Esports Administration Minor
Stay in the game while enhancing your major
Passionate about gaming and want to build skills that help "level up" your major? UNI’s esports administration minor gives you a focused way to do it.
Designed to complement a wide range of majors, the minor helps you understand how esports functions across competitive, recreational and educational settings. You’ll explore topics like communication strategy, event support, marketing, digital environments, coaching principles and the fast-growing world of organized competitive gaming.
You’ll tailor the minor to your interests by choosing one of two certificates to complete it: the esports coaching certificate or the esports administration certificate. Whatever your major, this minor helps you turn your passion for gaming into skills that translate into real career opportunities.
Available beginning fall 2026.
Interested in the Esports Administration Minor?
Contact us directly at:
Advising & Teacher Education Success
SEC 151
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0608
Phone: 319-273-2751
Email: coe-advising@uni.edu
We’re not preparing gamers, but we're connecting an understanding of gaming with best practices when planning or promoting or managing an event or, from a different perspective, coaching a youth esports team.
Courses and Careers
Courses
An interdisciplinary mix of required courses and electives provides a foundation to build key concepts and skills. Coursework for this minor:
- Playgrounds to Pixels: Meaningful Gaming (required)
- From Player to Leader: The Esports Experience (required)
- Level Up: Gamified Learning Environments
- Marketing in Recreation, Tourism and Nonprofit Leadership
- Foundations of Youth Work
- Special Events Management
- Ethics in Communication
- Organizational Communications
- Sports Journalism
- Sports Public Relations
- Digital Culture and Communication
For this minor, completion of one of two certificate options provides nine credits toward the 18 credits you'll need.
Careers
With the additional credential of the esports administration minor, you open the door to roles in your chosen profession which benefit from this additional skill set. Some of those positions could include:
- tournament event manager
- public relations and/or marketing associate
- social media manager
- middle or high school esports club coach (for future teachers)
- youth work program coordinator
- communication specialist
- team communicator
- sponsorship coordinator
Get hands-on with Panther eSports
Panther eSports, launched in 2016, is UNI's competitive and casual video game club. If interested in playing or supporting eSports, you'll find a supportive club featuring competitive rosters for UNI students and tournaments open to any and all. Students travel Iowa and neighboring states for competitions and host on-campus tournaments and community events as well. Take advantage of this on-campus opportunity to level up your game on one of about 15 teams (from Rocket League to Fortnite). Increase your exposure to the eSports industry and its career potential as a leader in your chosen profession.