Welcome To The Home Of One Of The Nation’s First Academic Esports Programs!
The Esports Media and Communication Track of the Bachelor of Science in Esports prepares students for a career in the broadcast and production side of esports. Through international experiences like collaborations with esports employees and players from around the world and trips abroad, internships with major esport and video game companies, and hands-on experiences with industry executives as well as the varsity esports team at Shenandoah, they will be ready for careers like esports event producers, broadcasters, and streamers.
We at Shenandoah are proud innovators in merging academics with needs in the larger economy, and we recognize the growing power of the esports industry, which is projected to be valued at $1.4 billion by 2020.
That’s why we’ve decided to offer one of the first multi-track esports majors in the United States, and the first esports major in Virginia, starting in fall 2019.
By 2021, global games market intelligence company Newzoo anticipates that “All major U.S. media conglomerates will have digital esports media rights,” and that esports will grow into a market bigger than that of traditional professional sports. We expect Shenandoah students and alumni to be an integral part of the action in a field that values quick and strategic thinking, mental agility, intellectual curiosity and creativity.
A new world has arrived, right at your fingertips.
We’re ready to pick up the controller and play. Are you?
Esports Programs at Shenandoah
Students majoring in esports at Shenandoah will earn a bachelor’s degree and concentrate their studies in general esports, one of three esports tracks:
Students may also choose to minor in the field:
Students may also earn a certificate in the field:
Minor in This Program
Declaring A Minor
Shenandoah students work with their Academic Advisor to declare a minor. Academic Advisors will continue to work with students to ensure that they fulfill all of the requirements to complete the minor.
Incoming students should not indicate their intended minor on their Shenandoah application. Applications are for intended majors only.
Internship Possibilities
Through international experiences like collaborations with esports employees and players from around the world and trips abroad, internships with major esport and video game companies, and hands-on experiences with industry executives as well as the varsity esports team at Shenandoah, they will be ready for careers like esports event producers, broadcasters, and streamers.
The Career Services staff helps Shenandoah students search and apply for internships related to their major and career goals. Internships differentiate you as an applicant in your future job searches, provide hands on experience in your field, allow you to sample different career paths for your major, and help you find a specific position that fits your passion before graduation.
Career and Salary Possibilities
This is a world that needs a workforce. And those involved in the industry can be well-compensated. According to Glassdoor.com, a senior ecommerce operations manager for Blizzard Entertainment, a division of esports juggernaut Activision Blizzard, can earn up to $164,000, while a freelance esports and video game writer can earn up to $68,000.
The Esports Media and Communication Track of the Bachelor of Science in Esports prepares students for a career in the broadcast and production side of esports such as esports event producers, broadcasters, and streamers.
The Career Services Office provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.
Classes
Esports Major with Media and Communication Track
- Shen Ed- 30 credits
- Esports Major- 45 credits
- Media and Communication Track- 21 credits
- Open electives- 24 credits
All esports majors take these core esports courses:
- Introduction to Esports
- Contemporary Issues in Esports
- Esports Performance; Esports Ergogenic Aids
- Esports Physical Training
- Injuries & Rehabilitation
- Esports Consumerism
- Esports Structure and Governance
- Esports Event Management
- Experiential Learning
Media and Communication Track
- Understanding Mass Communication
- Understanding Visual Communication
- Mass Media Theory and Research
- Media Writing
- Media Law
- Introduction to Public Relations
- Public Relations Planning and Management
Esports Electives | Choose 5 courses
- Introduction to Neuroscience
- Neuroscience of Motor Systems
- The Performing Athlete
- Research Methods in Exercise Science
- Sport and Exercise Psychology
- Sports Nutrition for Health and Performance
- Adapted Physical Education
- Introduction to Computer Programming I
- Introduction to Computer Programming II
- Introduction to Cybersecurity
- Networking
- Machine Learning
- Introduction to Computer Architecture and Electronics
- Introduction to Sport Management
- Contemporary Issues in Sport Management
- Legal Environment of Business
- Introduction to Management and Organizational Behavior
- Introduction to Marketing
Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.
Rampant Growth & Opportunity In Esports
The esports field is perfect for anyone interested in event management, communications, gameplay, coaching, exercise science, or in being part of a field that promises to grow more prominent and engaging with every passing year.
According to the World Economic Forum, the global audience for esports is expected to reach 380 million in 2018. Established sports franchise owners understand the potential of esports, with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, recently purchasing a majority stake in an esports organization, and the New York Yankees entering into a partnership deal with the investment group Vision Esports, as noted by The Esports Observer.
“I predict that by 2024 esports will actually have an Olympic event!” visionary/economist Bob Froelich is quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune.
In 2018, a championship event for teams playing the game Overwatch brought near-capacity crowds to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to The Washington Post. The center holds 19,000 people. These kinds of events promise to only grow in size and scope.
