Update on Our Higher Education Esports Academic Program Inventory
by Seth E. Jenny. Department of Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, PA, USA
After two and a half years of cataloging and analysis, Dr. Joey Gawrysiak, Dr. Nicolas Besombes, and I published “Esports.edu: An Inventory & Analysis of Global Higher Education Esports Academic Programming & Curricula” in the International Journal of Esports. In this 47-page article we provide the first widespread global inventory and analysis of higher education academic programming and curricula.
We found that there are at least 74 different higher education institutions worldwide that offer 95 different esports degree, diploma, certificate, or minor programs. In descending order, the focus areas of these 95 programs included esports management/business-related (80%), esports broadcasting/communication-related (16%), esports coaching/performance-related (13%), esports game design/information technology-related (11%), general esports (3%), and esports gambling (1%). Study inclusion criteria included that the term “esport”, “e-sport”, “esports” or “e-sports” appearing in title of the “degree”, “diploma”, “certificate”, or “minor” program awarded by a higher education institution. Of note, programs solely focused on game design were excluded from study unless esports or its variation was included in the program title.
Likewise, an analysis of 404 individual esports-specific modules (i.e., known as “courses” in the United States) offered by 59 higher education institutions that deliver esports academic programs revealed that the top five most recurring modules focused on: esports business/management (22%), introduction/history of esports (13%), esports media production/communication (12%), esports event/venue management (11%), and esports coaching/performance (8%). Moreover, based on earlier work by Nico Besombes (2019), in Appendix A we offer figures of the esports’ ecosystem listing the vast expanse of esports-related professions in six different languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Within the paper, maps are also provided indicating the geographic location of each of the 95 higher education esports academic programs, as well as direct web links to each program’s website: esports master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and diploma programs (Appendix B); esports certificate programs (Appendix C); and esports undergraduate minor programs (Appendix D). In addition, sample individual esports modules (i.e., courses) are provided in Appendix E.
Update Since Publication
While our paper was published on 13 September 2021, data collection ceased in March 2021. Therefore, I have come across 20 other higher education esports academic programs since then, including one master’s degree, two bachelor’s degrees, 11 technical degrees (i.e., diplomas), three certificates, and three undergraduate minor/concentration programs. Thus, the new total higher education esports academic programs we have found is 115. Below are more details regarding each newly found program:
Additional Found Esports Master’s and Bachelor’s Degree Programs
| Higher Education Institution | Location | Year Program Started | Esports Degree Offered | Esports Focus Area(s) | Approx. Number of Esports-specific Modules | |
| Miami University | Oxford, OH, USA | 2021 | Master’s in Esports Management | Management | 8 | |
| https://miamioh.edu/online/programs/graduate/master-of-esports-management
https://miamioh.edu/cca/academics/departments/etbd/academics/majors/combined-esports/index.html |
||||||
| Thomas College | Waterville, ME, USA | 2021 | B.S Esports & Gaming Administration | Business | 4 | |
| https://www.thomas.edu/esports-and-gaming-administration | ||||||
| University of Portsmouth | Portsmouth, UK | 2021 | B.Sc. (Hons) Esports Coaching & Performance | Performance | 6 | |
| https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/bsc-hons-esports-coaching-and-performance | ||||||
Additional Found Esports Technical Diploma Programs
| Higher Education Institution | Location (Language, if not English) | Year Program Started | Esports Diplomas Offered | Esports Focus Area(s) | Approx. Number of Esports-specific Modules | |
| Fukuoka Design & Technology College (FCA) | Fukuoka, Japan (Japanese) | 2019 | Management (4yrs)
Pro. Gamer (3yrs) Event Staff (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance; Event Mgt; | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/fca.html | ||||||
| Keyano College | Fort McMurray, AB, Canada | 2021 | Business Administration Esports Management (2yrs) | Business; Mgt | 10 | |
| https://www.keyano.ca/en/programs-and-courses/esports-program.aspx | ||||||
| Kobe Koyo School of Music & Dance (KOYO) | Kobe, Japan (Japanese) | 2021 | Pro. Gamer (3yrs)
Event Staff (3yrs) |
Performance; Event Mgt | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/koyo.html | ||||||
| Nagoya Design & Technology College (NCA) | Nagoya, Japan (Japanese) | 2019 | ·Pro. Gamer (3yrs)
Event Staff (3yrs) |
Performance; Event Mgt | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/nca.html | ||||||
| Osaka & IT Technology College (OCA) | Osaka, Japan
(Japanese) |
