Arhita Del Fierro was two years into her legal career when she started working in intellectual property (IP). Despite never having formally studied IP before, she was intrigued by what she describes as a “very procedural area” of the law.
“It was quite dense in terms of the sort of background knowledge I needed to do the job well,” she says.
“I thought doing a course that would prepare me to become an IP attorney, but also getting an idea of the theory behind IP law, would be quite beneficial.”
Arhita was already working full-time, something she had no plans to change. If she was going to go back to university, she needed a degree that would let her balance work and study.
Study that’s self-paced and online
As she started looking for postgraduate IP courses, Arhita was surprised to find that the options were limited, particularly when it came to degrees that were designed for working professionals.
With its fully online curriculum and flexible study modes, the IP program at UTS Law, which was the first-ever accredited postgraduate IP qualification in Australia and New Zealand, stood out.
UTS had evening classes that worked well with my schedule - I could log in as soon as I’d finished up the day at work. The flexibility and that ability to work at my own pace was really important to me
She enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Intellectual Property as a part-time student. This four-subject qualification introduces students to the fundamentals of IP law, along with specialist learning in either IP, trade marks or commercialisation. Course content combines self-paced reading and assessments with live, online sessions taught by experienced legal professionals.
“I didn’t really want to do a full master’s or graduate diploma, simply because of time, but with the graduate certificate, I’ve been able to be really flexible with the study load,” says Arhita.
“I do one subject a semester, which aligns better with my lifestyle of working full time and managing my personal life.”
Where theory meets legal practice
Though she already had practical experience in IP law, Arhita says the degree is helping her close the gaps in her knowledge, particularly around the links between IP and trade mark legal theory and practice.
“When I first decided to do this course, I was practising as a lawyer and doing a lot of practical things related to trade marks, like drafting submissions and putting together briefs of evidence, but I didn’t have a theoretical understanding of why we did it in that certain way,” she says.
“The course content crystallised that for me, which was really helpful. The assessments weren’t just based on understanding trade mark law, but they also reinforced what I’d actually be doing in the workplace.”
Now more than halfway through her studies, Arhita is more convinced than ever that her future career lies in the world of IP law. Despite its brevity, the graduate certificate has equipped her with the fundamental knowledge to kickstart this next stage of her professional evolution.
“My long-term goal is to become an IP specialist. Ideally, I’d like to work in-house for a business, focusing on managing its IP portfolio, including trade marks, and advising the business on how to protect its IP,” she says.
“The graduate certificate is giving me everything I need.”
Your future in intellectual property: Career guide
Curious about where a career in intellectual property could take you? Explore career pathways in patents, trade marks and intellectual property law, and discover the legal and strategic skills helping protect innovation in a rapidly evolving world.
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