Staffordshire University offers course in eSports featuring Newtek NDI technology

Christopher Leese, technical specialist for the Media & Communications department at Staffordshire University states.

“Whatever equipment our students use and whatever facilities we put in place, we always make sure we’re meeting one expectation: that students will get the best possible experience in readiness for the jobs they want when they graduate.”

Of course, that’s not an abnormal mission statement for anyone in higher education. But what’s not so common is that the jobs to which Leese is implying are in an industry that didn’t even exist just a few years ago — eSports.

And that means when it comes time for the University to build a brand new facility to prepare students for future careers in eSports, Leese and his colleagues had to put aside equipment that had previously worked and now look to a new generation of technology.

Staffordshire University, located in Stoke-on-Trent in England, has a remarkable history when it comes to teaching technology. The campus’s roots date back over a hundred years, to the site of a school of science and technology that opened in 1914. Today it offers no less than four bachelors’ degree programs in video games. It has previously been ranked one of the best business schools in the world for its use of Twitter. And it pioneered the world’s first Games PR and Community Management degree.

“With that background, it was just a natural levelling-up for Staffordshire University to become the first in the UK to offer a degree programme dedicated to the business of eSports management,” stated Leese.

He continued, “Our Year One compulsory modules encompass Competitive Gaming Culture, Resourcing Esports Events, Esports Ecosystems, Single Player Esports Event, Esports Events Experience and Esports Broadcasting. In fact, it’s the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, focusing strictly on the business of an emerging industry that in 2019 expects to see record revenues, thanks in large part to the influx of companies and investors getting into the market.

“All of which means our Bachelor of Arts in Esports (Honours) has a vital part to play in preparing students for a career in this exciting market.” Click here for the full article.