Skip to main content

Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law

Postgraduate diploma
ID:
0625_100_R101

This Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law is the only of its kind and offers you the unique opportunity to gain introductory knowledge of intellectual property through practice driven study of the law of trademarks, patents, designs, copyright and digital aspects of intellectual property law.

Contact information
Candice Williams
Departmental Secretary
+27 21 808 3561
Philile Duma​
Faculty Officer
+27 21 808 9111

Programme overview

Duration
One year
Campus
Stellenbosch
Type
Coursework

More information

Collapse all

When applying

When applying for a postgraduate programme, some may require you to upload additional supporting documents beyond completing the standard application form online. Where such documents are required, more information will appear under the section below titled “Supporting Application Documents.”

Please note that selection for postgraduate programmes is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the programme.

Minimum admission requirements

This is a selection programme. Moreover, only a limited number of students will be admitted to the programme. You may apply for admission to the PG Dip (Intellectual Property Law) if you hold at least one of the following degrees or qualifications:
• a BSc, a BCom, a BEng or an LLB qualification; or
• any other NQF 7 qualification; or
• work experience or any other exposure to the field of intellectual property law that the SU Senate
deems suitable for admission under the University’s Policy on the Recognition of Prior Learning
(RPL).

And:
• You must have achieved at least a 65% average in the final year of study of your undergraduate
degree (with the exception of an LLB degree).
• You must indicate the PG Dip (Intellectual Property Law) as your first choice to be considered. The
only exception would be if you put LLM as your first choice and the PG Dip (Intellectual Property
Law) as your second choice.
• You submit a satisfactory selection essay in accordance with the requirements set out in the
application process.
• Admissions to the PG Dip (Intellectual Property Law) are limited to ten students per year.

Supporting application documents

Motivational letter / Essay
One-page document explaining what factors are motivating you to apply for the specific programme(s) and describing what makes you a suitable candidate.

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Motivational letter / Essay

Programme structure

You must complete any four modules of your choice (120 credits in total).

Please note:
Not all these modules will necessarily be offered each year. You must choose between Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Environment, Competition Law and Economic Perspectives of Law. You may take only one of these modules. A student will only be permitted to take the research assignment module with the permission of the programme coordinator.

The options are as follows:
10009 – 711 Copyright Law (30)
10008 – 711 Trademark Law (30)
10934 – 711 Patent Law and the Law of Registered Design (30)
10935 – 711 Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Environment (30) or
62553 – 711 Competition Law (30)
13866 – 712 Economic Perspectives of Law (30)

10937 – 714 A research assignment of 7 500 to 10 000 words on a topic in the general field of Intellectual Property Law or related subject matter (30)

Last updated 01 April 2026
Disclaimer:
The University reserves the right to amend the information on this webpage at any time. While every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate and complete, it may be subject to change or become outdated. It remains the responsibility of prospective students to verify all details against the relevant faculty yearbook or directly with the relevant department.

Application dates

South African students
Applications open:
1 Apr 2026
Applications close:
30 Oct 2026

International students
Applications open:
1 Apr 2026
Applications close:
30 Oct 2026