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Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:03 pm
by tqi3
I long for being a patent lawyer and I am an undergraduate pursuing a comp sci degree. I could graduate with a B.A. degree in comp sci instead of a B.S degree in the same major and it kinda matters as in the time I graduate. Can I go for prosecution with a B.A. in STEM ? (I understand that a STEM degree is necessary.) And if I could, will a B.S. degree be better anyways as in L2 internship and further professional requirements/ability after I start to work?
Thank you
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:10 pm
by sparkytrainer
You need more than just a BS (and yes you need a BS). You need a MA and a PHD generally.
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:37 pm
by pfunkera
sparkytrainer wrote:You need more than just a BS (and yes you need a BS). You need a MA and a PHD generally.
the above statement is 100% false
See explanation starting on page 6
https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/fil ... ED_GRB.pdf
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:42 pm
by pfunkera
tqi3 wrote:I long for being a patent lawyer and I am an undergraduate pursuing a comp sci degree. I could graduate with a B.A. degree in comp sci instead of a B.S degree in the same major and it kinda matters as in the time I graduate. Can I go for prosecution with a B.A. in STEM ? (I understand that a STEM degree is necessary.) And if I could, will a B.S. degree be better anyways as in L2 internship and further professional requirements/ability after I start to work?
Thank you
I had a B.A. in Chemistry, but I also had a M.S. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. See the document I posted because it is pretty thorough about what you need. You only need a "bachelor's" degree. You can even qualify without a bachelor's degree in the noted fields if you have the required coursework or can satisfy other requirements.
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Tue Apr 17, 2018 3:44 pm
by toast and bananas
sparkytrainer wrote:You need more than just a BS (and yes you need a BS). You need a MA and a PHD generally.
What? Why are you spreading this nonsense? You just need a bachelors in one of the specified fields in order to eligible to sit for the patent bar.
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:21 pm
by whelmer
My friend doing patent law has a BS in mech eng and a JD. Undergrad is enough. I have heard that IP for life sciences does sometimes seek advanced degrees, but a BA in comp sci is fine.
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:29 am
by Leo
A bachelor’s degree in STEM is all you need to be eligible for the patent bar. No distinction between between BS and BA. As a practical matter, however, it’s easier to find a job in patent prosecution with an advanced degree. Is the boost worth the extra schooling? Depends on your undergrad GPA and LSAT score, but the answer is probably no. For patent litigation, you don’t even need a STEM degree.
Re: Do you need a B.S. in STEM instead of B.A. for patent law
Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 7:43 am
by tinman
Leo wrote:A bachelor’s degree in STEM is all you need to be eligible for the patent bar. No distinction between between BS and BA. As a practical matter, however, it’s easier to find a job in patent prosecution with an advanced degree. Is the boost worth the extra schooling? Depends on your undergrad GPA and LSAT score, but the answer is probably no. For patent litigation, you don’t even need a STEM degree.
This is the correct answer.