The Cox School of Business is partnering with the Simmons School of Education and Human Development sport management program to offer this pioneering program. “It is only appropriate that we launch this program in Dallas, the birthplace of esports,” said faculty co-director Simon Mak, executive director of SMU Cox’s Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship and professor of practice. “The industry has developed into a multi-faceted multi-billion-dollar global movement, requiring a new cadre of business people and strategies.”

The certificate program expands upon the existing partnership between the Cox and Simmons schools to deliver the MS degree in Sport Management. SMU is also home to The Guildhall, the premier graduate-level video game development education program in the United States.  Mak said the new certificate represents another step forward in SMU’s path to becoming the leading provider of video game development and esports education in the world.

The Esports Business Management Certificate consists of six courses, each lasting six class hours, and combines a mix of self-paced work with weekly live, online meetings with instructors. SMU PRO is currently accepting students for the program starting in Spring 2021 and prospective students can register here. Classes include Esports Ecosystem and Business Models, Fan Engagement and Sponsorship Activation, and Business Development and Revenue Strategies. The certificate can potentially be completed from anywhere in the world in as few as six months.

“The certificate program Esports Business Management provides an opportunity for individuals to be leaders in this nascent global industry. This program demonstrates SMU’s commitment to evolve with the dynamics of the sport industry and provide cutting-edge education,” said faculty co-director Sarah M. Brown, clinical assistant professor of sport management in the Simmons School.