Master of Laws (LL.M.) (60 credits) in European Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual Property has long been an international subject which has recently grown tremendously in prominence, with technology pushing and breaking boundaries as never before. Our LL.M. in European Intellectual Property Law (EIPL) was set up in 2000 and has since reached solid international recognition.
The EU unitary system governs design rights, plant rights, trademarks, etc., while harmonising directives determine copyright, biotech patents, fair trade practices and sanctions, not to speak of the European Union Court of Justice. IP is not only relevant politically and economically, but culturally as well. It lies at the heart of many modern debates: “patents on life”, pharmaceutical patents that outprice the poor, and copyright threatening freedom of expression and the right to education. This web of systems and shifting geographies demands well-educated lawyers for the essential questions of international legislation and efficient litigation between equal parties.
SULaw has since long had a strong IP profile and attracted postgraduate students from around the world. In the EIPL programme, students delve into the internationalisation factors of European Union (EU) IP law, and look at areas such as design rights, geographical quality indications, copyrights and patents and how they are affected by internationalisation. As is well known qualified IP lawyers have excellent employment market prospects.
Classes in the LL.M. are led by renowned Nordic researchers composed of Professors (LL.D.) of private law of and Doctoral Candidates (LL.M.) specializing in their respective fields.
Check out our FAQ for LL.M. studies
How intensive are our LL.M.s? Can you apply for a deferral of study commencement? Are there any scholarships available? Read our FAQ and find out!
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Programme overview
The programme consists of two courses of 15 credits (one of the courses is mandatory and one is an elective specialisation course) and one course of 30 credits. The general structure of the programme is as follows :
Autum Semester
- Mandatory course Advanced Intellectual Property Law, 15 credits.
- Elective course Industrial Property - Patents and Trade Marks, 15 credits, or
- Elective course Copyright and Transborder Litigation, 15 credits.
Second semester
- Mandatory course Master Thesis in European Intellectual Property Law, 30 credits.
The programme is designed to be flexible in the sense that it allows for and encourages specialization, already in the first semester of studies. Please note that the course selection of the elective in the second half of the autumn semester happens on a first come, first served basis.
On a voluntary basis, the possibility of participating in moot court training and competition is also offered. Intensive training in writing and oral presentation, separate and in groups, give students an opportunity to train and develop their skills in the challenging field of IP law.
The programme consists of full-day lectures and seminars in blocks. The courses content, scope, teaching and examination methods are described in the respective courses’ syllabus.
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How to apply
Note that there is only one application round every year. The application period opens in mid-October with a deadline in mid-January for commencement the following autumn. Our LL.M. only starts in the autumn.
All prospective students, regardless of their country of origin, must apply via the national Swedish application system website called University Admissions. For general information about applications, check the university’s step-by-step guide.
Application for Stockholm University - A step-by-step guide
Entry requirements
In order to be eligible for our LL.M., you have to fulfil both the general entry requirements for master studies in Sweden and the specific entry requirement for the programme.
General entry requirement
- You must have been awarded an undergraduate degree in law from an internationally recognised university or hold an equivalent degree with a minimum of 180 ECTS in law. Applicants on the last year of such a degree can also apply.
- Support your proficiency in English
Specific entry requirement for LL.M. in European Intellectual Property Law
To be eligible for the programme, students must have previously completed one or several course(s) in intellectual property law, or have acquired equivalent knowledge through e.g. other relevant academic, professional or extra-curriculum merits.
Required supporting documentation
In order to document your eligibility, you must provide University Admissions with copies of:
- your previous study information (diploma and transcript of record, including grading scale and, where possible, grade distribution)
- a document supporting your English proficiency
- a document supporting how you fulfil the specific entry requirement (if not clearly specified on the transcripts of records)
In addition, applicants must also submit the following documents in English to fulfil the selection criteria:
- a personal statement (please use the following template:
Personal statement template 2024-2025 - EIPL (70 Kb)
- two letters of recommendation, max. 1A4 page each (e.g. from academics, employers, internships providers etc). Make sure they are duly signed and include contact information and preferably these should be written on paper with an official letter head
- a CV
Incomplete applications, i.e. where one or several documents mentioned above are missing, will be assessed accordingly.
Selection process
Eligible applicants are selected on the basis of a weighted assessment of grades from earlier legal studies, relevant extra-curricular/professional experiences, one personal statement and two letters of recommendation. Typically, grades from legal studies and extra-curricular/professional experiences carry most weight. If applicants have similar academic qualifications, the statement of purpose will be of key importance. Strong letters of recommendations can also become decisive on occasion.
Admission
For detailed information regarding admissions, including conditional admissions, waiting lists, tuition fees, costs, scholarships, please check the university’s central pages:
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More information
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Meet us
Meet our students
Meet Maurine, an EIPL student in 2022-23
Maurine is an attorney at law from the U.S. Check out what she thinks about the programme so far, and what tips and tricks she can give someone who’s thinking about applying.
00.32 Why did you decide to apply for EIPL?
01.31 How was the application process?
02.23 How has the programme been this far?
03.21 What will you do after your LL.M.?
Meet our teachers
Our programme directors
Prof. Papadopoulou Skarp and Prof. Rosati have been the co-directors of our EIPL programme for several years. Read on to learn more about who they are, their academic background and their research.
Do you also want to know more about the structure and content of our LL.M.? Then listen to Prof. Papadopoulou Skarp and Prof. Rosati when they presented the EIPL programme at our Master's Fair. The video below was recorded at Stockholm University's Master's Fair 2020, but the information provided is still relevant to the upcoming academic year.
Check out the following slides for a general presentation of the programme (updated 2021):
Meet our alumni
"Altogether – just amazing!"
Our EIPL has been running for many years. Below are interviews with some of our alumni, where you can learn more about their time studying with us.
"I got everything I wanted here: I met a lot of nice people from all over the world, I experienced a new country, because I had never been to a Scandinavian country before, and altogether – just amazing!” (Anna, from Ukraine)
Watch the interview with our alumni
"The programme was very interesting. In my case, studying law wasn’t very hard but it wasn’t very easy either. I had to learn many new things but the teachers made it look easy and they made it so interesting that I didn’t have a hard time. I liked it!" (Nazmul, from Bangladesh)
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Contact
For questions regarding the application process, please contact the Office of International Affairs: master@juridicum.su.se
For questions specifically regarding the academic content of the programme, please contact the programme coordinator: EIPL@juridicum.su.se
