Shenandoah offers the most robust esports program in the country, featuring not only varsity competitive teams and club teams, but also undergraduate majors/minors/certificates in esports, a graduate-level concentration/certificate, and an online Coaching Certificate.

Esports Programs :

• Esports Management (MBA)
• Esports Management (BBA)
• Esports Management (BS)
• Esports Media and Communication (BS)
• Esports Coaching Certificate
• Esports Management Undergraduate Certificate
• Esports Management Graduate Certificate 
• Esports Management Minor

All School of Business programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and all School of Business programs (except for esports-related programs), are accredited by AACSB International.

The Esports Management Certificate prepares students for careers like esports event mangers, esports administration, and esports marketing. The average starting salary range for esports professional is $40K-60K.

There is an increased need for professionals in the industry along with the growth of the industry. The esports industry has a year-on-year growth of 15.7% from 2019 to 2020.

You can advance your career with this program by being one of the first in the country to graduate with an academic focus in esports management. This program gives you the tools, experiences and connections necessary to advance your esports management career.

Career & Professional Development provides a comprehensive range of services and resources to assist Shenandoah students in their career search. Services offered include resume and cover letter building, mock interviews, and professional dining etiquette workshops.

Career & Professional Development at Shenandoah

You will be introduced to the esports industry and understand how esports operates as a form of commercial entertainment. You will learn how to govern esports, market esports, and manage esports events and organizations.

We focus on combining classroom learning with experiential learning through travel opportunities, partnerships with professional organizations, and our esports arena on the main campus.

Course Requirements

• ESPT 101 Introduction to Esports (3 credits)
• ESPT 201 Contemporary Issues in Esports (3 credits)
• ESPT 340 Esports Structure and Governance (3 credits)
• ESPT 360 Esports Event Management (3 credits)
• ESPT 420 Esports Consumerism (3 credits)

Learning support services are available to all students in every course at Shenandoah. Free peer tutoring with a student who has previously succeeded in the course is available for any course across the university. The Writing Center is available for every stage of the writing process from thesis development to proofreading and bibliography assistance. The Math Enrichment Center is available for math and science assistance. Professors and Academic Advisors across the university also have office hours and open door policies to ensure Shenandoah students succeed academically.

Learning Support Services at Shenandoah

The esports field is perfect for anyone interested in event management, communications, gameplay, coaching, exercise science, or in being part of a field that promises to grow more prominent and engaging with every passing year.

Established sports franchise owners understand the potential of esports, with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, recently purchasing a majority stake in an esports organization, and the New York Yankees entering into a partnership deal with the investment group Vision Esports, as noted by The Esports Observer.

“I predict that by 2024 esports will actually have an Olympic event!” visionary/economist Bob Froelich is quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune.

In 2018, a championship event for teams playing the game Overwatch brought near-capacity crowds to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to The Washington Post. The center holds 19,000 people. These kinds of events promise to only grow in size and scope.

But, as noted on CNBC by Peter Guber, a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers and the professional esports organization Team Liquid, being able to fill a particular place isn’t necessary for esports. “You’ll see that it’s everywhere, and it isn’t bound by geography,” he said. “You don’t use a stick or a bat to play, and you can play alone or with a whole group of people, play against the best.”

Numbers from the World Economic Forum show that “esports viewers spent 17.9 million hours watching their gaming heroes [on Twitch and YouTube’s gaming channel] in the first quarter of 2018.” And Twitch, a live feed service where people can watch others play video games, has five million active daily users.

By 2020, the industry’s anticipated more than $1 billion of worth will match or surpass the 2017 revenues cleared by the NCAA, as well as the social media influencers market.

A new world has arrived, right at your fingertips.

We’re ready to pick up the controller and play. Are you?

Shenandoah’s esports team competes through the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), with over 55+ team members playing seven esports titles against players at colleges and universities across the U.S., including Division I institutions. The team’s on-campus home is in the Esports Arena. Shenandoah has one of the first esports arenas on the East coast and the first collegiate, spectator esports arena in Virginia!

The competitive team and students in the degree program will work hand-in-hand, allowing both groups to have the best esport experience possible, which will help them in college and long after.

Esports Team Roster         SU Esports Twitch Stream

Esports Team at Shenandoah

Many college students grew up playing esports, and now, they can merge their love of esports with their degree. Shenandoah University offers a varsity esports program, and plays teams from around the country as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports.

I’ve been spending most of my weeknights and at least one day on the weekend on campus working with the Esports teams. I am the captain of the Overwatch team, and we have practices three nights a week, and I would usually be in there an extra night to help whenever I could and hang out with the other people on the teams. Much like the dorms, the Esports program has brought a lot of people together and know we’re a close knit community, and we like hanging out together. So even though I live off campus, I spend a lot of my free time helping and hanging out.

Morgan Keeler ’20 | Criminology & Criminal Justice Major, Esports  Minor, and Psychology Minor

Shenandoah has one of the first esports arenas on the East coast and the first collegiate, spectator esports arena in Virginia!

The 1,571-square-foot arena accommodates the growing esports demand in the region. It serves as both a practice facility for Shenandoah’s 45-member varsity team and as a public esports venue where spectators can watch weekly matches.

The arena is mobile, so the equipment will be able to be packed up and taken on the road for matches and events off campus. This allows our esports students the chance to plan events for regional gamers and develop their management and communications skills.

Explore the Arena

Shenandoah University works on rolling admissions and accepts applications throughout the year. Applications are reviewed individually and holistically.

Submit your application, review required admission materials, and find our admissions standards.

Application Information

Imagine participating in interesting conversations led by engaging professors who’ve already done what you dream of doing. You’ll be in a small class with professors who know your name, care about your success and provide advice as you pursue your academic and career goals.

Meet The Esports Faculty

Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program

The Global Experiential Learning (GEL) Program offers Shenandoah students a short-term, faculty-led, study-abroad experience for academic credit.  These short-term, credit-bearing, faculty-led programs are offered winter break, spring break, and during the summer. If a course is not within your major, it might be used as an elective.

The 11th Esports World Championship were held in Seoul, South Korea, and Shenandoah’s Esports students were there! Similar trips are anticipated in the future.