KAIST-MIP

FAQ

[LLM] What is the tuition like?: Dual-degree students must pay tuition for both KAIST and NLaw's programs.

1. MIP: All new accepted applicants receive scholarships that amount to 50% of the tuition. The resulting tuition is approximately 4.5 million KRW paid biannually (every semester), for 2 years (4.5M x 4 semesters - 18M KRW).

2. NLaw: Tuition is approximately 74,000 USD. With partial scholarships for dual-degree students, it amounts to 50,000 USD. NLaw tuition is paid annually around mid February to early March, for 2 years (25,000 USD x 2).
[LLM] Can I apply only to the NLaw program?: No. NLaw is part of the KAIST MIP-NLaw LLM Dual-degree program and must be taken in conjuction.
[LLM] Can I apply without a law, science, or engineering background?: Yes. Although students' majors are a consideration in the application process, there are other multiple elements involved. For example, many current and prior students in the legal profession have a humanities background however they may have gained expertise in their work. What's important is the students' aptitude and potential to complete our program. There have been students straight out of college and some lacking professional experience that have completed and received their degree.
[LLM] When and how can I apply to the dual-degree program?: ※ Students have 2 options of attaining a dual-degree either of which are equivalent in terms of tuition, curriculum, and degree.

1. Spring semester admission: You can either apply as
1) KAIST applicant and apply for the LLM program. Should students choose to withdraw from the LLM program, they may continue on in the KAIST MIP program.
2) Apply for the Dual-degree program: Both the MIP and LLM program must be completed together in order to receive the dual-degree.

2. Fall semester admission: Students may only apply as KAIST applicants as dual-degree applications are only accepted for spring semester entry. Therefore students may apply for the dual-degree program the following spring.

In the case a student starts their MIP program in the fall of 2021 and their LLM program in the spring of 2022 (1 semester apart),
1) As the expected graduation for the LLM program is 1 semester later than the MIP program and because it is a dual-degree, the duration of study may be extended to 2 and a half years due to the 1 semester difference.
2) Students may need to take additional lectures to fulfill graduation requirements. Credit transfers are available from MIP to LLM however due to the 1 semester difference of entry, only the three overlapping semester's credits may be transferred.
[LLM] Can I apply without a LL.B?: MSL (Master of Studies in Law) degrees are given to graduates without a LL.B instead of an LLM. If an applicant submits proof of enrollment at a LL.B program before the dual-degree program starts, they are eligible for a LLM degree. Students already enrolled in the dual-degree program expecting a MSL receives a LL.B before graduation, they may convert their status to a LLM recipient. However after receiving an MSL regardless of LL.B status, LLM conversion unattainable.
[LLM] Is there a recommended or affiliated university where I can receive a Bachelor of Law degree?: There are no affiliated or recommended schools at the moment.
You may select to attend online universities and open universities that offer LL.B.
[LLM] Can I apply to the LLM program during or after graduating the MIP program?: Yes. However you may need to take additional courses to fulfill the credit requirements for the LLM program. (Does not concern graduates)
[LLM] What are the interviews like for the dual-degree program?: 1. NLaw: A series of questions will be asked not limited to future plans, statement of purpose, and language fluency in an 1:1 virtual interview with an NLaw representative. A post-interview writing test will be given in the form of an essay.

2. MIP: A series of questions will be asked not limited to future plans, level of expertise, and vision with KAIST faculty in English and in Korean. Detailed questions are up to the interviewer.
*Students already in the MIP program applying to the dual-degree program are exempt from the MIP interview.
[LLM] Are student loans available?: 1. MIP: KOSAF loans are available for Korean Nationals.
2. NLaw LLM: Unfortunately LLM does not meet the requirements of the KOSAF student loans.
[LLM] Is NLaw tuition conditional on the number of credits taken?: No, it isn’t.
[LLM] What is the course schedule like?: KAIST MIP lectures are held every Saturday, NLaw lectures are held on weekdays from 0700 to 2215 from the end of March to July.

Each lecture is held for 2 weeks at a time (final exam on the following Thursday) and in early August, lectures will be held in Northwestern Law in Chicago for 2 weeks. (2 visits over 2 years)
*Visiting schedule is subject to change contingent on Northwestern University's academic calendar.

