Central Massachusetts’ Becker College announced this week it’s launching a first-of-its-kind Esports Management degree. The initiative follows the school’s recognition of the economic and professional potential of the esports industry.
Bachelor of Science in Esports Management
The four-year program will be a part of Becker’s business college. It will focus on essential skills needed to succeed in the ever-growing area of competitive gaming. The program aims to groom students for careers through hands-on learning.
“The rapid growth of esports brings with it new jobs and demands from the industry; that translates to tremendous career opportunities for our students,” said School of Design and Technology Dean Alan Ritacco in a statement. “With a spirited college community that gets video games, adding esports management is a perfect fit.”
According to Becker’s announcement, the degree will focus on teaching skills in planning and strategy, event management and promotion, business development, game technology, marketing, and finance.
Marco Mereu, a member of the School of Design and Technology Advisory Board and CEO of esports entertainment company Estarz, views Becker’s move as a positive one.
“It’s great to see a school like Becker College leading the field in establishing its new Esports Management degree,” Mereu said. “Much as they did with their game design program, Becker will enable students to be prepared for the fast-moving and growing industry of esports.”
There has been a lot of interest in exploring the world of esports from various universities recently. Becker is one of a couple of schools implementing a degree related to studying the field of esports. Syracuse University, for one, also recently announced a new esports and media course.
Becker College embracing esports
The Esports Management degree follows the school’s recent launch of its own varsity esports program. Starting in the fall, Becker will offer varsity scholarships for top students representing the school in League of Legends.
“Collegiate esports is happening, and it makes all the sense in the world for Becker, already a pioneer in game design, to be leading the way in Massachusetts,” said Becker College President Nancy P. Crimmin. “With a campus community that is passionate about games, adding esports is a natural fit for us.”
The school follows many other universities jumping on the varsity esports bandwagon and, with it, the continuous development of the collegiate esports scene. Mirroring the traditional sports setup, the addition of competitive gaming gives many students not interested in sports an alternative to competing under their school’s name.
“Our esports varsity program will mirror many traditional varsity sports rules and regulations, complete with tryouts, uniforms, practice schedules and academic achievement standards,” said Becker Varsity Esports General Manager Timothy Loew. “Given the popularity of our esports club, I fully expect to be adding more varsity teams in games like Hearthstone and Overwatch over the next academic year.”
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