Engineers must be as business savvy as they are technically proficient, according to a December 2009 article in U.S. News and World Report. Taking lower-level business courses in college prepares an engineering student to negotiate contracts, read financial statements, work in teams and lead others. The classes help a student understand the structure of an engineering firm and can even prepare her to open her own firm.
While an engineer might not have to create artistic designs during his professional career, depending on his specialization, he will have to visually represent his ideas. Design classes teach about the fundamentals of two-dimensional design. The computer applications and terms taught in a design class complement the computer-aided design, or CAD, software and terminology that a student learns to use in his engineering classes.
Communication is one of the most important soft skills for an engineer to possess, according to Hal Salzman and Leonard Lynn in the publication “Engineering and Engineering Skills: What’s Really Needed for Global Competitiveness” on the Rutgers University website. It can be hard for an engineer to succeed at her job and act as a leader if she doesn’t know how to listen, write and speak well. College communication classes teach an engineering student to organize her thoughts, communicate them clearly, listen actively and develop interpersonal skills so she can use them in settings that range from one-on-one interactions to public speaking events.
The work an engineer conducts has an impact on the environment, whether he’s a civil engineer who builds bridges or an aerospace engineer who designs and tests aircrafts. A class that teaches about environmental policies discusses how societies manage problems related to the environment and natural resources. The student learns about how governments, domestic and international, make decisions about environmental policies and the implications of those decisions.