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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, June 1916

B.A. and B.Sc. Courses

B.A. and B.Sc. Courses.

The Board proposed:—
(1)that in each subject there should be an intermediate and a final grade; that the former should be little lower than the present "pass" standard and involve the study correspond to the "repeat" standard and should involve two years study beyond the intermediate stage.
(2)that every candidate for the B. A. degree must.
(a)

pass in five subject at the intermediate stage, viz:—two foreign languages, one of which much be Latin or Greek; English Literature or History; Pure Mathematics, Philosophy or Economics; another subject which may be an experimental science.

These subjects are those for the Intermediate Examination and 2, 3, or 4 of them may be passed at the of the first year.

page 49
(b)pass in two subjects at the final grade; or in one at the final stage and in a new subject studied for two years; or in one subject at the final stage together with an intermediate subject studied for a further year and a new subject at the intermediate stage.
The following typical courses will make clear the suggested regulations:—
  • Intermediate: Latin, Greek, English, Pure Mathematics, History; [four, three, or two of these may be taken at the end of the first year and the remaining subjects at the end of the second year.]

    Final: Latin, Greek (at end of third year).

    Honours: Classics (at end of fourth year).

    Intermediate: Latin, French, History, Economics, Geography.

    Final: Economics, History.

    For Economics or History in the Final the students might substitute a new intermediate subject (say, Mathematics) and an additional year of French or Latin; or a new subject (say, Philosophy) studied for two years.

Only in language study, therefore, would a student, after passing the Intermediate, be even relatively free to prosecute his higher studies for Honours. The general effect of the proposals may be put thus: a student may obtain Honours in Languages by taking his Honours subjects at all stages and in addition three subjects in any other subject by taking his subject at all stages and, in addition, the equivalent of six intermediate subjects.

If these proposals were adopted, they would allow specialized study in Languages but in no other subject. This anomaly may be due to the fact that almost all the Arts representatives on the Board were teachers of Languages, who were fully aware of the needs of their own departments and could not be expected to know that the requirement of other departments were very different.

An adequate scheme must provide equal facilities for the higher study of all subjects. Higher study is not page 50 likely to be aided by the increase in the number of intermediate subjects, a result due, apparently, to the retention of compulsory Latin.

(3)
that every candidate for the B.Sc. degree must:—
(a)

pass in four subjects at the intermediate grade, viz:—one of the subjects pure Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, two experimental sciences; and another subjects that may be taken from the group of Arts subjects.

These are the subjects for the Intermediate Examination that may be passed in two sections.

(b)

pass in two subjects at the final stage (or their equivalents, as provided in the B. A. course).

(c)

give evidence of his ability to read scientific works in French, German, or Italian.

As far as freedom of study is concerned, the B.Sc. course is far in advance of the B. A. course for there is no compulsory subject like Classics (as in the B. A. course) and the choice of subjects by students in not so restricted. The restriction seems all the more unnecessary as the Board suggested that the course of any student should be subject to the approval of his Professional Board.