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Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 38.djvu/543

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COEDUCATION IN SWISS UNIVERSITIES.
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resolution in 1874, formally defining the terms of admission for students, and including women. Since then there has been absolutely no question; young men and women work together under exactly the same conditions, and there is perfect harmony, except, perhaps, an occasional unbusiness-like discontent on the part of laboratory students, brought about by their voluntarily extended courtesy toward young women, and the thoughtlessness of these in acceptance of this courtesy. There is only one point of difference in the admission of men and women: men are not asked if they are of age, and if everybody is willing to have them take the university work; girls are.

Basle met the question first, as stated above, a little more than a year ago, one young woman having applied for admission. They were somewhat more conservative in this university, from their long-undisturbed serenity of masculine atmosphere and outlook, and this little rising of woman-ambition touched into life a small cyclone of opposition. The earnest testimony, however, of universities which had tried the experiment allayed the storm, and the young woman bravely entered upon her work and continued through the year. At the close of the year the university acknowledged that all was thus far satisfactory. In every university, we need to remember, the terms of admission, conditions of study, and all requirements, are exactly the same for men and women. It is just as in our own high schools.

For simple admission to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, the terms are the same for all, and are determined by the university senate, with consent of the state Educational Council. But if a student wishes to practice in Switzerland, the General Government must prescribe the terms, which it does as follows: The student begins with the Maturitäts examination, before alluded to. This makes the following requirements:

A. Languages.

1. Latin. 2. Greek. 3. The mother-language.[1] 4. A second Swiss national language. 5. The Greek may be replaced by a third Swiss national language, with the same requirements mentioned in section 4.

B. History and Geography.

6. Ancient, mediæval, and modern history, physical and political geography.

C. Mathematics.

7. Algebra. 8. Geometry. Plane trigonometry, and the simplest propositions in spherical.

D. Sciences.


  1. German. The "second" and "third" national languages mentioned in 4 and 5 are French and Italian.