To become a patent attorney, you will be required to have a relevant undergraduate/postgraduate qualification and complete a number of exams as part of a wider work-based training programme. The rewards for becoming professionally qualified are manifold.
The patent attorney profession is a graduate profession, the UK regulations require that you have a degree in order to be considered a registered patent attorney. In order to take the European Qualifying Examinations (EQE) to qualify as a European Patent Attorney, you must hold a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree. In reality, potential employers tend to require you to have a degree in a STEM subject.
The most common degree backgrounds include;
| Chemistry | ||
| Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry | Pharmacology |
| Medicinal Chemistry | Organic Chemistry | Materials Science |
| Natural Sciences (Chemistry Options) | Physical Chemistry | Physiology |
| Natural Sciences (Materials Options) |
Pharmaceutical Chemistry | |
| Engineering & Technology | ||
| Engineering | Biomedical Engineering | Natural Sciences (Physical Sciences Options) |
| Engineering Science | Software Engineering | Computer Science |
| Electronic and Electrical Engineering | Physics | Bioengineering |
| Mechanical Engineering | Medical Physics | Applied Maths |
| Aeronautical Engineering | ||
| Biotechnology | ||
| Biochemistry | Biomedical Sciences | Physiology |
| Molecular Biology | Biological Sciences | Natural Sciences (Biological Options) |
| Neuroscience | Bioinformatics | Pathology |
| Genetics | Computational Biology | Microbiology |
| Biotechnology | Medicine | Virology |
As a graduate trainee, you complete a minimum specified period of training in a firm, and during that time take professional qualifications. Once both the training and qualifications are successfully completed you may apply to become a registered patent attorney. The UK register is held by the UK Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg); the European register by the European Patent Office (EPO).
