The article explores methods of active formation of emotional intelligence. The article analyzes the main approaches to the study of emotional intelligence in home and foreign psychology: emotional intelligence as a personal trait, emotional intelligence as a cognitive ability and emotional intelligence as a personal trait and cognitive ability at the same time. On the basis of different approaches, the article highlights its main components, and shows the place of emotional intelligence among other kinds of intelligence. The article presents the results of an empirical study of emotional intelligence on a sample of first-year students-psychologists and studies the features of formation of emotional intelligence by the following active methods and forms: socio-psychological training and seminars. The authors describe the main educational tools used in the framework of socio-psychological training and seminars and demonstrate the efficiency of social-psychological training in the formation of practical social intelligence and the effectiveness of seminars in the formation of theoretical emotional intelligence.