Saint Peter’s University Among First in the Nation to Offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with an Esports Specialization
JERSEY CITY, NJ – Saint Peter’s University has announced an Esports specialization for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the university’s School of Business. The specialization will provide the business skills and entrepreneurial edge necessary to succeed in Esports, one of the fastest-growing sectors in the sports and entertainment industries globally. Esports refers to competitive, organized video gaming, which has gained significant popularity in recent years and led to a demand for content creators, producers, marketers, product managers, accountants, lawyers and a host of other experts who work for game companies.
“The Esports field is booming as it has officially become a billion-dollar industry in 2018,” says Mary Kate Naatus, Ph.D., KPMG dean of the School of Business at Saint Peter’s University. “We developed the Esports specialization to enable our business school graduates to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in this growing industry.”
The Esports specialization emphasizes the business side of the Esports field and will be available to all students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in business and sports management in the fall of 2019. Students will be immersed in the culture of Esports while gaining skills in planning and strategy, event management, business development, marketing, and finance. Students will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts in the classroom and gain real-world experience through internships.
“We are proud to be among the thought leaders that are generating global awareness of this exciting and evolving industry,” says Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University. “We are collaborating with Esports advisors as our academic partners to ensure we are building a sustainable educational program to prepare future leaders in this field.”
In addition to the Esports academic specialization, the Office of Wellness and Recreation at Saint Peter’s launched an Esports intramural program in spring 2018 and established the university’s membership in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The fall 2018 season was a highly successful one as two teams qualified for post-season play with one team advancing to the playoff semi-finals.
For more information about enrollment in the Esports management specialization, course schedule and program guidelines, please visit saintpeters.edu/esports.
Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately, and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.