Courses in Electrical Engineering.

An important addition was made last fall to the curriculum of the Lawrence Scientific School. In former years there were four different four-years' courses of instruction at the Scientific School, viz., civil and topographical engineering, chemistry, geology, and biology; but last October the faculty decided to add a fifth one, electrical engineering. However, this step was taken at too late a date to permit many men to change their electives for courses in electrical engineering. The course has been arranged so as to accommodate two sets of men-one who desire to get a knowledge of the practical part of electrical engineering, and one who wish to get both this practical knowledge and an insight into the higher theories of electricity. For the former set of men the course will extend over three years, at the end of which they may receive certificates. For the latter set the course will last for four years and they may receive a B. S. in electrical engineering. The first three years will be devoted, as far as they treat of electricity, to giving the students a thorough acquaintance with electrical instruments and machines, with electric lighting, and with working on telegraphs and telephones. In the fourth year the men will take a course in trigonometric series and two courses in theoretic electricity. Besides these, a thesis, will be required. But few new studies have been added to arrange this course in electrical engineering; they are solely courses in a workshop, and to make them practicable a small workshop has been fitted up. However, as quite a number of men have signified their intention of taking a course or two in the workshop, it will be necessary to build a large workshop very soon. The present workshop of the physical laboratory is excellent in its kind. It is fitted up with very fine instruments and tools, but is open only to those who have had some experience in handling fine instruments. It is therefore useless for the course of electrical engineering, as its workshop must be a place for training from the very beginning.

Columbia College has already followed Harvard's excellent example, and has taken a step or two in the right direction, as the Columbia faculty is also of the opinion that a call for courses in electrical engineering will soon be made.