QUICKENING THE PACE

Approximately three years ago a plan was adopted by Johns Hopkins University by which the students were permitted to enter the graduate schools at the end of their sophomore year rather than requiring the regular four year college course. The object of this innovation was to give the advanced student more time to devote to his particular field, thus acquiring greater efficiency. Now, at the end of three years, a report on the system declares that all of the men working under it are doing well. From the point of view of modern education, however, this project is at fault in that, despite the fact that it offers good professional training, it minimizes the possibilities of gaining a general cultural background.

If a student does enter a graduate school at the end of the sophomore year, it is very doubtful whether he has acquired a sufficiently broad education to enable him to be an unblased judge of general affairs. The preparatory education that the average person has before coming to college usually consists of just sufficient elementary knowledge to satisfy entrance requirements. It is therefore up to the college to provide all of the cultural background that is necessary for a professional man. When the regular four year course is reduced to two, it is impossible to fill this requirement.

In addition to this, if it is the intention of the student to enter professional school at the end of the second year, it is necessary to study there much of the elementary material formerly done as undergraduate work. Using the medical school as an example, under the Johns Eopkins plan all knowledge of such fundamentals as biology, or anthropology must be gained in the graduate school, thus lowering the standards, and necessitating an extention of the course to cover the field fully.

Undoubtedly, this project Johns Hopkins has adopted has given the graduate students a thorough knowledge of their profession, but their lack of a sound cultural background will seriously hinder them in formulating ideas in the true perspective of actual events. Instead of a step forward, the idea is a compromise between the old method whereby no degree was required, and the present system of demanding a foundation in the arts previous to entering any advanced field.