Postgraduate Course: EU Data Protection Law (GDPR) (LAWS11520)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The purpose of this course is to consider the European Union¿s (EU) data protection framework as set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). |
| Course description |
The last decade has seen a heightened awareness of data protection and privacy issues, largely brought about by the development of new technologies and business models that rely heavily on the use of personal data. We are now operating in a world where our everyday life is increasingly dominated by ¿smart¿ devices, apps, online platforms and AI systems, and the EU is often seen as leading the global effort in regulating this new data and technology-driven environment. This course will consider whether or not data protection laws are appropriate to cope with the pressures that developments in technology are bringing. It will focus on the principles at the heart of data protection law and examine their application to specific settings. It will also consider the impact the GDPR has already had on the global data protection landscape.
Among other things, the course will take a detailed look at:
1. The GDPR¿s terminology and its territorial and material scope.
2. The legal grounds for lawful processing of personal data.
3. The data protection principles.
4. Rights of the data subject
5. Cross-border data transfers.
6. Enforcement and sanctions.
The aims and objectives of this course are to:
1. introduce students to the history of EU data protection law
2. enable students to gain an overview of the basic principles of data protection law in a European and international context.
3. examine (i) how the data protection principles apply in particular contexts; (ii) the issues and problems that arise; and (iii) the attempts to deal with the issues or solve the problems
3. examine the rights of data subjects and how they have developed over time and in response to technological evolution
4. discuss the data protection issues arising when personal data is exported to third countries
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One essay of 5,000 words (100%). |
| Feedback |
Students are required to actively participate within the class. Participation may take the form of oral or written contributions as well as taking part in-class quizzes and tasks via student response systems such as Top Hat.
Preparation for weekly seminars will take place in self-directed small group settings and students will have the opportunity to provide several pieces of group work for formative assessment that will help them to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the summative assessment. Students will receive feedback on each of those submissions, which will comprise comments on the substantive as well as the skills-based components of the assessment |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Appreciate the variety of institutions involved in the field of data protection and privacy and understand their role and functions in policy making
- Understand the scope of data protection rights and the terminology used - eg, data controller, data processor, data subject
- Critically assess the development of the law and how changes affect different interests
- Explain ongoing developments in the law and contribute in an informed manner to ongoing debate as to the proper role of these rights.
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Reading List
A detailed list of key resources will be available at the start of the course.
We will consult a range of books, commentaries and articles, which will be available in the School of Law library or on DiscoverEd. There will also be much use of online material, including videos, journals, blogs, regulatory guidance, CJEU case law and legislation. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Research and enquiry, through e.g. selecting and deploying appropriate research techniques;
2. Personal and intellectual autonomy, e.g. developing the ability to independently assess the relevance and importance of primary and secondary sources;
3. Communication, e.g. skills in summarising and communicating information and ideas effectively in oral and written form;
4. Personal effectiveness, e.g. working constructively as a member of a team in group activities;
5. Students will also develop their technical/practical skills, throughout the course, e.g. in articulating, evidencing and sustaining a line of argument, and engaging in a convincing critique of another's arguments. |
| Keywords | Data Protection,Privacy,Internet of Things,Information Security,Right to be Forgotten,GDPR |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Judith Rauhofer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: Judith.Rauhofer@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Hannah Ackroyd
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: hackroyd@ed.ac.uk |
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