductory courses are scheduled for the beginning of each academic year and convey essential knowledge of IP, related legal issues of economics, and legal writing. The mandatory basic modules lay the foundation for later specialisations by instructing students in all areas of intellectual property and competition law. This starts immediately after the introductory courses and continues through the first part of the second semester. The elective modules start towards the end of the first semester and continue throughout the second semester. They offer advanced courses on the programme subjects and adjacent areas of law and business studies, such as Economics of IP.
From the end of the first semester onward, students have the opportunity to work on their Master's thesis.
After the submission of the Master's thesis in mid-September, students may complete an optional internship. The MIPLC assists its students in organising such an internship. To this end, MIPLC draws on a large list of IP law firms, corporations, and international organisations such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).
The programme comes to a close at the graduation ceremony, during which the diplomas are awarded and graduates celebrate their achievements with their families and friends.
Various extracurricular activities are scheduled throughout the year. Such activities include, for instance, study visits to the European Patent Office as well as guest lectures given by distinguished speakers.
Most MIPLC courses are taught in intensive sessions spread over several consecutive days as lectures with active student participation. The interactive teaching style with its focus on case studies requires substantial preparatory reading in addition to class attendance. This enables students to grasp the subject matter and to participate in discussions and debates from the very beginning.
For a list of modules and courses, please visit: http://www.miplc.de/llm-ip/curriculum/.
Student participation in an internship is optional. The MIPLC can assist interested students in this endeavour by drawing on a large list of IP law firms, corporations, and international organisations such as the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO).
The tuition fee for the LLM programme in "Intellectual Property and Competition Law" is 39,500 EUR for the entire year of studies.
Please visit our website for more information.
Check with MIPLC for up-to-date information on the semester contribution.
For a tentative overview of the cost of living in Munich for a year, please refer to https://www.miplc.de/llm-ip/admissions/financial-matters/.
The MIPLC offers a limited number of partial tuition fee waivers to applicants who demonstrate merit and need.
MIPLC is a part of the DAAD's scholarship programme for "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses": https://www.daad.de/en/information-services-for-higher-education-institutions/further-information-on-daad-programmes/epos/ and https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?status=&origin=&subjectGrps=&daad=&intention=&q=epos&page=1&detail=50076777 .
Applicants must have a very good knowledge of English. Therefore, one of the MIPLC admission requirements is a minimum score in one of the following tests taken within the last three years:
The test requirement is waived for applicants who are either native speakers of English or have received their degree from an institution at which English is the language of instruction. In the latter case, please add a written confirmation from your university if you have studied in a country other than the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand.
Regular applicants: Intake open from 1 December to 30 April
Applicants for the DAAD scholarship "Development-Related Postgraduate Courses": Intake open from 1 June to 15 October of the previous year
To apply for admission, please use our online application interface at https://www.miplc.de/llm-ip/admissions. For detailed instructions about the applications and admissions procedure, please refer to Application Instructions, which are available here: https://www.miplc.de/llm-ip/admissions/requirements/.
None
The programme is very intense and rigorous. Students will generally not have any time to undertake additional work.
After the submission of the Master's thesis in mid-September, students have the opportunity to complete an optional internship.
Students will have to find their own accommodations on the private market, which offers everything from rooms in shared flats to luxury apartments. A list of rental agencies, dormitories, etc. will be provided.
The MIPLC team is happy to provide career development support and coaching services to the MIPLC students. This includes a career information session, an internship information session, support for organising an internship, and personal consultation with regard to optimising cover letters and CVs as well as job-search strategies. The MIPLC regularly receives high-calibre job offers from renowned (patent) law firms, corporations, IP institutions, and universities, which the team gladly passes on to students and graduates.
Throughout the academic year, students at the MIPLC enjoy a host of opportunities to interact with high-level representatives of (patent) law firms, corporations, IP institutions, and academia. These opportunities present themselves in the classroom, at the MIPLC lecture series, at various conferences at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, and during study visits, e.g. to the EPO.
Personal Tutorials: For the duration of the academic year, each student is assigned a personal tutor who will provide additional assistance in regular sessions. The tutorials provide an excellent opportunity for students to discuss course content, clarify open issues, and prepare for exams. Each tutor usually mentors two or three students, so tutorials can be held individually or in small groups.
Most of our tutors are MIPLC graduates. They are now PhD candidates or researchers at the Max Planck Institute, or they are qualified young attorneys. Many of them have been supporting our students for several years.
Other services and supports include access to the MPI and MIPLC libraries and career development support. See more at https://www.miplc.de/llm-ip/.
