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Harrisburg University Esports major to launch next year
Ioannis Pashakis//December 18, 2019
Harrisburg University’s incoming Esports degree will teach students the skills needed to work in the growing competitive video game sports industry, according to school officials.
Starting next year, the university will begin offering the Bachelor of Science degree to its students. The degree will focus on skills in coaching and managing teams, Esports marketing and Esports analysis.
Harrisburg University has spent the last two years growing its Esports varsity program and designed the degree in response to a need it saw for careers in the industry.
“Harrisburg University develops undergraduate and graduate degree programs in response to market needs. And since launching our Esports collegiate team, we have watched an already booming Esports industry continue to grow,” said Dr. Eric Darr, president of Harrisburg University.
The workforce that will support players is nonexistent and degrees like the new program will help create that workforce, Darr said.
Esports has exploded in recent years with more viewers tuning in to watch the “League of Legends” world championship finals than the Super Bowl in 2018.
“Industry leaders are searching for highly skilled Esports professionals,” said Charles Palmer, the Harrisburg University professor who will lead the school’s Esports program. “This program will allow students to follow their passions and land a lucrative career in a $1 billion industry that continues to grow.”
Nerd Street Gamers, an Esports event production group based in Philadelphia, is set to help advise the school on the program as it begins its first semester this spring.