n/a | Management (4yrs)
Pro. Gamer (3yrs) Event Staff (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance; Event Mgt; | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/oca.html | ||||||
| Osaka Anime / Voice Actor & E-sports College (OAS) | Osaka, Japan
(Japanese) |
2020 | Pro. Gamer (3yrs)
Pro. Gamer & Staff (3yrs) Game Streamer (3yrs) |
Performance; Mgt; Comm-unication | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/oas.html | ||||||
| Sapporo Design & Technology College (SSA) | Sapporo, Japan (Japanese) | 2019 | Management (4yrs)
Pro. Gamer (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/ssa.html | ||||||
| Sendai Design & Technology College (SCA) | Sendai, Japan (Japanese) | 2019 | Management (4yrs)
Pro. Gamer (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/sca.html | ||||||
| Tokyo Anime Voice Actor & e-Sports College (TSA) | Tokyo, Japan
(Japanese) |
2016 | Management (4yrs)
Super Pro. Gamer (3yrs) Event Planning Mgt (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance; Event Mgt | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/tsa.html | ||||||
| Tokyo Design Technology Center Vocational School (TECH.C.) | Tokyo, Japan
(Japanese) |
2019 | Pro. Management (4yrs)
Pro. Gamer (3yrs) |
Mgt; Performance | n/a | |
| https://www.anime.ac.jp/team-e-sports/school/tech.html | ||||||
| University of Paris/
University of Poitiers |
Paris, France (French) | 2022 | Esports Manager
(1 year diploma) |
Mgt; Health; Performance | 4 | |
| https://odf.u-paris.fr/fr/offre-de-formation/diplome-d-universite-du-diu-1/sciences-humaines-et-sociales-SHS/diu-esports-manager-KRQ3RFME.html | ||||||
Note. Mgt = management; Pro = professional; yrs = years. TSA was Japan’s first professional gamer vocational school opened in April 2016.
Additional Found Esports Certificate Programs
| Higher Education Institution | Location | Year Certificate Started | Certificate Level | Esports Certificate Offered | Esports Focus Area | Approx. Number of Esports-specific Modules |
| Miami University | Oxford, OH, USA | 2021 | Graduate | Online Esports Management | Management | 8 |
| https://miamioh.edu/online/programs/graduate/certificate-in-esports-management/index.html | ||||||
| Miami University | Oxford, OH, USA | 2021 | Undergraduate | Esports Management | Management | 8 |
| https://bulletin.miamioh.edu/creative-arts/emerging-technology-business-design/esports-management-undergraduate-certificate | ||||||
| University of Miami | Miami, FL, USA | 2021 | Professional Development | Global Esports Management Course | Management | 1 |
| https://opa.dcie.miami.edu/pro-certificates/sports/esports-management/index.html | ||||||
Additional Found Esports Undergraduate Minor & Concentration Programs
| Higher Education Institution | Location (Language, if not English) | Year Minor Started | Esports Undergraduate Minor Offered | Esports Focus Area(s) | Approx. Number of Esports-specific Modules | |
| Ball State University | Muncie, IN, USA | 2021 | B.A. Telecommunications Production (Esports
Concentration) |
Production & Communication | 4 | |
| https://www.bsu.edu/academics/collegesanddepartments/esports | ||||||
| Butler University | Indianapolis, IN, USA | 2021 | Esports Communication Minor | Communication | 2 | |
| https://www.butler.edu/esportscommunication | ||||||
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Slippery Rock, PA, USA | 2021 | Esports Minor | General Esports; Event Management | 2 | |
| https://www.sru.edu/news/081121a | ||||||
Additional Found Individual Esports Modules Offered at Higher Education Institutions
| Higher Education Institution | Location (Language, if not English) | Year Module Started | Module Level | Esports Module Offered | Esports Focus Area |
| Hochschule der Medien | Stuttgart, Germany (German) | n/a | Undergraduate | eSports | General Esports |
| http://www.fh-stuttgart.de/block?sgname=Crossmedia+Publishing+%26+Management+%28Master%29&blockname=eSports&sgblockID=2573663&sgang=550056 | |||||
Invitation for Future Updates
If you are aware of any other higher education esports degree, diploma, certificate, or minor programs NOT listed in the Appendices of our paper or within this article, please email dr.sethjenny@gmail.com as much of the following information as you can:
- Name of Higher Education Institution
- Location of Institution (City, Country)
- Full Title of Esports Degree, Diploma, Certificate or Minor Program
- Year and Semester/Term the Esports Academic Program Started
- Website of the Esports Academic Program
Esports Higher Education Degree Case Study: Staffordshire University
For an extremely detailed investigation of the United Kingdom’s first esports degree program that started in 2018 at Staffordshire University, consider reading: “Course corrections: What lessons can be learnt from Staffordshire University and the UK’s first esports degree?” (Sacco, 2021a). Essentially, this is a journalistic case study of Staffordshire’s esports academic program post three years, with multiple interviews from Staffordshire administrators, esports students, and esports faculty. It is a long article, but well worth the time for anyone considering higher education esports academic programming.
