Electrical Engineering: Soft Skills for Hard Sciences

Electrical engineering is often associated with circuits, systems, and complex problem-solving. But the engineers who make the greatest impact bring more than technical knowledge to the table. At the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, students develop both the hard skills to solve high-level engineering challenges and the soft skills to thrive in the teams, organizations, and industries where those solutions are being put to use. 

Ritchie School student Twyla Borck explains how the combination of challenge and support has defined her experience as an electrical engineering student. “I’m challenged and rewarded in a positive way,” she says. “The classes require me to use many parts of my brain. It’s never boring.” 

Borck was drawn to the Ritchie School’s smaller size and collaborative culture, seeing that this was an environment where students are known as individuals. “I didn't really want to be a number in a system. I wanted to be seen as a person by faculty and my peers.” 

That sense of connection is intentional, according to Goncalo Martins, Electrical and Computer Engineering Teaching professor. “What makes the Ritchie School different from other options is the community,” Martins says. 

“You have direct contact with professors, small class sizes, and labs that aren’t crowded. Faculty are available, and I think that makes the difference.” 

At the Ritchie School, hands-on learning is a critical point of distinction. Through dedicated lab spaces, team-based projects, and real-world experiments and applications, students gain practical experience while building professional skills. 

“We’ve been developing soft skills—resume building, how to interview, how to work with your team or a boss—that not all engineering programs offer,” Borck says. “I think that’s a secret strength of the Ritchie School.” 

Electrical engineering faculty regularly bring industry experience into the classroom, sharing real engineering challenges and helping students develop the mindset needed to solve them. Professors focus on mentorship and growth rather than evaluating performance. 

“It’s not about lowering the standards,” Martins says. “It’s about being with students and mentoring them so they can be up to the standards that we want.” 

This educational approach is already paying off for Borck, who will start a consulting position in the power and energy sector after graduation. For her, the greatest value of the program extends beyond career preparation. 

“I think the Ritchie School wants to see you achieve your dreams,” she says. “They want to see you learn and grow as a human being. I think that’s the biggest benefit.”

Learn more about our undergraduate programs here.