Ferris State University Offering New Professional Esports Production Degree
Ferris State University recently announced the addition of a new Bachelor of Science Professional Esports Productions degree for new and returning students. The degree program will involve the teaching of digital media skills like video and audio production, user interface design, livestreaming and more.
“The Professional Esports Productions is an exciting, cross-disciplinary degree program, which we plan to deliver fully online. The esports market is emerging as a fast-growing industry with careers in the many related professions,” said FSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Bobby Fleischman. “This degree program fits nicely with the construction of the Center for Virtual Learning and provides Ferris with a competitive advantage over our Michigan counterparts, as well as an opportunity to offer this degree online to an expanded cohort of students regionally, nationally and beyond.”
The program will be offered fully online, in order to provide anyone looking to make a career in esports the opportunity to do so. With the hope that the program will draw in students, starting from across the state to enroll at the university.
“The potential to attract students from throughout the state of Michigan becomes even more attractive to students not only in Michigan, but around the country and potentially around the world,” Fleischman said.
Over 600 students are already involved in student organizations related to competitive gaming and esports at FSU. One of the university’s goals for the program is to provide esports athletes with another career option after they’ve retired from competing.
“While our esports registered student organizations focus on the athlete, what this program does is it looks at the business of esports and the event production, the video production, audio production, interface designing, user experience designing, production, live streaming, and all the jobs that have arisen in professional esports,” Fleischman said.
The bachelor program will begin enrolling students in the Fall 2022 semester.
By Carter Barnes