At the close of the year the students prepare their theses for the diploma of agrimensor (surveyor). The following program shows the specialized studies pursued by the students of electrical and hydraulic engineering and the number of hours a week given to theoretic and practical exercises for the succeeding years: Courses in electrical and hydraulic engineering. The students of electrical engineering at the conclusion of the fifth year, and the students of hydraulic engineering at the conclusion of the sixth year, present a thesis for the diploma in their respective specialties. The diploma of hydraulic engineer also entitles to the exercise of the profession of surveyor. In order to obtain the degree of civil engineer, the electrical and hydraulic engineers must pursue additional studies. The degree of civil engineer entitles to the conduct of work in general engineering, surveying, and architecture, and is therefore highly desirable for graduates. Electrical engineers, in order to qualify for the degree of civil engineers, must study, in addition to their ordinary curriculum, road building and geodesy, constructions of wood and masonry, constructions of iron and reinforced concrete. Moreover, they must complete the sixth year of special studies by the following program: Agricultural hydraulics; city and rural drainage; interior navigation; tramways, and architecture (second part). The hydraulic engineers, aspiring to the degree of civil engineer, must pursue the following additional studies: Geodesy and architecture, first course; architecture, second course; and tramways. Facilities for practical work.-Opportunities for practical instruction afforded by the engineering sections of the university are limited to physical and chemical laboratories and such other facilities as are provided by the Museum of La Plata, connected with the institution. The obvious difficulties incidental to the establishment of costly plants are increased by the dominant views favoring pure science and by the aversion to all forms of manual training, especially in higher studies. The university has an arrangement with the General Electric Co., of New York, for the employment of practicing students of electrical engineering. A thermo-electrical plant and a hydraulic experimental station will be soon erected. The plans for these two adjuncts were approved in 1912. SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, PORTO ALEGRE. The School of Engineering at Porto Alegre, Brazil, combines all the stages of complete technical education, beginning with an elementary school and ending with specialized courses in several branches of engineering. The programs of these courses compare favorably with those of the higher technical schools in Europe or the United States. The institution also comprises industrial courses of elementary and secondary order, organized in several divisions, and a semiclassical gymnasium. All these schools form a closely centralized group, under common management and serving the same purpose which, as defined by the statute, is that of "preparing citizens capable of being useful to society and their native country through their work and training.” This system appears to have some unquestionable advantages; the control possessed by the institution over the education preceding the proper engineering courses offers a guaranty that the preparation of the students entering the latter is fully in accord with the requirements of higher technical studies. The industrial courses affiliated with the institution derive invaluable benefit from the accessibility of its laboratories, collections, and institutes, as well as selected teaching forces. The group of schools designated as Porto Alegre School of Engineering, offer the following courses: Gymnasium (Instituto Gymnasial Julio de Castilhos) divided into three sections as follows: 1. Elementary course of three years comprising the ordinary elementary subjects: 2. Intermediate course of two years; this comprises the study of five languages (Portuguese, French, Italian, German, and English), geography, history, civics, natural sciences, hygiene, mathematics, drawing, manual training, music, gymnastics, and military drill. 3. Secondary course of four years, comprising the study of the above five modern languages, Latin, elective Greek, history, civics, natural sciences, mathematics, elements of agriculture, accounting and bookkeeping, drawing, gymnastics, manual training, music, fencing, and military drill. Industrial school (Instituto Tecnico Profissional) intended to prepare foremen and superintendents for industrial plants. It comprises the following courses: 1. Elementary course of four years, similar to the elementary course of the gymnasium, but with a marked emphasis on mathematical and practical subjects. 