Since third grade, Stephanie Gomez-Sanchez has had a passion for video games. The political climate, particularly Donald Trump’s remarks about Mexican immigrants, opened her eyes to a career opportunity within this field.

Upon her graduation this fall, the 23-year-old intends to enter the video game industry, aiming to influence the immigration discussion in the U.S. by crafting game characters that reflect her Mexican-American heritage.

“Gaming can unite us all,” she shared.

Gomez-Sanchez is studying at the University of Delaware, one of numerous institutions establishing new programs geared toward launching students into the lucrative worlds of online gaming and esports. The university recently celebrated its first graduating class in this area, totaling around two dozen students.

This major is part of a growing trend toward unconventional academic fields, including specialties such as artificial intelligence, as colleges respond to economic shifts and a declining student population.

This movement highlights how schools are reacting to rising concerns about the financial value of degrees. With college expenses reaching new heights and leaving many students drowning in debt, the urgency has increased for institutions to demonstrate their programs effectively prepare students for jobs.

Debates about the extent to which higher education should focus on job training have persisted for centuries, according to Donald Hossler, former vice chancellor of student enrollment services at Indiana University Bloomington.

“While I believe strongly in the liberal arts, universities need to be financially viable,” he noted. “If student interests are changing, universities must adapt their faculty hires accordingly. They can’t just continue as they have.”

The rise of video game degrees

Phillip Penix-Tadsen, who leads the game studies and esports program at the University of Delaware, shares a love for gaming with his students. His path to becoming a college professor was somewhat unconventional; he holds a doctorate in Spanish and has taught language courses.

His career path shifted when he began exploring the cultural effects of online gaming, a topic that he and several professors discussed in informal meetings. In 2016, he published a book titled “Cultural Code: Video Games and Latin America.” By 2019, university officials were more receptive to launching a dedicated bachelor’s degree in this area.

“It was as if there had been a cultural shift,” he remarked. “Everyone at the university was aware of esports, which had become a trending topic.”

Over the past ten years, organized esports events have become increasingly popular on college campuses, serving as a valuable recruitment tool for institutions and attracting financial contributions from benefactors. As the market for esports has expanded, so too have college programs focused on this sector. For example, at Rider University, a small private institution in New Jersey, the video game design major has become one of the most sought-after programs, with about 100 students enrolled and three full-time faculty members last year.

<p“The industry is booming right now,” noted Wil Lindsay, head of the program at Rider. “While the market can fluctuate, many of the skills we teach are applicable in various sectors.”

Contrasting academic journeys

Similar to the Delaware professor who established the game studies program, Lisa Di Bartolomeo also comes from a conventional academic background. Previously, she spent many years at a public university, teaching foreign languages and culture.

However, after facing layoffs during a difficult “academic transformation” at West Virginia University, which resulted in hundreds of job cuts, she transitioned out of higher education entirely. She now works with an environmental group focused on protecting rivers in her state.

In response to significant budget deficits, West Virginia University’s administration pledged to streamline its academic offerings to better align with student interests, job prospects, and market dynamics. They communicated in an open letter to residents of West Virginia that the new approach would enhance the university’s relevance and success moving forward.

Some traditional programs faced elimination, including certain foreign language courses, art history, and biometric systems engineering. Shortly after announcing these changes, the university introduced a new esports major—an emotionally charged topic for some of the displaced faculty, according to Bartolomeo.

“Whenever esports comes up, many of us have a visceral reaction,” she expressed.

April Kaull, a representative from WVU, stated that the newly introduced esports major is designed to equip students for careers in a rapidly growing industry worth billions. She mentioned that the overhaul of the foreign language department was based on data analysis, and pointed out that the university continues to provide classes in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Arabic.

The scenario in West Virginia highlights the personal impact of certain contentious approaches universities are adopting to lure more students by offering degrees viewed by some as having greater economic potential.

As the situation evolves, decision-making will become increasingly complex and frequent. A dip in birth rates across the U.S. is expected to sharply lower the number of high school graduates over the next ten years, a trend referred to ominously by college officials as the “enrollment cliff.” This decrease in student numbers will result in reduced tuition income and heightened competition for the smaller pool of young individuals who find a college degree financially worthwhile.

“There are very real hype traps with these technology cycles.”

Shalin Jyotishi, managing director at New America

To ensure their degrees remain appealing, educational institutions must evolve in response to the changing demands of the job market, according to Shalin Jyotishi, a researcher examining future employment trends at the think tank New America. However, adjustments come with inherent risks.

“There are very real hype traps with these technology cycles,” he remarked. “Colleges might rush to adapt too quickly to trends, only for these trends to shift unexpectedly.”

Bartolomeo, a former professor at West Virginia University, expressed caution in asserting that one degree holds greater value than another. She emphasized that colleges should be comprehensive educational environments where students have access to a variety of academic disciplines, and that administrators should recognize this amidst their concerns about future outcomes.

“One of the roles of higher education is to offer a diverse range of opportunities to our students,” she added.