University of Nevada, Las Vegas will offer a course on esports

At college, you can learn about math, history, science … and esports.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas announced today that it is offering its students a new course this fall on esports, the growing gaming field centered around competitive gaming players and spectators, as a part of its International Gaming Institute. Research firm SuperData expects the esports market to reach $1.23 billion by 2019. What’s interesting here is that Las Vegas is also known for a different kind of gaming — gambling — and this course will also tie into the casino market.

“In the Esports Lab, students will explore multiple facets of esports and produce presentations and business plans relevant to the casino industry,” UNLV notes on its site. “They will learn about the games and genres, synthesize information, and explore opportunities in big data related to gamer and fan behaviors in order to develop strategies for effectively targeting Millennials. They will work to solve problems that exist in the field, such as how to effectively design competitive events and improve Esports experience models. They will also be expected to apply new and relevant technologies within the specialty as well as develop intellectual property and other innovations related to the overall gaming experience.”

It’s not about making competitive games. The course is about using esports as a way to market to the millennial demographic. It also promises to include guess speakers, including game developers, executives, and tournament organizers.