SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1110 



much of the merit of the instruction is lost. 

 It is obvious that in carrying out the meth- 

 ods of instruction here laid down, mathe- 

 matics, chemistry, physics and applied me- 

 chanics are central components of the cur- 

 riculum ; but history and economies have an 

 important part. 



Highly developed powers of observation 

 and induction go far to develop a man's 

 success in electrical engineering, as in most 

 other professional branches, and also in 

 those branches of business that are of lead- 

 ing moment. This is a collateral reason why 

 chemistry, physics, mathematics and ap- 

 plied mechanics are such important studies 

 for electrical engineers. They teach their 

 sane followers to observe closely and accu- 

 rately and to draw correct conclusions 

 from the observed premises. But an indus- 

 trial engineer must also have broadly hu- 

 manistic sentiments and sympathies, and he 

 must be prepared to reason by balance of 

 evidence from imperfect premises. These 

 things being facts of every-day observation, 

 what humanistic studies can we rightfully 

 exclude from the list useful as preparation 

 for engineering professional life, and what 

 methods of teaching can we exclude pro- 

 vided only that they are directed to the 

 teaching of the principles of science and 

 their applications, and do not resort mainly 

 to descriptive processes? Our solicitude 

 need only be exercised to see that sufficient 

 of the mathematical and physical sciences, 

 the historical and economic studies, and 

 the languages make constituent parts of the 

 curriculum; and that the spirit and order 

 in which these are studied is right. The 

 sciences, historical and economic studies, 

 and languages are well represented in the 

 curricula of many of our engineering 

 schools, but there is still a failure to impress 

 on the students' minds that the economic 

 subjects are intimately related with the 

 work of the profession. 



Most American engineering schools have 

 undergraduate curricula of four years' 

 duration. To these come large numbers of 

 young men from the high schools and fitting 

 schools, mostly from seventeen to nineteen 

 years of age. They are commonly well 

 equipped with physical vigor and latent 

 mental strength, but they have not yet 

 reached mental maturity. They can not be 

 plunged without loss into a position of 

 complete self-reliance in their processes of 

 study, but commonly profit from a guiding 

 hand which shows the way to self-reliance. 

 It is only after a couple of years of the 

 vigorous life of the engineering schools that 

 our American young men can profit fully 

 by laboratory work where they are thrown 

 mostly upon their own resources ; but, hav- 

 ing reached this stage, their progress in 

 self-reliance and efilectiveness for solving 

 minor engineering problems go hand in 

 hand under the stimulus of a liberal method 

 exercised by the teachers. The more ma- 

 ture graduates of colleges of arts gain an 

 equal independence and effectiveness in less 

 time. 



Bringing into the midst of such labora- 

 tory classes the additional stimulus of pro- 

 fessional research carried on by postgradu- 

 ate students who are candidates for higher 

 degrees (Master of Science and Doctor of 

 Engineering) and by paid research assist- 

 ants, as is done in the electrical engineering 

 laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology, introduces a final factor of 

 pedagogical method that bids fair to make 

 the experiment an ideal success. This plan 

 is there coupled with the classification of 

 students, without refiection on any, in 

 groups according to their powers, so that 

 the quickest to assimilate may go forward 

 as rapidly as their powers permit, absorb- 

 ing collateral matter by the way, while th^ 

 slower to assimilate may cover all neces- 

 sary ground at a pace which affords them 



