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Valorant team members interact while competing at the Varsity Esports facility.
College of Applied Human Sciences School of Sport Sciences

Esports Business and Entertainment, BA

Turn your passion for gaming into a career. Our Esports Business and Entertainment program gives you a direct path into one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. You’ll start taking courses in the major on day one, gaining practical, skills-based experience across all 4 years.

From creating content and improving viewership to managing live-streamed events and running full-scale competitions, you’ll learn how the business of esports really works. Coursework and projects will cover marketing, communications, governance, event planning, and more, all designed to prepare you for real roles in the industry.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have the knowledge and experience to stand out.

Your Degree Plan

WVU Esports team poses with Red Bull Campus Clutch trophy.
In a fast-changing industry with growing career opportunities, the Esports Business and Entertainment program helps you build a well-rounded skill set and understand the role of esports in today’s world.
  • Esports majors gain hands-on experience through direct engagement with WVU’s varsity esports teams and campus-hosted tournaments. Courses are designed to integrate that real-world involvement, so you’re practicing industry skills as you learn them.
  • You can focus your studies through the lens of Esports Business Development, Esports Marketing, or Health and Peak Performance in Gaming. Each path lets you build expertise in the parts of the industry that interest you most.
  • By the end of the program, you’ll complete an internship that provides valuable industry experience. You’ll also graduate with a polished résumé and robust portfolio to help you stand out in the job market.
Tailor this major to your interests by focusing your coursework in 1 of these areas:

Esports Business Development

The area of emphasis in Esports Business Development will provide expertise to students in the Esports Business and Entertainment major to become successful entrepreneurs and business owners and/or operators.
View in Catalog

Esports Marketing

The area of emphasis in Esports Marketing will provide expertise to students in the Esports Business and Entertainment major to increase their ability to market their personal brand, events, reach different target markets and utilize different media platforms.
View in Catalog

Health and Peak Performance in Gaming

View in Catalog
Take advantage of special options related to this major:

Honors

Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.

The WVU Difference

What sets this program apart?

  • Delivers transferable skills so you can enter a career in esports or have the skill sets to enter other industries/disciplines.
  • Faculty have extensive industry knowledge and academic experience.
  • Best-in-class competition and coursework.
  • Provides a comprehensive esports experience (competition, curriculum, and community).

Learn by Doing

Get involved outside the classroom.

Network with professionals in your field as a student member of:
Global leaders in esports, business, and interactive entertainment companies offer opportunities in marketing, tournament operations, event management, policy creation and implementation, and business operations and development.
The Esports Business and Entertainment, BA will prepare you for your career with these skills:
  • Hard Skills: management, business administration, event and facility management, how to leverage digital media, marketing, and project management
  • Soft and Social Skills: how to build and maintain interpersonal relationships, effective communication, leadership, professional networking, managing success and coping with failure, and critical thinking

Careers and Outcomes

How does this degree prepare students for a career?

Entertainment and Recreation Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and parks.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $77,180

Possible Job Titles:

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Project Management Specialists

Analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing, and budget of a product or service on a per project basis. Lead and guide the work of technical staff. May serve as a point of contact for the client or customer.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $100,750

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Sales Representatives of Services

Sell services to individuals or businesses. May describe options or resolve client problems.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $66,260

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General and Operations Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $102,920

Possible Job Titles: General Manager (GM), Operations Director, Operations Manager, Store Manager

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Education Administrators, Postsecondary

Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.