Both programs are held in KAIST's Dogok Campus by KAIST faculty, Intellectual Property experts, and NLaw faculty in person.
*Virtual lectures may be held contingent on South Korea and the US' guidelines on Covid19.
[LLM] What are the expected costs for visiting Northwestern?: All costs accrued concerning the visit such as airfare and lodging are personal expenses. Because prices are highly variable depending on the place and time of reservation it is difficult to provide an estimate.
[LLM] Can I take a leave of absence after being accepted into the dual-degree program?: Semester-based and course-based leaves of absences are premitted for the MIP and NLaw program respectively. However we advise caution as the curriculum is scheduled in 2 year blocks and taking a leave may lead to delayed graduation.
[LLM] How many credits are required to graduate?: 33 and 39 credits are required to graduate the MIP program with a thesis-based masters and course-based masters respectively. Dual-degree students taking NLaw courses can have upto 20 credits approved as MIP credits. However KAIST courses cannot be approved as NLaw credits.
[LLM] Am I eligible for the Bar exam after the completion of the LLM program?: Bar examinations are administered by agencies of individual states and territories; generally the supreme court of each state. Each state has differing requirements regarding the eligibility and composition of the exam. It is not certain whether the LLM degree in Korea will qualify students for admission to any bar in the United States and US Law schools do not take any responsibility for bar eligibility or bar qualifications for any of its students including students enrolled in its LLM Program.The program is designed to educate students in best U.S. legal practices, to enable them to apply this knowledge to enhance their current and future careers. Although subject to change, our graduates have taken the bar exam in Washington DC and California. It is highly advised that you review the requirements of the state you wish to practice in.
There are similar programs like Intellectual Property Rights degree in law schools or graduate schools of intellectual: Many prestigious universities provide good IP or patent-related education.
One unique point that KAIST-MIP offers, compared to those universities is that the program is based upon technology and management, and that students are shared the know-how and practical experiences by professors who have years’-worth of enriched IP-related experiences in the field.
If you refer to the professors’ profiles, you will notice that not only did they receive prestigious education, but also they have international practical experiences that not many people have in Korea.
Aside from the theoretical education, the curriculum organized to share such experiences and know-how with the students is another unique advantage that KAIST-MIP offers.
What benefits do I have if I graduate from KAIST-MIP?: Securing intellectual property and resulting IP-related practices now expand beyond the borders to across the globe, thanks to free trade which has abolished borders and tariffs, and the rapidly developing technology.
Therefore, internationally, the demand for intellectual property experts is soaring globally.
We assure you that KAIST-MIP is the best practical education program for intellectual property, and is the first of such kind in Korea. Our graduated alumni will soon definitely be in the spotlight both domestically and internationally.
Does KAIST-MIP study intellectual property issues within Korea, or international intellectual property issues?: Although South Korea is an economically developed country that ranks 14^th in the world economy, but it is at the same time a small economy with population size smaller than 45 million. The amounts of compensations paid for intellectual property disputes of giant companies are also not as large.
Most intellectual property disputes of large scale of companies in Japan, the second strongest nation in intellectual property, and global companies of South Korea such as Samsung and LG, are taking place in the U.S. The reasons why such legal disputes are focused in the U.S. is of course because it is a battlefield where companies conflict to capture shares of the U.S. market, the biggest market in the world, and because the compensations decided by U.S. courts amount astronomical values. Therefore, the KAIST-MIP curriculum focuses on practical international intellectual property centered around the U.S.
Moreover, the curriculum is organized so that it doesn’t miss out on intellectual property in the EU, Japan and China, and intellectual property issues within Korea, which forms the basis of understanding the international IP practice.
Our professors are veterans of Korean, and international IP practice. Our lecture notes and textbooks are taken from those used in American and European field practice.
I studied liberal arts. Can liberal arts majors enter KAIST-MIP?: The mission of KAIST-MIP is to nurture intellectual property experts with legal, technological and management mindset.
Therefore, students learn beyond the boundaries of liberal arts and engineering on their own, and are provided with theoretical and practical education from law school, engineering school and business school.
There is no discrimination between the student’s major in KAIST-MIP admissions.
The first class of KAIST-MIP is comprised of 50% of students with liberal arts background, and 50% of students with engineering background.
I think that the network between alumni and peers is important in programs like MIP. How is the composition of students: You can see related information on the students list on our program website.
40% of the students are lawyers and patent attorneys, 40% of the students are patent officers in companies, and the rest include judges, prosecutors, journalists, etc.
Seeing this, you will realize the power of peer network. Of course, the 40,000 alumni of KAIST will all be your alumni network.
What is the trend of practical education in intellectual property like in developed nations?: Although the history of professional intellectual property doesn’t date back a long time, successful professional IP programs are being introduced in the U.S., Japan and Europe.
In many cases, such programs are run as a part of law schools, and IP-related degrees and subjects are growing in various engineering and business universities.

KAIST-MIP’s full time and part time professors are comprised of lawyers/patent attorneys/IP officers from top Korean law firms (e.g. Kim & Chang, BKL, Firstlaw, HMP Law) and companies (e.g. Samsung & LG), and most professors majored in related fields in prestigious IP programs and law schools abroad. Students of KAIST-MIP can be taught advanced and professional knowledge and skills through our prestigious faculty, without having to invest too much time and resource or move far away from their work and family.
The curriculum for KAIST-MIP looks too tight and intense. Do we have to complete the degree within two years?: It is not just saying, but is a fact that KAIST properly educates students.
We believe that adjusting the quantity and quality of education according to the students’ individual situations is not a desirable direction, as practical education for intellectual property is directly connected to the students’ current and future careers.
The curriculum is inevitably intense, as the professors need to teach and students need to learn three arenas of law, technology and management, and two years is not at all long enough.
To become an esteemed expert after graduation, students must develop strong internal stability.
However, we are aware of, and thus cannot ignore the burden on students having to pursue their careers and study for the degree in parallel, so we don’t require all students to complete KAIST-MIP within two years.
Are there any industry or IP-related organization workshops in the curriculum?: For those students who can make time on weekdays, field practices at industries or patent offices are possible in their second year.
Also, you have chances to gain global insights through workshops abroad and special lectures prepared in collaboration with law firms, patent offices and patent attorneys associations of IP-focused countries like the U.S., EU, China and Japan.
Do I need practical experiences to apply for KAIST-MIP?: KAIST-MIP pursues practical education in intellectual property.
Therefore, it does help in admissions and academics if you are doing IP-related work at your work or business.
For those of you who are willing to change your career paths, you can start without any experience. However, you will need to be prepared for it.
I heard that the lectures are held on weekends. Can I still continue with my job while taking the course?: Currently, 100% of the students in first class of KAIST-MIP enrolling in the program are working and taking the course in parallel.
Of course, it is tough. However, they are enduring with the determination to become a global intellectual property expert through this tough time.

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