IX. Degree Requirements for Master's Candidates

A. General Requirements

To be recommended for the Master’s degree all candidates must successfully complete a minimum number of credits, complete the required coursework, meet the school residency or continuous enrollment requirement, fulfill all financial obligations to UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law (UNH Law) and comply with UNH Law’s Conduct Code. Unless otherwise stated, all rules apply to Master’s candidates regardless of the program in which they are enrolled.

B. Required Credits

  1. Number of Credits. Master’s candidates must successfully complete a minimum of thirty (30) credits from a selection of required and elective curriculum.
  2. Maximum Number of Credits per Semester
    1. Residential Master’s candidates may not enroll in more than seventeen (17) credits per academic semester.
    2. Online Master’s candidates may not enroll in more than twelve (12) credits per semester without special permission from the Associate Dean or their designee.
  3. Maximum Number of Credits per Program
    1. Residential Master’s candidates may attempt thirty-four (34) credits between the fall and spring semesters.
    2. Online Master’s candidates may attempt no more than 30 credits without permission from the Associate Dean or their designee.

C. Course Work

  1. Core Required Courses
    1. Residential Master’s candidates must complete the following required curriculum:
      1. LIP 894 American Legal Process and Analysis I or equivalent training
      2. LIP 895 American Legal Process and Analysis II
      3. LIP 801 Graduate Legal Research and Information Literacy
    2. Online International Criminal Law and Justice Master’s candidates must complete the following required curriculum:
      1. LCR 929 Capstone Research Project
      2. LCR 925 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
      3. LCR 914 CyberCrime
      4. LCR 928 Drugs and Weapons Trafficking
      5. LCR 921 Human Trafficking I
      6. LCR 924 International Criminal Law and Justice Seminar
      7. LCR 923 International Legal Research
      8. LIP #957 Intellectual Property Crimes
      9. LCR 922 International White Collar Crime
      10. LCR 927 Piracy and Terrorism
      11. LCR 926 International Criminal Court and Special Tribunals
    3. Online Intellectual Property Master's candidates must complete the following required curriculum:
      1. LIP 913 International and Comparative Intellectual Property 
      2. LCR 923 International Legal Research

      3. LIP 944 Fundamentals of Intellectual Property

    4. In addition, LL.M. candidates for the Intellectual Property degree must choose one of two Practice Tracks:

      1. Required courses for the Patent Practice Track:​​
        1. LIP 954 Patent Law 
        2. LIP 961 Patent Practice and Procedure I 
        3. LIP 962 Patent Practice and Procedure II
      2. Required courses for the Copyright/Trademark Track:
        1. LIP 912 Copyright Law
        2. LIP 977 Trademarks and Deceptive Practices
        3. 3 credits of additional coursework related to Copyright/Trademark law and practice
    5. Residential Master’s of Commerce and Technology candidates must complete a series of courses in three (3) component areas:
    • Intellectual Property
    • Transactions/Information Age Commercial Law

    • International Perspective and Regulation/Tax

  2. Degree-specific Courses
    1. Residential Master’s IP candidates must complete a minimum of three (3) courses and a minimum of seven (7) credits from the following elective curriculum:
      1. LIP 912 Copyright Law
      2. LIP 950 Copyright Licensing
      3. LIP 944 Fundamentals of Intellectual Property
      4. LIP 954 Patent Law
      5. LIP 961 Patent Practice and Procedure I
      6. LIP 962 Patent Practice and Procedure II
      7. LIP 951 Technology Licensing
    2. Online Master's IP candidates must complete their electives from the following approved curriculum:
      1. Intellectual Property degree - Patent Track
        1. LIP #906 Patent Strategies for Business
        2. LIP 997 Mining Patent Information in the Digital Age
        3. LIP 912 Copyright Law
        4. LIP 977 Trademarks and Deceptive Practices
        5. LIP 918 Trade Secrets Law
        6. LIP #957 Intellectual Property Crimes
        7. LIP 928 Intellectual Property Management
        8. Additional Electives Selected from a List Provided by Program Director
      2. Intellectual Property degree - Copyright/Trademark Track
        1. LIP 928 Intellectual Property Management
        2. LIP 997 Mining Patent Information in the Digital Age
        3. LIP 954 Patent Law
        4. LIP 961 Patent Practice and Procedure I
        5. LIP 962 Patent Practice and Procedure II
        6. LIP 918 Trade Secrets Law
        7. LIP #957 Intellectual Property Crimes
    3. Residential IP and CT Master’s candidates must complete their program requirements by selecting additional electives from an approved elective curriculum list or by selecting courses Other Courses. 
  3. Other Course Selection
    1. Residential Master’s candidates may not enroll in courses other than the approved courses, without permission of the Program Chair and the Associate Dean.
    2. The Associate Dean may schedule courses designed for and open only to graduate students. 
    3. Residential Master's candidates may take up to four (4) legal residency credits.  Master's candidates who elect to take summer courses or legal residency credits as part of their academic program will not be awarded their degree until all course work is complete.