May Require Graduate Degree

Median Salary: $103,960

Possible Job Titles: Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP), Academic Dean, Dean, Registrar

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Social and Community Service Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization’s budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements, and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors, or probation officers.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $78,240

Possible Job Titles: Child Welfare Services Director, Social Services Director, Transitional Care Director, Vocational Rehabilitation Administrator

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Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

Represent and promote artists, performers, and athletes in dealings with current or prospective employers. May handle contract negotiation and other business matters for clients.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $96,310

Possible Job Titles: Agent, Booking Agent, Talent Agent, Theatrical Agent

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Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $59,440

Possible Job Titles: Conference Planning Manager, Conference Services Manager, Convention Services Manager (CSM), Events Manager

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Media Programming Directors

Direct and coordinate activities of personnel engaged in preparation of radio or television station program schedules and programs, such as sports or news.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $83,480

Possible Job Titles: News Director, Program Director (PD), Program Manager, Programming Director

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Coaches and Scouts

Instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports for the primary purpose of competition. Demonstrate techniques and methods of participation. May evaluate athletes’ strengths and weaknesses as possible recruits or to improve the athletes’ technique to prepare them for competition. Those required to hold teaching certifications should be reported in the appropriate teaching category.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $45,920

Possible Job Titles: Basketball Coach, Coach, Football Coach, Track and Field Coach

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Customer Service Representatives

Interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.

Has a Bright Outlook

Median Salary: $42,830

Possible Job Titles: Account Representative, Customer Service Representative (CSR), Customer Service Specialist, Member Services Representative (Member Services Rep)

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Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.

Median Salary: $74,260

Possible Job Titles: Administrative Assistant, Administrative Secretary, Executive Assistant, Executive Secretary

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Real Skills for Your Career

Core courses address esports as an industry, its history, ethical, and legal issues, and career exploration and orientation. They also cover the business of esports, its marketing and governance, and event marketing specific to esports events, as well as a senior capstone and internship.

Courses outside the core broadly cover entrepreneurship and business planning, personnel and brand management, media promotion and marketing, and primary business skills (accounting, economics, finance, and marketing).

The program focuses on learning that prepares you for esports specific business, management and marketing occupations, as well as how to plan entertainment events and manage those kinds of venues.

FAQs

Common questions and answers about Esports Business and Entertainment.

Esports is organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually, or as teams.

Esports is part of a fast-growing, financially powerful industry. Global esports revenue is expected to top $2.3 billion in the next few years. It also sits within the broader gaming industry, which brings in more annual revenue than the music and film industries combined. As the field grows, so does the need for professionals with a strong foundation in both esports and business.

Students gain hands-on experience from internships, class projects, working with the WVU competitive esports teams, and setting up and hosting tournaments. Esports is expected to keep growing in revenue, players, and global reach. This program is built to prepare you for that future, with the skills and knowledge to take on real roles in a rapidly evolving industry.

Graduates are prepared for careers in esports management, business operations, event coordination, and digital media. The skills gained in this program also translate to roles in sports, entertainment, marketing, and other major industries.

Esports is growing fast, and that growth is creating new career pathways across the industry. As more schools and colleges invest in esports programs, opportunities are expanding in education, event management, content creation, and digital operations.

At the K–12 and collegiate levels, esports is driving student engagement and opening the door for careers in coaching, program coordination, and technology support. There are now hundreds of job openings in collegiate esports, and many K–12 schools are exploring new roles to support their teams and events. As the field evolves, even more career options are expected to emerge.

Places and Spaces

See where you’ll study, research, and create.

WVU Esports Arena

Under Construction

The WVU Esports facility at University Place is where our varsity Madden, Rocket League, Valorant, and Call of Duty teams compete in leagues and tournaments throughout the year.

Virtual Tour

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Student Life

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Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Esports Business and Entertainment major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.

Tuition and Aid

How much does Esports Business and Entertainment at WVU cost? And how can you save?

Tuition and Fees

Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.

Scholarships

Estimate your eligibility for merit scholarships at WVU Morgantown.

Ways to Save

Beyond scholarships, here are other ways to reduce your cost of attending WVU.

Financial Aid

The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Esports Business and Entertainment, BA is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

How to Complete the FAFSA

Start at Another WVU Campus

You can start your career with WVU at another campus and transfer to WVU Morgantown.

Explore WVU System

Transfer Articulation Agreements

To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.

Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.

Learn How to Transfer Course Credits

Request Info

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