But, as noted on CNBC by Peter Guber, a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers and the professional esports organization Team Liquid, being able to fill a particular place isn’t necessary for esports. “You’ll see that it’s everywhere, and it isn’t bound by geography,” he said. “You don’t use a stick or a bat to play, and you can play alone or with a whole group of people, play against the best.”
Recent numbers from the World Economic Forum show that “esports viewers spent 17.9 million hours watching their gaming heroes [on Twitch and YouTube’s gaming channel] in the first quarter of 2018.” And Twitch, a live feed service where people can watch others play video games, has five million active daily users.
By 2020, the industry’s anticipated more than $1 billion of worth will match or surpass the 2017 revenues cleared by the NCAA, as well as the social media influencers market.
A new world has arrived, right at your fingertips.
We’re ready to pick up the controller and play.
Are you?
Shenandoah’s Esports Competition Team
Shenandoah’s esports team competes through the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), with 30 team members playing five esports games against players at colleges and universities across the U.S., including Division I institutions. The team’s on-campus home is in the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning (SCIL), where university students produce 360 degree video, along with augmented and virtual reality experiences to enhance learning.
The competitive team and students in the degree program will work hand-in-hand, allowing both groups to have the best esport experience possible, which will help them in college and long after.
Esports Team Roster     SU Esports Twitch Stream
Esports Team at Shenandoah
Many college students grew up playing esports, and now, they’ve brought merged their love of esports with higher education. Shenandoah University now has a varsity esports program, and plays teams from around the country as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Find out what games Shenandoah’s teams are playing, who they’re playing, and how esports is making inroads within academia.
I’ve been spending most of my weeknights and at least one day on the weekend on campus working with the Esports teams. I am the captain of the Overwatch team, and we have practices three nights a week, and I would usually be in there an extra night to help whenever I could and hang out with the other people on the teams. Much like the dorms, the Esports program has brought a lot of people together and know we’re a close knit community, and we like hanging out together. So even though I live off campus, I spend a lot of my free time in the SCiL lab helping and hanging out.
Morgan Keeler ’20 | Criminology & Criminal Justice Major, Esports Minor, and Psychology Minor
Faculty
Imagine participating in interesting conversations led by engaging professors who’ve already done what you dream of doing. You’ll be in a small class with professors who know your name, care about your success and provide advice as you pursue your academic and career goals.
We are working to prepare students to enter this field as highly qualified individuals with a unique bachelor’s degree that will place them ahead of other people wishing to enter the field. Shenandoah has positioned itself at the forefront of the esports industry by offering students an environment to participate in and study esports in a number of different ways.”
Joey Gawrysiak, Ph.D.
Faculty have had a massive impact on my life and education here at SU. Classes are only as good as the professor that teach them, and I’m fortunate enough to have an impressive faculty to support that. Almost all the professors I’ve had during my time here have made the effort to know every student, and what they have going on in their lives. They want to help us succeed, and it shows. Dr. Gawsryiak in particular has had a very large impact during my time here. When I heard about the new Esports team, I knew that the passion he had for gaming would all be channeled into making the teams as good as they possibly could be. I immediately joined and started volunteering for leadership positions and extra work, helping Dr. G however I could, and when I heard about the new academic programs — I wanted in. I have a love for gaming yes, but if it wasn’t for Dr. G’s passion and drive this program would never exist. He’s the reason I’m staying another year at SU to get the Esports minor, as well as working under him to build this unique program and team. I would say that in and of itself is pretty solid evidence of the influence SU faculty has.
Morgan Keeler ’20 | Criminology & Criminal Justice Major, Esports Minor, and Psychology Minor
Application Information
Shenandoah University works on rolling admissions and accepts applications throughout the year. Applications are reviewed individually and holistically.
Submit your application, review required admission materials, and find our admissions standards.
Study Abroad
Make studying abroad the highlight of your college experience! Whether you go for a year, a semester, or just a few weeks. You will never forget learning in another culture! The Center for International Programs is here to help you plan your study abroad experience. Start your planning early to ensure the courses you complete abroad count toward your degree and you graduate on time.
Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program
The Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program offers Shenandoah students a short-term, faculty-led, study-abroad experience for academic credit. Â These short-term, credit-bearing, faculty-led programs are offered winter break, spring break, and during the summer. If a course is not within your major, it might be used as an elective.
Study Abroad
Shenandoah University is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), a global network of 300 universities. This partnership allows students to study for a full semester or year at other member campuses abroad. By working closely with their academic advisors and the study abroad advisor, students can take classes taught in English abroad while receiving Shenandoah credit.
Shenandoah University also maintains direct partnerships with several universities around the world. Â These relationships allow students from SU to study abroad as exchange students and students from these universities to study at SU. Â All partner universities offer courses taught in English.