Author: by Full Sail University

Presented by Full Sail University

Full Sail University has a long history of educating students by utilizing its real-world educational framework. Since being founded in 1979, students have been learning through project-based curricula, up-to-date industry practices and technology.

With its finger constantly on the pulse of the industry, in April of 2022, Full Sail officially launched its Game Business & Esports Bachelor of Science degree program. The new undergraduate degree program gives students the opportunity to build skills that will aid in the business of gaming and esports including but not limited to strategy, community engagement and marketable business acumen. The esports industry is expected to have a global revenue of $1.38 billion by the end of 2022, according to Newzoo. As the gaming and esports industries continue to grow, it is important for the global hiring pipeline to be equipped with a skilled and highly specialized talent pool.

Utilizing the expertise of esports, gaming, business, and sports industry professionals, Full Sail was able to craft a degree program that caters to those who have a love for gaming and esports. Full Sail makes it possible for those interested in pursuing careers within the gaming and esports industries to explore their options. Below are five ways that Full Sail University’s Game Business and Esports undergraduate degree program prepares students to build their careers in the gaming and esports industries.

Existing Gaming and Esports Community

Full Sail is no stranger to the gaming and esports industries. With a robust history in both, the university has been able to help develop many industry leaders in these spaces.

Full Sail has been educating in gaming for decades and has degree programs including its Game Art bachelor's, Game Design bachelor's, Game Development bachelor's, and Game Design master's degree programs. The latest addition of the Game Business and Esports undergraduate degree program was a natural fit.

The esports community at Full Sail had its official start in 2016 and has experienced steady forward motion. It is currently comprised of over 6,000 students, graduates, faculty, and staff who have all made an impact on what esports is at the university today.

A good example of the university’s commitment to the esports community is found within the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress, formerly known as the Fortress, which opened its doors in 2019. The 11,200+ square-foot campus space is the largest collegiate esports arena in the country to date and is home to the university’s collegiate varsity esports team, Full Sail Armada. The collegiate varsity esports group has 10 competitive teams, which includes 79 players, Casters and a Stream Team.

This landmark facility has also seen its fair share of high-caliber events including the first ever Special Olympics’ 2022 USA Games Unified Esports Invitational on June 7, 2022, Jump Off: Madden NFL 22 Finals on January 29, 2022, and the 2021-2022 XP League North American Finals on June 25-26, 2022. In addition, since opening, it has hosted numerous large-scale esports events including a Call of Duty Collegiate Invitational, Red Bull Conquest Orlando Qualifier, Tampa Bay Lightning’s NHL 22 Bolts Chel Challenge, NBA 2K League for “The Ticket,” and the 2019 Hearthstone Collegiate Championship Fall Finals to name a few. These events provide students with hands-on experience and networking opportunities, support good causes, get the surrounding public excited about esports, as well as see interest from celebrities and influencers in the industry. 

Networking and Career Development

Networking is a large component of career development, and Full Sail’s Career Development Department works alongside the Education Department to give students the resources to create their career paths.

The department assists students and graduates in broadening their professional network through opportunities like professional hiring events, alumni networking events, portfolio reviews, and so much more to prepare students and graduates to take on their careers.

In the Game Business & Esports Bachelor of Science degree program, students and graduates will learn the skills and knowledge important for business careers at game studios, and at esports event companies as tournament organizers, marketing managers, content creators, talent management, business development coordinators, and more.

With its longstanding place in the esports community, Full Sail already had a continued commitment to providing networking and career development opportunities to students. Full Sail alumni have seen great successes at companies like eUnited Esports, ESL/Dreamhack, Evil Geniuses and more serving in roles like General Manager, U.S. Social Media Manager, Graphic Designer and Commentators to name a few. 

Educators

Full Sail University prides itself on bringing real-world application and perspective into the classroom. Because of that, the university requires all educators to have a minimum of four years of relevant industry experience. Many of the educators are active industry professionals who bring relevant industry experience into the classroom. 

The Game Business & Esports undergraduate degree program is overseen by Program Director, RaeLynn McAfee who has over 10 years of experience in the sports business world. “I am thrilled to be a part of the launch of the Game Business & Esports Bachelor of Science degree program,” said McAfee. “At Full Sail, we will be able to take gaming and esports education to the next level and further solidify our place as a talent pipeline globally. The gaming and esports industries are rapidly evolving, and the launch of this degree program will help support the business, operations and continued growth of each industry.”

Much like McAfee, the educators in the Game Business & Esports Bachelor of Science degree program are highly qualified to teach the next generation of changemakers in the gaming and esports industry. 

Standout Course Offerings

The Game Business & Esports Bachelor of Science degree program gives students the tools needed to build a well-rounded career in the gaming and esports industry. A few course highlights include:

Game Business Models: This course will challenge students to examine the various ways that gaming and esports organizations operate, develop, and nurture revenue streams.

Esports and Gaming Management: Throughout the course, students examine various team structures, management strategies and relationships, and corporate cultures. This helps them recognize the daily business challenges leadership may encounter.

Gaming Community and Social Media: In this course, students will distinguish what types of content fans are interacting with as well as evaluate their engagement patterns and social media ethos.

Length of Program

Game Business & Esports is an accelerated undergraduate degree program that can be completed in as little as 20 months on campus and 29 months online, which is half the time of a traditional bachelor’s degree program.

The building blocks course sequence, unique to Full Sail University, allows students to apply their hands-on project-based education sooner during their post-graduate professional journey. With valuable professional insight gained through groups such as the program advisory committee (PAC), Full Sail University gives students the unique opportunity to have courses that are reflective of current industry practices.

There are opportunities for career growth, as well as integration and collaboration within the gaming and esports industry as it continues to expand. Full Sail University provides students and graduates the tools, resources, and overall knowledge to help them bring their passion for esports and business into their professional careers.