Major concerns voiced within this article included: the esports experience level of instructors; perceived interaction problems between esports education students and esports/gaming club students; perceived insufficient esports/gaming area (e.g., caster could be heard by players during esports competitions, etc.); some module assignments were perceived to not be applicable to esports (e.g., one instructor was reported to have students casting snooker instead of an esports event); perceived lack of experiential learning opportunities (e.g., esports students were reportedly promised they would host an esports event in the first year which did not happen; most likely due to COVID-19, however); and some students felt that having an esports degree is admittedly a “black mark” to industry and may actually hurt their job chances while other students felt the complete opposite. Overall, many reported comments are simply common complaints by students in any higher education program, not specific to esports (e.g., students reported that some instructors were not being responsive to student emails, etc.).
Additional Resources
Similar to the above article on Staffordshire University’s esports degree program, Esports Insider (Walker, 2021) published a short article titled: “What’s next for generic esports degrees?” regarding the current landscape of British universities offering esports degrees. Similarly, for those interested in esports education at the secondary school and further education levels prior to higher education, consider reading “The Esports BTEC one year on: We talk to students, teachers and others about how the qualification has aided them” (Sacco, 2021b) regarding the United Kingdom’s Pearson Education (2021) Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Esports program, similar to a vocational/technical education program in the United States.
Final Thoughts
It is interesting to note that all of the following no longer exist: 1) the first global higher education esports degree program which started in 2004 (M.S. in E-Sport and Competitive Computer Gaming from Danube-University Krems, Austria), 2) the first United States collegiate varsity esports team that offered esports scholarships starting in 2014 (Robert Morris University Illinois; now Roosevelt University), and 3) the first United States esports degree program which started in 2018 (Becker College; now Clark University) (Jenny et al., 2016; Jenny et al., 2021). It is possible these pioneers were willing to take on the added risk of being innovators in this area because their institution was already in financial straits prior to program implementation. Nonetheless, only time will tell which higher education esports academic programs will sustain, and the focus areas of the programs that survive and thrive.
Author Note
Seth E. Jenny, Ph.D., is an assistant professor within the Department of Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, USA. Other articles written by Dr. Jenny for the Esports Research Network includes: “Reconsidering the Value of the Esports Industry: New Research & New Thinking”.
Email: dr.sethjenny@gmail.com
Twitter: @DrSethJenny
Website: https://www.sethjenny.com
References
Ahn, J., Collis, W., & Jenny, S. (2020). The one billion dollar myth: Methods for sizing the massively undervalued esports revenue landscape. International Journal of Esports, 1(1). https://www.ijesports.org/article/15/html
Besombes, N. (2019, July 29). Esports related profession. https://medium.com/@nicolas.besombes/esports-professions-e402a1c3ab92
Jenny, S. (2020, October 6). Reconsidering the value of the esports industry: New research & new thinking. Esports Research Network. https://esportsresearch.net/2020/10/06/reconsidering-the-value-of-the-esports-industry-new-research-new-thinking
Jenny, S., Gawrysiak, J., & Besombes, N. (2021). Esports.edu: An inventory and analysis of global higher education esports academic programming and curricula. International Journal of Esports, 1(1). https://www.ijesports.org/article/59/html
Jenny, S., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., & Olrich, T. W. (2016). Virtual(ly) athletes: Where esports fit within the definition of “sport”. Quest, 69(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2016.1144517
Pearson Education. (2021). Esports. https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/esports.html
Sacco, T. (2021a, May 28). Course corrections: What lessons can be learnt from Staffordshire University and the UK’s first esports degree? Esports News UK. https://esports-news.co.uk/2021/05/28/course-corrections-lessons-learnt-staffordshire-university-uk-first-esports-degree
Sacco, T. (2021b, July 15). The Esports BTEC one year on: We talk to students, teachers and others about how the qualification has aided them. British Esports Association. https://britishesports.org/education/esports-btec-qualification-info-students-teachers-pearson
Walker, P. (2021, May 26). What’s next for generic esports degrees? Esports Insider. https://esportsinsider.com/2021/05/whats-next-esports-degrees
Related Tags
#EsportsEDU #EsportsEducation #EsportsBusiness #EsportsCurriculum #HigherEd #HigherEducation