As esports continue to grow the industry requires more workers. While traditional sports and other industries have clearer career paths, esports is an educational neophyte. So Northern Illinois University has taken it upon themselves to help create one of the only esports degree programs in the country. While it is only a minor degree, its a step towards full university support for esports, both on and off the PC.
Going To School For Gaming?
In the latest episode of CheckpointXP On Campus, Norris and Jacob give context to NIU's esports degree. While some of the beginner classes sound a bit absurd, it later gets into esports business, coaching, and casting. Jacob broke down most of the courses and some of the skills it could be teaching.
Jacob: You have Esports and General Gaming, Esports: Real-Time Strategy Gaming, Esports: Sports Gaming and Esports: Online Battle Gaming. So I guess you're hopping from like Starcraft to 2K to Overwatch. Like, I don't, I don't know, but like sick. And then they kind of get into. They have like promotion and marketing of sports programs, sports events, and facility management, psychological aspects of sports and exercise, business ethics.
So I think the business part of it makes us minor worth getting. So I think if it were only just those, "here's how you play an RTS". I don't think that would be worth a minor for. Right. But when you're prepared to either be a player or go straight until like they even have like 3D animation and video art, like you can be the graphics designer for an esports team. And so I think it's cool that this minor is preparing people for just that job scape be it player, or court or the manager or whatever.
For more information on NIU's program click here!
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