This paper examines the opportunities for developing 21st century, particularly the transversal skills, especially problem solving, cooperation and communication in the context of the course titled “Engineering Basics” at the BME Faculty of Transportation Engineering and Vehicle Engineering. The topicality and practical significance of the research are underscored by the fact that the course has undergone significant methodological changes in recent years, especially regarding its assessment system, which has led to high student dropout, low completion rates and widespread criticism. This has justified a comprehensive examination of the role, goals, educational practice and student perception of the course, with regard to the effectiveness of transversal skill development. The first step of the mixed-method research was to review the institutional context and history of the course, analyzing the educational methodology on the basis of student performance data, and student feedback collected in the previous semesters from 2021 up to the present day. Subsequently, an extensive student survey, and a series of semi-structured interviews with both students and teachers were carried out. Special emphasis was placed on experiences and opinions related to the integration of transversal skills into the subject, as well as on educational situations in which these skills were particularly well or less implemented. The results clearly show that the educational objectives, structure and methodology of the course can only be truly effective if they consciously integrate elements aimed at developing transversal skills.