Certificate in Bioscience Industry Law and Practice with Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences

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Image - Students at Keck Graduate Institute School of Applied Life Sciences (KGI)

Southwestern and the Keck Graduate Institute School of Applied Life Sciences (KGI), a member of the Claremont Colleges, have established an exciting Bioscience Industry Law and Practice certificate program to provide law students and Master of Bioscience (MBS) students with a unique understanding of the interplay between law and the fast-growing bioscience industry. Through this certificate program, qualified Southwestern students with an interest in intellectual property, for example, could take courses at KGI in the area of technology management, entrepreneurship, and bioscience related industry dynamics—important given the critical role of IP in these industries. Conversely, qualified KGI students interested in bioscience industry dynamics could take courses at Southwestern in intellectual property law, patent and trademark law, and regulatory law as it applies to health care and the bioscience industry.

Students at both institutions might also benefit from skills-based courses offered. For example, KGI students exploring management roles might benefit from courses on drafting technology agreements and patent prosecution, while Southwestern students would have an opportunity to work on interdisciplinary team projects sponsored by companies, an area in which KGI is a national leader in pedagogical innovation.

Students from both schools who complete the required coursework will earn a Certificate in Bioscience Industry Law and Practice. This is not a joint degree program; rather, it is intended to provide participating students with a basic knowledge of law and the bioscience industry and an understanding of the tools and frameworks relevant to both fields. Certificate graduates will acquire some of the essential skills and knowledge for leadership roles in this fast-growing and competitive industry as well as in legal organizations, including government agencies, law firms and related private-sector corporations.

This certificate program will be small and highly competitive with approximately two to four students from each school each year. The schools will select candidates for the program from among their student bodies. Southwestern students will have up to two years to complete the policy certificate program. KGI MBS students must complete the certificate program during their second year.

Qualifications

Students will be selected on a case-by-case basis from the top 20% of their class or cohort. Each school will select their applicants for the certificate program and the hosting school will then evaluate those applications to determine admissions. Southwestern students will be eligible to enter the certificate program after completion of their first or second year of law school. KGI students may enter the certificate program after completion of their first year of the MBS program.

Academic Credit

Students will need to complete a minimum of 6 units at KGI and 4 units at Southwestern to earn the Certificate in Bioscience Industry Law and Practice (KGI courses generally count for 1.5 or 3 units; Southwestern courses are generally 1, 2 or 3 units). Students will be graded as credit/no credit (and must receive a C+ or better to receive credit) in the courses they take at the partner school.

Curriculum

Students accepted into the certificate program may choose from a wide variety of courses at both schools eligible for credit, such as Introduction to US Food and Drug Law, Bioscience Strategy Innovation Management, Introduction to Market Assessment and Market Strategy, and Clinical Trials Design, Conduct and Strategy (KGI courses), and Patent Law, Intellectual Property Law, Trademark and Legislation (Southwestern courses). Students at both schools may also take advantage of unique skills training. For example, KGI students exploring management roles might benefit from courses on drafting technology agreements and patent prosecution, while Southwestern students would have an opportunity to work on interdisciplinary team projects sponsored by companies.

Application Process and Tuition

The Bioscience Industry Law and Practice Certificate program is only open to current Southwestern and KGI students. Students accepted into the certificate program will pay no additional tuition to the partner institution provided that they complete the certificate requirements concurrent with earning their J.D. or MBS degree.

About Keck Graduate Institute

Founded in 1997, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences (KGI) is dedicated to education and research that translates advances in the life sciences into applications that benefit humanity. KGI was established in response to a call by our nation's leaders to rethink higher education to embrace an interdisciplinary education—bringing together the life sciences, management education and engineering—with an emphasis on professional degrees that prepare students for careers in areas such as pharmaceuticals, bioinstrumentation, medical devices, and biotechnology.

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