2. Technical course of five years, comprising the following subjects: The five modern languages, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mechanics (general and applied), physics, chemistry, machinery, metallurgy, technology, drawing, descriptive geometry, sketching, perspective, shades, music, gymnastics, and work in factories. The technical course is divided into several departments differing in respect to time assigned to the theoretical subjects and the character of practical exercises. There are eight distinct departments, viz: Metal working, wood working, construction, typography and printing, bookbinding, electrochemistry, lithography, and phototechnics. Engineering institute (Instituto de Engenharia) offers the following courses: 1. Preparatory course of three years, comprising the subjects usually studied in the first two years of higher technical schools. The instruction is mostly theoretical. No specialization is evident. in this course; the students perfect themselves in higher mathematies, drawing, and become familiar with methods of scientific study and research. 81797-17-8 2. Course of civil engineering, covering three years. It corresponds to the specialized part of the course of standard higher schools of civil engineering in the leading countries. Several lines of specialization are gradually developed during the course, ending with competitive examination in projects in the following branches: Architecture, interior navigation, mechanical engineering, iron bridges, applied electricity, and maritime construction. 3. Course of electrical engineering, covering four years. It is organized on a different plan from the engineering course in that it comprises a complete electrical engineering curriculum within its four years of instruction, without a separate preparatory course. Specialization begins as early as the second year, and throughout the course considerable time is devoted to practical exercises. In the fourth year, in addition to the special subjects, political economy, finance, and administration are studied. 4. In connection with the school of electrical engineering there is a six-year course for electricians (Curso de Montadores Electricistas Mecanicos), corresponding in scope to the industrial courses considered above. The Institute of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine offers the following courses: 1. Course for engineers in agronomy, covering five years. 2. Course of veterinary medicine, covering five years. 3. Course in agronomy (agricultural course of high-school grade), covering three years. 4. Course for rural wardens, covering three years, of the same scope as the foregoing, but specially designed to train administrators of scientifically conducted farms and plantations. The institute owns considerable real estate and other valuable property which is inalienable under the laws of the State. It is endowed with well-equipped laboratories, shops, etc., and is in agreemont with a number of private industrial plants for practical work of students. BIBLIOGRAPHY. CANADA. École Polytechnique de Montréal. Conditions d'admission, règlements et programme des cours. Montreal, 1915. 122 p. 8°. Génie civil, architecture, arts décoratifs et industriels. Extraits du prospectus général. École de preparation. 16 p. 16°. McGill University, Montreal. Calendar for session 1915-16. Montreal, 1915. lv, 445 p. 8°. Nova Scotia Technical College. Short courses. January 5 to March 6. 16 p. double. 8°. Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Technical Education. Report of the School of Mining, Kingston, Ontario. Calendar, 1913-14. Kingston, 1913. 121 p. 8°. L'Université Laval. Annuaire pour l'année académique, 1915-16. Quebec, 1915. 219+68 p. 8°. École Polytechnique. Lois organiques. Quebec, 1913. 12 p. in French, and 12 p. in English. University of Toronto. Calendar, 1913-14. Toronto, 1913. 659+111 p. 8°. 1915. 175 p. 8°. Toronto, 1915. 36 p. 8°. Faculty of Arts. Calendar, 1915-16. Toronto, 1915. 214 p. 8°. FRANCE. Astier, Claude Alexandre. L'enseignement technique, industriel et commercial en France et à l'étranger. Paris, 1908. 498 p. 8°. Melon, Paul. L'enseignement supérieur et l'enseignement technique en France. Groupes universitaires, facultés, écoles spéciales, techniques, etc. Paris, 1893. 342 p. 8°. Office National des Universités et Écoles Françaises, Paris. Les universités et les écoles françaises; enseignement supérieur, enseignements techniques, renseignements géneraux. Paris, 1914. 299 p. 8°. Sénat. Debats parlementaires. Sess. ord. de 1916. Paris, 1916. p. 760. Université de Lille. Programme des conditions d'admission et de l'enseignement à l'institut électrotechnique de Lille. Paris, Librairie Vuibert. 36 p. 8°. Similar programs are published by other universities having technical departments. Programs of instruction for individual technical schools are published by the Librairie Vuibert, Paris, 63 Boulevard Saint Germain, also by Delalain Frères, 56 Rue des Écoles, Paris. Vuibert, H. Annuaire de la jeunesse. 25 me Année, 1914. Paris, 1914. 1193 p. 16°. |