Academic Esports, Bachelor’s Programme

For national applicants, the application process runs through The Norwegian Universities and Colleges Admission Service (“Samordna opptak”), and the entrance requirement is Higher Education Entrance Qualification (“generell studiekompetanse”).

For international applicants, entrance requirements are Higher Education Entrance Qualification for international applicants and certified language requirements in English.

The general basis for admission to universities and university colleges in Norway is called Higher Education Entrance Qualification. You may find what is considered university entrance qualifications from your country in the “GSU” list. This list states the basic requirements for admission to higher education in Norway. Please download the latest version of the 'GSU' list from https://hkdir.no/en/foreign-education/lists-and-databases/higher-education-entrance-qualification-gsuthis website.

Studenter som har fullført og bestått halvårsstudiet Akademisk e-sport 1 kan søke direkte til UiA om innpassingsopptak til 2. studieår. Se UiAs nettsider for informasjon om frister og hvordan man søker innpassingsopptak.

The bachelor’s programme in Academic E-sports aims to understand, develop and utilize competences connected through the use of organized gaming, also known as E-sports. An overall objective is to understand the differences between gaming, competitive E-sports and academic E-sports, and be able to broaden the area in which E-sports might be valuable.

The study program focuses on academical, physiological, sociological, and psychological aspects of academic E-sports. Topics such as programming, multimedia content and development, digital security as well as innovation and economics are also included. When finishing the bachelor’s program, the student will have a broad knowledge of the E-sports industry and have chosen to specialize in one of four directions within E-sports based on interest. The specialization will be determined in the preliminary project and in the bachelor thesis. The specializations are as follows:

• E-sports athlete or manager
• The E-sports industry (media, coach, designer, etc.)
• Technology and innovation
• Education and Health

On successful completion of the program, the candidate should be able to:

Knowledge

• Understand terms, activities and methods used in E-sports and other sports
• Understand E-sports in society as a whole and in education in particular
• Recognize research and development in the field
• Understand how the body moves and basic physiology
• Identify technology for monitoring training, nutrition and practice, and understand basic principles for documentation
• Identify injuries related to E-sports and how to prevent them
• Recognize basic physical, mental and social benefits from physical activities, and be able to discuss physical and mental training
• Understand the term ethics, and identify ethical conflicts related to the use of games or in sports
• Discuss psychological issues concerning games and sports
• Understand basic statistics related to E-sports in particular and sports in general
• Recognize and acknowledge digital rules and general digital security
• Understand different types of games and tournaments related to them
• Understand both hardware and software related to E-sports and be able to utilize it both individually and commercially
• Understand the importance of technology in general and in particular related to sports
• Use the knowledge and skills required through the study program to update his/her knowledge in the field

Skills

• Create, plan, produce and distribute multimedia content such as graphics, sound and video, and build their own brand
• Create work-out plans and programs using different digital tools
• Use information and advice based on relevant research on nutrition and recovery related to performance
• Work individually and in groups on different platforms and in different game related situations
• Play and train/instruct others in the most frequently used games in E-sports
• Organize and participate in tournaments
• Secure and protect hardware and information in a safe and legal fashion
• Use E-sports as a didactic tool through student active approaches to learning.

General competence

• Promote collaboration
• Identify digital security issues and implement basic security measures for online activities
• Have knowledge of digital privacy regulations and explain them to others
• Plan, execute and evaluate projects based on ethical demands and guidelines
• Express academic issues and challenges both orally and in writing
• Understand innovation processes in the field of academic E-sports
• Promote the use of problem-based learning for solving tasks related to E-sports
• Organize, develop and create a project based on given criteria

Academic E-sports is a relatively new field in higher education, which also indicates that the methods used when teaching are new. Over the last few years, it has become more established in secondary education in the USA and called scholastic e-sports (https://www.nasef.org/).

The main focus is on variation and balance between theory and practice. Through the use of a practice course every semester, it is possible to experiment and enable the students to try out new things. The practice course will implement tasks given from all other courses in a semester an provide an arena in which the students can experience the use of the skills they acquire. How these tasks are solved will be determined in close collaboration teachers and students. The study program implements elements of problem-based learning, flipped classroom and other student active approaches to learning. The use of technology and digital applications will be prominent. This includes the use of training apps, media platforms, multimedia tools and different gaming platforms. Lectures, seminars and discussions are also parts of the program. In a rapidly changing environment, it is of the utter importance that the students play an active role in both teaching processes and evaluations.

The study program in academic E-sports is an international bachelor’s program taught in English. The bachelor’s program recruits both Norwegian students and international students from all over the world. Formal cooperation with universities from other parts of the world in both research and exchange programs are being established. International projects will provide a greater understanding of E-sports as a research field as well as create valuable international experiences.

In the 5th semester in the bachelor’s program it is possible to go abroad for student exhchange. The students will receive more information about international partner universities and the possibilities for student exchange when starting the programme.

Job opportunities for candidates from the bachelor’s program in academic E-sports are diverse.

Several businesses ask for E-sports or gaming background when hiring, and more are coming.

The candidates will be qualified to work with communication, marketing, audio and video, business development, sales, programming, design, coaching of various kinds as well as content providers to the gaming industry. There will also be an increasing demand for expertise related to the use of SoMe (social media) and the production and implementation of digital content on various platforms.

E-sports is also a school subject, and Norwegian legislation demands a basic competence for teaching in different programs. This program can provide the necessary competence for teachers already qualified for teaching in general.

Candidates can apply for a master’s program in multimedia and educational technology at UiA. A course in 3D visualization of at least 7,5 ECTS is required for admission.