More than fun & games: Rowan launches esports major with varied career options

This is not your parents' Frogger.

Electronic sports, or esports, is sweeping the world with a variety of organized, often multiplayer video game competitions, many of which feature professional players individually or in teams.

This semester, Rowan University launched a Bachelor of Arts in Esports through the Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts that's aimed at preparing students for careers in the fast-evolving esports industry.

Emil Steiner, Ph.D., coordinator of the college's Sports Communication & Media program which houses the major, said Rowan is one of just 20 or so colleges or universities in the country to offer a full undergraduate esports degree.

The BA features three tracks - communication, business and computing - with coursework offered through Edelman CCCA, the Rohrer College of Business and the College of Humanities & Social Sciences.

"It's a highly specialized degree," Steiner said. "Students in the communications track can focus on careers in reporting, broadcasting, public relations and social media, while students in the business track can enter careers in fields like financial management, operations and strategy. With esports computing, they can focus on (a range of digital areas like) media design, coding and mobile app development."

Online research from Fortune Business Insights estimates the global esports market in 2024 at more than $2 billion and projects it to exceed $9 billion by 2032.

The website noted that "the market is benefiting from growing revenue opportunities from increased participation of gamers, organizers, influencers and game developers. Attractive international prize money and opportunities to earn high income have made eSports [sic] a professional career choice."

In addition to the Bachelor of Arts, Rowan offers a minor and a certificate of undergraduate study (CUGS) in esports.

Kacey Doran, Ph.D., an assistant teaching professor in the esports program, said though the full bachelor's degree just launched, the program is already popular, with 10 sections of the introductory course this semester filled.

"People are clearly interested," Doran said. "With the online gaming industry, you're talking billions of dollars. It's surpassed all other terms of entertainment in how much money it's bringing in."

That market, she said, translates to jobs, and Rowan is preparing students for a wide range of them. She said the bachelor's degree, minor and CUGS help students develop in-demand skills from storytelling and production to marketing and public relations that can be applied to many career fields.

And, Doran said, though esports typically means competitive online play, it's an extension of the gaming that millions of people already engage with every day.

"It seems like everybody plays now, whether it's a quick thing on your phone as you're waiting for the train or in a stadium. Teams are walking away with million-dollar prizes," she said.

High-tech campus gaming partner

Preparing for degree programs in esports, Rowan in 2023 partnered with Nerd Street, a national company that built its first college-based gaming location at 109 High Street West, just off Rowan Boulevard.

At the time, the 7,100 square foot facility contained 50 gaming PCs on the main floor area, an additional 10 on a stage and 10 more in a private room for competitive teams. Though many of Rowan's esports classes are online, some are offered in Nerd Street's LocalHost Glassboro facility.

Aaron Talasnik, Nerd Street's director of marketing and media, said the facility features powerful, expensive gaming consoles, the kind that students could have at home but likely would not bring to campus.

"At the end of the day, this is a community center," Talasnik said. "We want this facility to be a home away from home for serious gaming."

Senior computer science major Alex Poplawski, vice president of Rowan's student esports club, said he's followed professional esports for a decade or more and believes its potential cannot be overstated.

One of Doran's students for the introductory Foundations of Esports class, Poplawski credited Rowan for entering the academic side of the industry early.

"I want a career aligned with my major, and if I find work in esports that would be great," he said. "I love the competitive aspect of it and following the players. Some of them have million-dollar contracts."

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