The EMLyon business school in France offers courses and training in esports. Students on their Global BBA, to their Master in Management and specialized Master’s programs, including an MSc in Sports Industry Management, will be able to obtain credits towards their degrees.
EMLyon students can earn ECTS credits by playing games such as League of Legends, Fortnite and FIFA. EMLyon is the first business school in Europe to integrate esports into its postgraduate management degree curriculum. When the esports elective started last year, 30 students took up the offer. From September, 100 people are expected to attend.
Esports undergraduate courses have started to appear on the curriculum of about a dozen universities in the US, Asia and Europe, aimed at equipping students with specialist skills for a fast-growing subset of the media industry.
The teaching of esports is also being developed to help students interested in other careers to hone their leadership, organisation and communication skills.
The benefits of gaming are similar to those of traditional varsity sports in that they provide a break from academic study, and teach teamwork and management skills. But esports also provide skills relevant to the new era of working digitally.
