Ohio State launches "most comprehensive esports program"

The Ohio State University has announced that they are developing what they call "the most comprehensive esports program to date", bringing together academics, collegiate competition, and research in one course.

This will span various disciplines and colleges to focus on game studies and esports, with the curriculum described as "one of the first of its kind in higher education". There will be undergraduate and graduate degrees, but on top of that there'll be a course in esports content production, online certification programs, and a gaming speaker series.

"With Ohio State being a leader in engineering, academics, research and medicine, it seems a natural fit to pull all of these together to support the esports program," said Deborah M. Grzybowski, co-director of the game studies and esports curriculum development and associate professor of practice in The Ohio State University Department of Engineering Education.

Students can expect to study game art and production, programming, business, health, and esports management, and the university is looking for industry partners to help deliver the program. An arena is even being built on campus to help with this, which will be home to the university's teams.

"The arena will not only be a place for our teams to practice and compete, but it will also encourage open gaming, and virtual reality experiences," adds Brandon Smith, director of esports in the Office of Student Life. "It will include over 80 seats, with computer console and virtual reality systems, as well as a broadcast booth for students interested in shoutcasting."

These teams will compete with other Power 5 universities in the Electronic Gaming Federation's new league, and will add to the governance body of the league too. Researchers will also study brains, bodies, and behaviours of esports athletes, putting them through various tests so as to improve performance moving forward.

Does this course sound attractive to you?