Postgraduate Certificate in Patent Law (PGCPL)

Upon successful completion of this PgC programme, students should be able to:
 

1. develop an in-depth understanding of patent law, including patent drafting, prosecution, litigation and management;
 

2. equip yourselves with practical skills in managing and auditing patent portfolios of a company / institution; 
 

3. provide a comprehensive grasp of the global intellectual property regime’s nuances, emphasizing industrial property rights; 
 

4. prepare for advanced roles in IP management, focusing on patent strategy and innovation encouragement;
 

5. incorporate practical training in IP tools and technologies that streamline patent application and transaction processes.

Normal Study Period

Part-time/Combined mode: 1 year

Maximum Study Period

Part-time/Combined mode: 2.5 years

For non-local students, they will be admitted to this programme in part-time mode.

30 April 2026 (for non-local applications)

30 June 2026 (for local applications)

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements and the following programme entrance requirements:
 

i. Holding an honours degree in law or equivalent qualification; or holding an honours degree in engineering, science or any other science and technology-related field.
 

ii. Professional experience in IP management, patent law, or R&D is preferred.
 

For applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is not English only, the minimum English language proficiency requirement is as follows:^
 

・a minimum total score of 88 (internet-based test) in TOEFL^#; or

・an overall band score of 6.5 in IELTS^##; or

・a score of 520 in the Mainland China’s College English Test (CET) Band 6; or

・other equivalent qualifications.

The PgC Programme does not accept the scores of English tests of ‘TOEFL iBT Home Edition’, ‘TOEFL MyBest Score’, ‘IELTS Indicator’, ‘IELTS One Skill Retake’ and ‘IELTS Online’.

^ TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years.  Applicants are required to provide their TOEFL / IELTS test results obtained within the two years preceding the commencement of the University's application period. For CET-6 scores, the validity period is three years.

#   Applicants are required to arrange with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL results directly to the University. The TOEFL institution code for CityUHK is 3401.

## Applicants are required to arrange for sending their IELTS result(s) via the IELTS Results Service e-delivery to the University.