GCU has rapidly become a leading destination for students who are passionate about esports. In fact, GCU routinely holds esports events for high school and community college students, as well for our own student population.
Our faculty is focused on educating the next generation of gaming pioneers by offering cutting-edge degree programs such as the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with an Emphasis in Game and Simulation Development and the Bachelor of Arts in Digital Design with an Emphasis in Animation. Another popular degree for gamers and aspiring game developers is the Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering. For those who would like to focus on gaming hardware development, the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering offers a rigorous curriculum.
In addition to our many degrees available to gamers and esports competitors, we have been breaking new ground with GCU’s Esports Arena. Newly renovated and significantly expanded, the Esports Arena is a community space where gamers can gather to play competitively, just have fun playing or watch others competing.
The GCU Esports Arena boasts more than 70 gaming PCs and a wide variety of Xboxes, PlayStations and Nintendo Switches. Currently, 14 competitive teams call the GCU Esports Arena home, competing across 14 different games. More are expected to be added in the near future.
As is the case across the entire GCU campus, all are welcome at the Esports Arena. The GCU Esports Arena coordinator, Albert Lee has worked hard to build a diverse and inclusive community on campus, with both male and female students enjoying the gaming experience. These students have a reputation for being accepting of newcomers and for their willingness to teach them how to play new games.
Lynch and Jones encourage anyone who wants to visit the Esports Arena to do so. “Go for it,” Jones said. “Walk into the Arena, grab a headset, sit down, and start gaming. No one should stop you. If they do, we’ll stop them.”
“As scary as it is to try and throw yourself out there, it’s worth it to try it once and talk to management,” said Lynch. “You’d be surprised how friendly most people are. People assume people are judgmental. As far as I can tell, everyone I’ve met [are] very accepting and willing to show you the ropes.”
GCU is proud to be the frontrunner in higher education for bringing esports into the mainstream, and we expect our club esports teams and Esports Arena to continue to grow in the years to come.
Students in the Esports Arena participate in a variety of degree programs, including STEM, the arts and psychology. Join our exciting student community by filling out the form on this page and find out more about earning a gaming-related degree, such as the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with an Emphasis in Game and Simulation Development.
1 GamesRadar, What is esports? A beginner’s guide to competitive gaming in January 2023.
2 ISPO, History of Esports: How it All Began in January 2023.
3 Hotspawn, A History of Esports in Higher Education in January 2023.
4 Statista, Distribution of video game users in the United States in 2021, by gender in July 2022.
5 Statista, Share of female esports fans worldwide in 2019, by country in July 2022.
6 BBC, Why are there so few professional women gamers? in July 2022.
7 F1 Chronicle, What is Formula 1? in February 2023.
8 Flow Racers, What Is F1 Esports and How Does It Work? in February 2023.
9 IntentaDigital, The Problem With Women in Esports in February 2023.
Approved by the director of esports operations on April 17, 2023.