CASTLE

CASTLE Certificate 

Syracuse Law offers several Certificates of Advanced Study (CAS), programs that have students gain knowledge in a specialty. In 2022, Syracuse Law and the Whitman School of Management announced that students can enroll in the Certificate of Advanced Study in Technology Law and Entrepreneurship (CASTLE). Certificates of Advanced Study are sanctioned by the State of New York. 

What Is It? 

The CASTLE program is a CAS that focuses on the intersection of law, technology, and business management. It is ideal for law and graduate students who are interested in innovation and working with startups. Law students who participate in the Innovation Law Center (ILC) will likely be interested in this program. Additionally, law students who already plan to take courses related to intellectual property can easily meet the CASTLE requirements. 

Who Can Apply? When Should They? 

The program is open to JD and LLM students as well as graduate students including from SUNY ESF and SUNY Upstate Medical College. Students may apply for CASTLE at any time during their graduate programs, but law students are encouraged to apply in the spring of their 1L year. 

Does It Cost Anything? 

It does not cost anything to enroll in the CASTLE curriculum, aside from the standard tuition and fees associated with the class requirements for it. In other words, students who take classes that meet the criteria for CASTLE do not need to pay anything extra to enroll in it and be recognized for it. 

How Do Students Apply? 

Interested students must submit an application, resume, transcript and a brief statement of their interests and goals. They should also submit an internal admission application to their registrar. Aside from that, all they need to do is take the required courses. See Syracuse University’s course catalog for more information. 

What Are the Requirements? 

The CASTLE curriculum is composed of at least 12 credits, including a foundational entrepreneurship course at Whitman (EEE 620) and the Innovation Law Practicum (Law 815). Within the requirements, students can customize their curriculum to suit their interests.  

Students are permitted to enroll in CASTLE before or after completing required courses. For example, a student may wish to enroll in the program if they realize they already completed most of the required courses. Or they can design their schedules around the program. 

Students must complete a minimum of 12 credits in the following courses to complete the CASTLE program: 

Required Courses (6-9 Credits) 

  • EEE 620 Foundations of Entrepreneurship – 3 credits 
    This qualifies as the cornerstone course for the program. It is a class at Whitman that explores startups, marketing, business, and how to succeed in entrepreneurial ventures. 
  • LAW 815 Innovation Law Practicum – 3 – 6 credits 
    This qualifies as the capstone course for the program. It is an experiential course at the law school that educates students on intellectual property – especially patents – and has students work directly with inventors who seek to patent their innovations. This course is intended to run for two semesters, though CASTLE students are only required to complete one of them. 

Elective Courses (6 Credits) 

Students in the CASTLE program must complete at least 6 credits from the electives below, which they can choose from. Other courses may be considered on an individual basis. Each of the courses below is worth 3 credits.  

Entrepreneurship and Business-Centered Courses: 

  • EEE 621 Corporate Entrepreneurship 
  • EEE 625 Venture Capital 
  • EEE 630 Entrepreneurship in Engineering and Science 
  • EEE 653 LaunchPad 

Law Courses: 

  • LAW 726 Intellectual Property 
  • LAW 760 Patent Prosecution 
    *Note that this class has a prerequisite: LAW 765, which is another course that can satisfy the elective requirement for CASTLE. Students who take LAW 760 and 765 only need to take EEE 620 and LAW 815 to complete the curriculum. 
  • LAW 765 Patents and Trade Secrets 
  • LAW 824 Advising the Startup I 
  • LAW 825 Advising the Startup II 
    *Non-law students can enroll in this course without taking LAW 824.  

Marketing Management Courses: 

  • MAR 757 Managing Innovative Products and New Ventures 
    *Note that this class has a prerequisite: MBC 636. 

Note:Law students who complete requirements for the ILC (6 credits of LAW815, 3 as well as LAW 824 and 825) only need to take EEE 620 to fulfill the remaining requirements for the CASTLE curriculum. These students are strongly encouraged to enroll in the CASTLE program. 

Who Can I Contact for More Information? 

You may contact your registrar or reach out the the following for more information about the CASTLE program: