WORK / LIFE : NEW CAREERS
monthly esports viewers in the United States by the end of 2022 , an 11.5 % uptick from 2021 .
Pro gamers now have the potential to
earn more than winners of Wimbledon , but there are also lucrative job opportunities off the virtual field — roles that make the gameplay possible , like marketing , event management , broadcasting , business operations , and more . Many colleges and universities are developing esports-centric curricula to encourage students to learn every facet of the industry , from coding skills and game design to business development and corporate partnerships .
“ Developing an esports and gaming curriculum provides our scholars with the tools to enter career pathways and succeed beyond their [ gaming ] controller ,” explains
BerNadette Lawson-Williams , founder and advisor of Johnson C . Smith University ’ s ( JCSU ) Esports and Gaming Trifecta , the first such program at a historically Black college or university .
lexandra Warren-Carrasco has been an avid League of Legends player for years . Throughout high school and community college , the virtual world was an important social outlet for her . But when she transferred to California State University , Dominguez Hills ( CSUDH ), which offers an esports club , she realized her love of gaming could open up a new world of possibilities not just for social connections , but for her career .
“[ The club ] really engaged me in the school ,” she says . “ That in turn made me want to build a community here — and to help make sure that others could get that same experience .”
Within months , she ended up as president of the
CSUDH Esports Association , managing several competitive teams , hosting and speaking at events , and developing strategies for growing club membership . She also parlayed her love of gaming into product specialist roles at the esports consulting company
Esport Supply and now at
HyperX , a gaming peripherals company recently acquired by HP — experiences that could lead to more professional opportunities after graduation .
A new arena of opportunity At the University of Kentucky , one of the first educational institutions in the United States to embrace esports , there ’ s a dedicated 6,000-square-foot space where students can access state-of-the-art gaming hardware , including consoles , PCs , headsets , microphones , keyboards , and more . They hone everything from technical know-how to less tangible skills like networking and teamwork .
Heath Price , associate chief information officer at the University of Kentucky , says that gaming has helped bring together a new and enthusiastic community on campus . “ Our esports home base has been , first and foremost , a place for students to meet up ,” he says . “ There ’ s PC gaming , console gaming , and also a theater . We can host events and activities , whether students are putting them on or whether we ’ re hosting people in our community .”
It ’ s not just students — the university ’ s staff has gotten involved , too . Faculty ranging from engineering to English professors have found ways to weave video games into course syllabi .
“ There ’ s such widespread application , whether for marketing , business , computer science , engineering , or design ,” says Price . “ We ’ ve even got faculty in our linguistics department doing some really cool things with languages , incorporating gaming into the teaching models they ’ re using .”
At JCSU , the Esports and Gaming Trifecta builds on students ’ love of gaming with three core components to broaden their interests : academic minor and certificate programs in esports and gaming management , which focus on the business side of the industry ; access to a cutting-edge esports lab ; and a
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