by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, intellectual property law was the 1,064 most popular major nationwide with 76 degrees awarded. This represents a 67.1% reduction in intellectual property law degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 127.
Our 2023 Best Intellectual Property Law Schools ranking analyzes 10 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for intellectual property law students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of intellectual property law programs later in this article.
When studying Intellectual Property Law, you’ll learn that talking to others to convey information effectively will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs. Required skills include giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
intellectual property law degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Once you obtain your degree, additional intellectual property law certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
Intellectual Property Law degree levels vary. You can get anything from a in intellectual property law to the highest intellectual property law degree, a . How long it takes to complete some common intellectual property law degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to intellectual property law, with approximately 33.1% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for intellectual property law workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First Professional Degree | 57.0% |
| Doctoral Degree | 32.6% |
| Master’s Degree | 7.2% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate | 1.0% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 0.7% |
About 99.5% of workers in careers related to intellectual property law obtain at least master's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in intellectual property law careers have.
The education level required is different depending on the intellectual property law career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your intellectual property law degree? Intellectual Property Law careers are expected to grow 8.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to intellectual property law.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 857,500 | 8.2% |
| Law Professors | 23,800 | 12.3% |
As you might expect, salaries for intellectual property law graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for intellectual property law graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers intellectual property law grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Lawyers | $144,230 |
| Law Professors | $130,710 |
With over 23 different intellectual property law degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased intellectual property law school rankings to help you with this.
One of 18 majors within the Legal Research area of study, Intellectual Property Law has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Advanced Legal Research/Studies | 2,208 |
| Other Legal Research & Advanced Professional Studies | 808 |
| Tax Law/Taxation | 777 |
| Programs for Foreign Lawyers | 772 |
| American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence | 749 |
