March 28, 2005

Cooley Announces Distance Education Initiative in its Graduate Intellectual Property Program

The Graduate Intellectual Property Program at Thomas M. Cooley Law School has begun offering courses utilizing video conferencing and the Internet. Busy professionals now have an opportunity to earn an LL.M. degree in intellectual property in a manner, pace and location conducive to their family and work schedules. Students will have the opportunity to combine traditional classroom studies with on-demand computer based learning.

William Weiner, Cooley's Associate Dean for International, Graduate, and Extended Programs is overseeing the LL.M. program. "We are excited about the distance education initiative in the Graduate IP Program. Our graduate IP courses originate from our campus at Oakland University in Rochester. Those who were interested in pursuing an advanced legal IP degree but could not do so because of the location now have the chance to attend regardless of where they live. Students may attend courses via video conferencing at Cooley's Lansing and Grand Rapids campuses or on the web."

Professor Gerald Tschura, Director of the Graduate IP Program at Cooley, echoed Dean Weiner's comments and went on to say. "By adding a distance component to our graduate IP courses, our flexible program has become even more so," Tschura said. "Each term a certain number of our required and elective courses will be offered in a distance format utilizing video conferencing and the Web. We are very excited that our program is available to more people interested in advanced intellectual property law study no matter where they live."

The Graduate IP Program offers classes primarily on the weekends, can be attended part- or full-time, and features a year-around schedule. Students can take up to five years to complete the 24-credit degree. Up to 18 credits may be taken in a Web-based delivery with at least six credits in a traditional classroom setting.

Dean Weiner explained the distance education component to the IP program. "We have designed this program for the scholarly study of intellectual property while maximizing flexibility. The six-credit residency requirement ensures the opportunity for students to interact with faculty and peers, fostering the learning community."

For more information about the LL.M. program or to obtain an application, please contact the Office for International, Graduate, and Extended Programs by telephone at (517) 371-5140, ext. 2849 or by e-mail at LLM@cooley.edu, or visit its Web page at www.cooley.edu/llm.