Universities launch degrees geared to e-sports

CBS News 05 October 2019

The University of Staffordshire is one of several universities in the United Kingdom and United States that are launching e-sports degrees, aimed at capitalising on the booming industry’s need for skilled professionals, reports CBS News.

The university last year launched its bachelor and masters e-sports degree programme, in which students mainly learn marketing and management skills tailored to the industry. This autumn, it’s expanding the programme to London, while other universities are also debuting e-sports degree courses, including Britain’s University of Chichester, Virginia’s Shenandoah University, Becker College in Massachusetts and the Ohio State University. In Asia, where e-sports has seen strong growth, universities in Singapore and China offer courses.

Dozens of US colleges have offered university level e-sports competitions for years. But some colleges are taking it a step further by adding courses as the industry’s boom drives demand for professionals who know how to, for example, organise e-sports tournaments. New niche degrees partly highlight the changing economy, but they also reflect the “need to communicate to parents and students that there will be a job waiting for someone once they earn a degree”, which may include hefty tuition fees and student loans to pay for them, said Joni Finney, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Research on Higher Education.
Full report on the CBS News site

Receive UWN's free weekly e-newsletters

Sponsored Article

Getting to net zero, one community at a time

University of Victoria staff

Accelerating Community Energy Transformation is a University of Victoria-led collaborative initiative that brings together over 40 partners, including Indigenous knowledge keepers and community leaders, to create innovative place-based solutions for energy system transformation.

Promoted by the University of Victoria.

Sponsored Article

Africa pays a premium for global climate change sluggishness

Stellenbosch University staff

Africa needs to stop paying the price for the rest of the world’s recalcitrance to act fast enough in response to the irrefutable conclusions that climate change is real and that the impact of global warming could be devasting, says Professor Guy Midgley, interim director of the School for Climate Studies at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Promoted by Stellenbosch University.

Sponsored Article

Innovations to ensure energy savings in a hot, arid climate

UAE University staff

Researchers from the United Arab Emirates University have shown that the potential benefits of building energy savings and a cooler indoor environment, as well as improved cooling effect on air temperature at pedestrian level, strongly indicate that a cool roof with high solar reflectance and albedo is a promising strategy for buildings in regions with hot, arid climates.

Promoted by United Arab Emirates University.

Sponsored Article

A new global university ranking with an ethical mission

Aftab Dean

A new university ranking system aims to serve as a catalyst for positive transformation in higher education, ensuring that universities create an environment grounded in integrity and sustainability that inspires and supports students and staff in the development of novel solutions to global challenges.

Promoted by Globethics.net.

Sponsored Article

SDG progress report launches university into new territory

University of Pretoria staff

In the publication of its first progress report on its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals, the University of Pretoria is navigating new territory at the same time as it is acknowledging its clear stewardship role in protecting the environment and biodiversity.

Promoted by the University of Pretoria.