As the esports industry continues to grow, more schools are recognizing an opportunity to teach skills necessary to enter the field, especially on the business side. The National Association of Collegiate Esports, or NACE, has more than 125 member colleges offering esports programs, including clubs and academic degrees, and that number continues to grow.
Colleges and universities around the country are developing esports curriculum ranging from single classes and online certificates to minors and degrees. This increase in esports academic program popularity will ultimately provide the esports industry with a workforce for years to come. With the skills learned in these programs and the continued expansion of the gaming arena, an esports management degree can offer a student a lifetime of opportunity.
Shenandoah University is one of the first schools in the country to offer an interdisciplinary esports Bachelor of Science with an esports management track. The esports management track prepares students to enter the esports industry in a number of areas including event management, marketing and governance. Skills taught in this degree program are similar to those taught in a sport management major but instead focus on the esports industry.
Students are asked to understand revenue generation, marketing, governance and policy issues, along with event and facility management. Although these skills focus on the esports industry, they are transferable to other industries as well. Along with esports-specific courses, the esports management major includes traditional sport management classes as well as a business minor. Experiential learning is a major focus of this degree program as students receive hands-on training while working with Shenandoah University’s varsity esports team. Field experience with the team and industry internships are required. SDM
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