---

Intellectual Property Law

Types of Degrees Intellectual Property Law Majors Are Earning

Those studying Intellectual Property Law may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	115

What Intellectual Property Law Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Intellectual Property Law build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Intellectual Property Law graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Intellectual Property Law emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Intellectual Property Law program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Intellectual Property Law careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Intellectual Property Law graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Intellectual Property Law professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
LexisNexis CaseMap	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
AbacusNext HotDocs	Document management software	—
CT Summation iBlaze	Document management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Thomson Reuters Westlaw	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
LexisNexis	Information retrieval or search software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Intellectual Property Law graduates include:

• Business Law Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Law Professor
• Torts Law Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Contracts Law Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Environmental Law Professor
• Clinical Law Professor
• Constitutional Law Professor
• Law Adjunct Professor
• College Faculty Member
• Paralegal Instructor
• Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Intellectual Property Law graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
First professional degree	43.2%
Doctoral degree	40.6%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Intellectual Property Law?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 58.3% women and 41.7% men among Intellectual Property Law graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	67	58.3%
Men	48	41.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Intellectual Property Law graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	16	13.9%
Asian	5	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	6	5.2%
Black or African American	1	0.9%
Race Unknown	15	13.0%
International Students	72	62.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Intellectual Property Law Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Intellectual Property Law graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$78,306
4 years	$93,383
5 years	$107,509

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $107,509 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Intellectual Property Law Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Intellectual Property Law. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	3	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Intellectual Property Law Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Intellectual Property Law graduates earn a median of $93,383 four years after completion — roughly 146% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies	22.02
Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General	22.0201
Agriculture Law	22.0214
American/US Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence	22.0203
Arts and Entertainment Law	22.0215
Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law	22.0205
Canadian Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence	22.0204
Comparative Law	22.0206
Compliance Law	22.0216
Criminal Law and Procedure	22.0217
Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law	22.0207
Entrepreneurship Law	22.0218

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.