The University of Sunderland is introducing an Esports Event Management Bsc (Hons) degree and making substantial investment into its campus for esports.
Drawing on the experience of the University’s events management and computer-based degrees, the three-year programme launch is timely, with the British Esports Federation also set to open a performance and education campus in Sunderland. This campus will provide access to training, equipment and investment, as well as a base for the Great Britain Esports team.
The University of Sunderland, which already has a Video Game Society (VGS) established through Sunderland Students’ Union, is also investing up to £1m on transforming parts of the Sir Tom Cowie campus into bespoke areas dedicated to both the degree and social aspect of esports. This includes the cinema in the Media Centre used to stream esports events and games labs.
Academics also believe the programme will not only draw in home students, but also will be attractive to the international market, in particular East Asia and the Americas.
The news also comes as the University of Sunderland announced it will be investing £250m over the next 10 years to transform its overall facilities at its campuses in Sunderland and London.
The University of Sunderland esports degree joins other UK-based institutions that offer esports degrees, including Staffordshire, Chichester, Barnsley College, the College of Esports and more.
Related article: The Challenger Cup: University of Chichester hosts its first student-run CSGO esports event
University of Sunderland on why it’s launching its esports degree
Dr James Scott, Head of School (Law and Tourism) at the University of Sunderland, said: “There is certainly a significant growth for the skills involved in running esports events, which has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
“Esports events are packing out thousand-seater stadiums regularly, which requires a huge amount of event planning. This is where our new degree course comes in. Students will explore the world of competitive gaming and learn what makes a successful esports event. They’ll delve into the production and management of esports events and develop an understanding of the technologies associated with organising these events.”
Professor Lawrence Bellamy, Academic Dean, Faculty of Business, Law and Tourism, added: “Esports is part of the digital leisure growth phenomenon, and requires professionals to deliver and develop the sector to meet the rapidly expanding global demand.
“The skills required to plan, promote and execute largescale esports events within this digital format are highly technical, challenging and also transferable into other commercial fields. As such, this exciting new development should prepare graduates for an exciting career ahead.”
There’s more info on the University of Sunderland’s Esports Event Management Bsc(Hons) degree on the uni’s website.
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
