Research and teaching are closely linked at the ZLSR. The courses, which build on basic research, provide students (as part of the Master's specialization in Life Sciences Law) and doctoral students (as part of their doctorate) with the legal knowledge and skills they need in order to understand the dynamic field of Life Sciences Law and start a career.
Master's Degree with a Specialization in Life Sciences-Law
My Master studies with a specialization in Life Sciences Law offered me the ideal opportunity to expand my knowledge in socially relevant and future-orientated areas. The practice-oriented content and the dynamic, professional exchange provided me with the necessary tools to sucessfully start my career.
Josephine Eberhardt, MLaw
The Master of Law with a specialization in Life Sciences-Law is ideal for students who are interested in legal issues at the interface of law, technology, medicine and society.
The legal field of life sciences ranges from legal aspects of biotechnology and therapeutic products to intellectual property rights and criminal law issues in the field of medicine. The specialization provides students with in-depth knowledge in the field of life sciences law and allows them to set their own focus depending on their interests.
The specialization is suitable for students who wish to pursue a career after graduation that deals with current and exciting issues - be it in a law firm, a company, a public authority or in an academic environment.
The Master of Law with a specialization in Life Sciences-Law comprises 90 ECTS credits. Depending on whether a small (18 ECTS) or a large (30 ECTS) Master's thesis is written in the specializing field, these 90 ECTS can be obtained as described below:
| Small Master's Thesis: | 18 ECTS |
| Non-facutly achievements: | 12 ECTS |
| Lectures in the specializing field: | 42 ECTS |
| Lectures in law: | 18 ECTS |
| Large Master's Thesis: | 30 ECTS |
| Non-faculty achievements: | 12 ECTS |
| Lectures in the specializing field: | 30 ECTS |
| Lectures in law: | 18 ECTS |
I was impressed by the Master's lectures in Life Sciences-Law, as they focus on current topics, have strong practical relevance and pursue an integrative approach: real problems are examined from different perspectives, which acctualy makes the connections between the different areas of law visible - it's truly exciting!
Grace Wittmer, MLaw
When specializing in Life Sciences-Law, students can choose from the below listed range of lectures. Thus selecting their courses based on their individual interests - for example, to specialize specifically for a job with the relevant authorities or in the life sciences industry:
| Lectures Fall Semester: | ECTS | Lectures Spring Semester: | ECTS |
| Introduction to life sciences-law | 6 | Ethics and law in biomedicine | 6 |
| Therapeutic products law | 6 | Health law | 6 |
| AI in the administration of criminal justice* | 6 | Private medical law | 6 |
| Medical device law* | 6 | Copyright and design law | 6 |
| Medical criminal law | 6 | European law, specialization (European constitutional law)* | 6 |
| Patent and trademark law | 6 | ||
| Private insurance law incl. supervisory law | 6 | ||
| Legal philosophy | 4 | ||
| Competition and antitrust law | 8 | ||
| WTO law* | 6 |
Please note that all courses are held in German Language.
*) These lectures are offered irregularly.
We will be happy to support you in putting together the subjects for the Master of Law with a specialization in Life Sciences Law and help you to create a suitable and interesting study plan. If you are interested, please contact the managing director of the ZLSR.
In life sciences law, I have learned strategies for finding solutions in an extremely dynamic environment. I can also apply this skill in other areas of law. Life sciences law was therefore above all a school of thought for me.
Florian Jenny, MLaw
Doctorate
The doctoral program at the ZLSR is aimed at lawyers with a Master's degree who wish to take their first steps on an academic career path in the field of life sciences law. As part of the doctorate, doctoral students research current legal issues in various areas of life sciences law, e.g. health, medical or intellectual property law.
Doctoral studies at the ZLSR and the University of Basel can be completed either as a free doctorate (12 CP) or as part of the doctoral program "Law in Transition" (18 CP).
The ZLSR enables doctoral students to conduct interdisciplinary research and participate in practice-relevant events on a wide range of topics. This also includes the opportunity to take part in the ZLSR Journal Club to exchange ideas with other ZLSR doctoral students in life sciences law and to present their own research progress.
Especially in Basel, where the life sciences play such a central role, it is particularly important to understand and legally assess scientific and technical issues in an interdisciplinary manner. Working on my dissertation on liability law issues relating to the use of AI in medicine has significantly fostered this expertise - a skill that is indispensable in my work as a lawyer today.
Dr. iur. Djamila Batache, Rechtsanwältin
