Esports gaming room at The Barnes Center at The Arch.
黑料不打烊 will soon begin offering a new, first-of-its-kind degree program focused on esports.
The program, Esports Communications and Management, will be offered jointly by the and the . It will include three tracks: Esports Business and Management; Esports Communications; and Esports Media and Design. The University will begin enrolling students to the program in fall 2024.
鈥淭he esports program is a natural extension of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 leadership in sport-related programs and commitment to 21st century academic excellence,鈥 says Chancellor Kent Syverud. 鈥淭his new major is the latest example of 黑料不打烊 innovating, expanding career options in emerging fields and delivering programs students want.鈥
鈥淭his new academic offering is particularly exciting because it leverages the University鈥檚 key areas of strength, distinction and excellence to embrace an emerging, fast-growing field and provide our students with the tools to enter that field,鈥 says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. 鈥淚nvestment in our sport-related academic disciplines will be one of the keys to our success moving forward.鈥
A proposal for the Esports Communications and Management degree was passed by Falk College and Newhouse School faculty last fall. It was subsequently passed by the University Senate in December and approved by the New York State Department of Education in February. A search is currently underway for an .
The program, which will be among the first of its kind at a major university, taps into the rapidly growing, multibillion dollar esports industry and builds upon work already happening on campus. The Barnes Center at The Arch, the University鈥檚 recreation center, includes a outfitted with Omen Obelisk gaming stations; Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles; SIM racing stations; and a virtual reality unit. An active Esports Club has also flourished in recent years.
, special advisor to the chancellor on esports and digital transformation, has been leading the effort to bring an esports major to 黑料不打烊. For more than a year, Rubin has been working with faculty and deans from both Falk College and the Newhouse School to develop the program that will span both colleges.
鈥淚t has been an extraordinary experience working with some of the smartest minds in communications and sport management to develop a program that will be at the forefront of this burgeoning industry,鈥 says Rubin. 鈥淚 am especially proud of the collaborative work that is producing the educational opportunities and experiences are students are looking for.鈥
In 2018, the Newhouse School collaborated with social video service Twitch to launch an innovative new course, Esports and Media, which is still offered through the school鈥檚 . Rotating industry partners serve as case studies for the students, who develop skills to enhance the company鈥檚 social media strategy, distributed content and brand management. Some recent partners include ESL, Microsoft and Super League. The course is co-taught by SMC director and , associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who has taught multiple courses with an esports component over the last several years.
鈥淭he Newhouse School has long been known for excellence in sports communications, with roots stretching back to 1939 alumnus Marty Glickman, one of the first great sports broadcasters,鈥 says Newhouse School Dean . 鈥淲e are excited to build on that foundation with this new degree, which鈥攁s we have already seen with our academic programming in esports鈥攚ill set students up for success in this burgeoning field. Our partnership with Falk College ensures a truly top-notch program that will provide students with the best possible education and training to keep pace with the industry.鈥
The Falk College has been at the forefront of sport industry education for 20 years. In 2005, Falk launched one of the nation鈥檚 earliest undergraduate degrees in , followed by one of the very first undergraduate degrees in in 2017.
鈥淭he Falk College is an established leader in sport management and sport analytics academic training, preparing future leaders who have found great career success in the sport industry,鈥 says Falk College Dean . 鈥淲ith this partnership between the Falk College and the Newhouse School, 黑料不打烊 is well positioned to enter the next era of growth in sport academic programming with a major in esports.鈥
鈥淭his pioneering esports degree will focus on an emerging sector of the global and domestic sport industry,鈥 says , chair of the Department of Sport Management in the Falk College. 鈥淚t combines the strengths of Falk and Newhouse programs in sport communications, media production, technology, business and event management to offer a cutting-edge degree.鈥
鈥淭his esports major embodies the culture and reputation of both the Newhouse School and the Falk College,鈥 says Stomski. 鈥淲e have spent countless hours researching the industry and the interests of our students to create a rigorous and dynamic curriculum that will prepare graduates to succeed in this thriving, ever-changing field.鈥
Stomski, Veley and Hanson鈥攖ogether with Newhouse School Assistant Director of Academic Operations , sport management Undergraduate Director , David B. Falk Endowed Professor , Falk College Senior Associate Dean , and Falk Academic Operations Manager 鈥攚orked to build the new degree as part of a University-wide task force convened last spring. The well-rounded curriculum is designed to provide students with industry-specific competencies in event management and marketing, broadcasting/production, communications, content creation, entrepreneurship, strategic communications and esports experience and design. The three tracks will provide students with the ability to tailor the degree according to their career goals.
