Intellectual Property, Digitization, and Digital Media

UMUC Graduate School Catalog (IPC pp. 75)

Program Description

The certificate in Intellectual Property, Digitization, and Digital Media focuses on a variety of legal, technical, and business issues that surround the dissemination of creative works in the digital environment. Although every person is affected by the mass digitization of copyrighted works, few opportunities exist for systematic, formal, nonlegal training to help businesses, creators, users, and technicians navigate the questions that arise from using and publishing content on the Web en masse. This certificate helps provide the needed understanding that businesses, entrepreneurs, information and information technology professionals, publishers, and educators need to mass digitize, publish, and distribute intellectual property. This certificate is not aligned with any Graduate School degree program. However, students who complete this certificate and pursue the Master of Distance Education and E-Learning may receive credit for DETT 611 Library and Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education and E-Learning.

Program Objectives

The program will help graduates to

  • Assess whether and how intellectual property law impacts innovation, business development, and technology.
  • Describe key principles of intellectual property law and their application in the digital environment.
  • Assess the effectiveness of various business models and technological solutions to manage intellectual property.
  • Analyze licenses and policy arrangements for intellectual property.
  • Evaluate and critique institutional policies, procedures, and practices, including those at their own institutions.
  • Gain an overview of the current litigation environment.
  • Choose appropriate risk management strategies.

Program Overview

The certificate program requires the completion of two required courses and one elective course, for a total of at least 12 credits.

Academic Relationship

The certificate is offered in partnership with UMUC’s Center for Intellectual Property, a pioneer in intellectual property management education, resource development, and research on the national front. The Center for Intellectual Property staff, its member community, and its Advisory Board are working to develop national standards of practice that promote intellectual property literacy and fluency for nonprofit organizations and information professionals. More information on the center is available online at www.umuc.edu/cip.

Career Paths

  • Contract compliance professional
  • Course developer
  • Creative artist
  • Education administrator
  • Information management professional
  • Information professional and librarian
  • Information technologist
  • Licensing professional