The MSL curriculum is designed specifically for students who are interested in or already are pursuing roles at the intersection of law, business, and STEM. Through MSL classes, students explore subjects and gain skills to prepare them for the intersectional activities they will undertake – whether as a compliance officer, entrepreneur, patent professional, product developer, doctor, regulator, or any one of a number of other professions. The interdisciplinary, distinctive MSL curriculum evolves each year based on feedback from current students, professors, and alumni, and also based on current market trends, but the core of the curriculum stays focused on four key areas: Business Law & Entrepreneurship, IP & Patent Design, Regulatory Analysis & Strategy, and Skills-Building.

Each term, MSL students come together for a session with staff to learn about the course offerings in the upcoming term/s. Recent MSL alumni are also included in this meeting – current students really appreciate getting tips and advice from students who have already been through the program.

The 2021-2022 MSL cohort recently gathered to prepare for the upcoming Fall 2 term. They were joined by five recent MSL alumni:  Justin Chae (MSL ’20), Amanda Burke (MSL ‘20), Aditya Rawal (MSL ’20), Kingston Pung (MSL ’20), and Yasmine Ramachandra (MSL ’21). Check out these highlights and insights!

Fall 2 Curriculum Session Highlights:

• Entirely new courses in the MSL this year include:
  • Global Product Development
  • Healthcare Delivery During a Pandemic
  • Negotiating with Tactical Empathy
• Also new this year:
  • To encourage more crossover among formats – residential students taking online courses and online students taking residential courses – we have removed the limits on the number of credits that part-time students can take across formats. We have also increased the credit limits for full-time students taking online classes.
  • Though our Power Week classes are usually offered residentially, this year we are offering a few of them in the online format: International & Comparative IP and Applied AI in Healthtech.
  • To make certain courses more accessible across formats, we have moved them from the residential format to the online format: IP Valuation, Regulatory Compliance, and Technology Standards: Strategic & Antitrust Considerations.

Fall 2 Curriculum Session Insights:

• “Some people come in with a more comprehensive plan than others, some people switch it up, and some people don’t have a plan and then get really focused as the year progresses – all paths are normal!” – Leslie Oster, MSL Program Director
• “Read all the course descriptions and syllabi and try to map out your plan for the year, but be flexible because your plans may change!” – Christi Beavers, MSL Director of Program Development
• “Enrich your perspective on the world through the courses you choose!” – Kingston Pung (MSL ’20)
• “Start with your general areas of interest, but be sure to keep an open mind. Some of my favorite courses were subjects I didn’t even plan to study!” – Yasmine Ramachandra (MSL ’21)
• “Be open minded about how you approach problems and how you communicate with people.” – Justin Chae (MSL ’20)
• “The curriculum is far reaching, do your best to zero in on classes of interest, but also step outside your comfort zone and explore other topics.” – Amanda Burke (MSL ‘20)

To read more about the MSL curriculum, visit the MSL website!