The First Esports Degree in Scotland Is Being Offered by Dundee and Angus College

In August 2023, Dundee and Angus College will introduce the first esports-related degree in Scotland.

Students will learn a wide range of essential transferable skills, including how to manage and organise events, as part of the Esports and Creative Industries Art Foundation Degree. The course will last for two years, with the option to complete an additional year to get a full degree perhaps being available in the future. The course's application period is currently open.

Additionally, the degree will give students the information they need to comprehend esports culture, analyse audience engagement, and appreciate the significance of professionalism and ethical behavior. By studying the significance of coaching, strategy, and sports psychology, learners will also build digital skills in live event production, broadcasting, commentating, and streaming.

With a weekly youth club, the college has expanded its esports offerings to school students. Also, there have been esports summer camps, with 110 kids participating in the most recent one in October 2022.

Esports has exponentially increased in popularity. The esports market, in 2022 alone, had a value of over 1.38 billion US dollars and, it is estimated that it can grow as high as 1.87 billion dollars by 2025. Also in 2022, there were 532 million people worldwide who watched esports and this number could also skyrocket to 640 million by 2025. One reason why esports grew so much in so little time is due to the fact that millennials and Gen Z view esports as a professional career due to how famous online gaming tournaments have become, especially to this demographic.

The growth of esports is very similar in other countries when compared to the United States. In Australia, esports took longer to catch on but it is now rising incredibly fast in its popularity. In fact, the country is well-represented with several A-List teams competing in tournaments and renown sportsbooks like Betfair Australia offer esports as part of their sports betting section among other traditional sports.

The announcement of this esports-related degree claims that pupils will gain from having a special esports classroom with gaming computers and a console-filled Esports Society hub. Also, there are new plans in motion to build two tournament rooms, two broadcast studios, and a recording studio.

Head of Sector at Dundee and Angus College, Lee Lappin, claims that, ‘Our Foundation Degree in esports has been uniquely created from scratch with a range of academic, industry and professional playing experts to ensure that it is current and relevant to the esports industry. We have focused on the practical elements of esports and will provide our students with multiple placement and project opportunities throughout the course with our range of industry partners.’

Dundee and Angus College will be the newest educational establishment in the UK to provide a course particularly for esports. The University of Sunderland recently announced that starting in September 2023, students will be able to enroll in an Esports Management degree program.

‘Our new innovative esports hub will allow learners to set up, run and stream live tournaments and we have embedded this practicality into a modern way of assessing’, continue Lappin. ‘As an educational partner for the newly proposed arena in Dundee we are also creating a pathway for our learners to enter the industry on completion of the course.’