Course X majors must take at least one of 10.26 and 10.27. Which is right for you?
The two courses are similar in the total amount of work required, and both are done in groups of three students. Both are designed to give you practice at experimental work, at planning group work, and at presenting technical information orally and in writing. Each course is taught in conjunction with staff from the Writing Center, and the normal written work for each is sufficient to pass Phase 2 of the MIT Writing Requirement. Yet there are important differences between the courses.
In 10.27 you work on four different experiments, for about five afternoons each. You work on a variety of projects, but the opportunity to choose is somwhat limited by scheduling and the need to work on different things. In general, the equipment to do the experiment is already built, though each group works on a different aspect of the problem. The experiments are not cookbook, but you have less opportunity to direct the course of the project than you would in 10.26.
In 10.26, you and your group will work on one project that will run for the whole semester. Each group will have the chance to choose a project from a varied list. (If you have a strong preference for work in a specific field, choose lab partners with similar interests.) These projects are real work, either sponsored by local industry or a spinoff of ongoing research at MIT. Each project will have an outside sponsor and will be closely supervised by one MIT faculty member. You will direct the course of your project (with advice from the faculty), and will usually need to design and set up your own experiments. This is a chance to do some real engineering research.
The other difference between the courses is scheduling. 10.26 is offered in the spring only. 10.27 is only offered in the fall. Both courses are intended primarily for seniors. Note that the schedule and emphasis on pre-requisites have changed since last year.
What about taking both? Course X requires that you take a second advanced lab, and some people take both 10.26 and 10.27. If you have a specific interest in one of the alternative labs in polymers, materials, biochemistry or microelectronics, you should probably follow your interest. On the other hand, in 10.26 you have the opportunity to select your project, so it can also be a way to learn more about a technical field that interests you. 10.26 projects can be in areas such as environmental or biomedical engineering that are not well covered by the other labs.
If you are unsure about which course to take when, you can call Eric Anderson (x3-2369) to discuss your concerns.
--- Last modified 7/5/95 --- Eric W. Anderson --- ewanders@mit.edu