Twitch teams up with University of Chichester for eSports degree

Live streaming service Twitch has announced a new academic partnership in the UK – teaming up with the University of Chichester for its new eSports degree.

The social video platform, which receives more than 26 million visitors worldwide each day, is collaborating with the West Sussex-based university to equip more students with the skills and experience to participate in the gaming industry.

The partnership will provide undergraduates on Chichester’s BA (Hons) in eSports, which is the first degree in the UK to examine the impact of gaming through scientific study, with tuition from Twitch professionals and opportunities to stream across the world.

Mark ‘Garvey’ Candella, Director of Student and Education Programs at Twitch, said: “We are proud to partner with the University of Chichester in bringing relevant and engaging education in emerging, new, and digital media through gaming and esports. We are very much looking forward to being of service to their faculty, educators, and student body.”

The eSports degree has become one of the University of Chichester’s fastest-growing courses since it launched in 2019.

Students on the three-year programme learn in an immersive gaming environment at the University’s £35million Tech Park and cover the physical and psychological impact of esports, including nutrition, coaching, and strategy.

The degree is overseen by senior lecturer Rams Singh, a European esports champion formally known as r2k who competed in the Quake, Trackmania and Battlefield games for the Dignitas team.

Rams said: “Ever since taking this job, a goal of mine has been to bridge the gap between the endemic industry and academia for esports. Slowly but surely it’s coming together and with the help of Twitch, that goal is closer to where I want this to go.”

The Twitch partnership will be embedded into the academic modules of the Chichester degree, teaching essential skills that empower students with the confidence to speak publicly, launch their own brands, and give them access to the gaming industry worldwide.

It follows a number of pioneering esports initiatives at the University, which includes a report that found professional gamers face the same level of pressure and stress as top-level athletes.

Michael Holley, head of Chichester’s department of Creative Digital Technologies, added that the University is delighted to establish the partnership with Twitch education.

“They are a world leader in broadcasting platforms across the gaming and esports sectors and have a real passion for enhancing digital skills in educational and community settings. This relationship will benefit University of Chichester students greatly in the coming years and complements our existing partnerships with DXRacer and HyperX.”

Applications for the BA (Hons) in Esports at the University of Chichester are open now and can be accessed at www.chi.ac.uk/esports. The University’s official Twitch page can be seen at www.twitch.tv/team/chi_esports.