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;

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).