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Key details

Course area
Computing, IT and Esports
Student types
16 - 18 coursesCourses for 19+ students
Course type
Full-time Further Education course
Course level
Level 3
Start date
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Location
City Hub 111 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7HB
Course code
Parent course code:C049455 Child course code: Q049456
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Course introduction

This course is aimed at you if you want to progress to employment in the esports industry, possibly via an apprenticeship, or who may aspire to enter higher education.

The qualification is endorsed by the British Esports Association as being suitable for people that want to work in this industry. This means that it will be recognised by employers and will support entry into the industry in a range of roles.

This qualification will offer you the opportunity to progress to a broad range of higher education programmes, including bachelor’s degrees.

It is equivalent in size to three A Levels and is designed to be taken on its own as a two-year, full-time study programme.

This is a career-focused qualification with industry endorsement that will enable you to learn underpinning knowledge, develop technical and transferable skills, and gain experience in a variety of different sections of the esports industry.

You will study five mandatory units:

  • Unit 1: Introduction to Esports
  • Unit 2: Esports Skills, Strategies and Analysis
  • Unit 3: Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in the Esports Industry
  • Unit 4: Health, Wellbeing and Fitness for Esports Players
  • Unit 5: Esports Events

The mandatory content will allow you to develop your technical skills across the different unit areas, supported by underpinning knowledge, and provides the opportunity for you to relate these to the esports industry.

You will also study an extra 10 units up to a total of 600 guided learning hours. These units are intended to give breadth of choice for you to gain depth in a range of units across the esports areas of employment, such as sport, media, IT and business enterprise, in addition to those learned in the mandatory units.

Examples of this units you may study include:

  • Live-streamed Broadcasting
  • Producing an Esports Brand
  • Business Applications of Esports in Social Media
  • Shoutcasting
  • Esports Coaching
  • Psychology for Esports Performance
  • Nutrition for Esports Performance
  • Ethical and Current Issues in Esports
  • Corporate Social Responsibility in Sport
  • Sports and Esports Law and Legislation
  • Launching Your Esports Enterprise
  • Customer Immersion Experiences
  • Computer Networking
  • Video Production
  • Games Design

You can expect:

Esports-specific topics:

You'll delve into the world of esports, learning about its history, culture, different games and genres, competitive formats, and even the skills needed to play at a high level. This might include units on esports strategies, analysis, shoutcasting, and event management.

Broader industry skills:

The course will also equip you with transferable skills relevant to the wider game and media industry, like marketing, entrepreneurship, live-streamed broadcasting, video production, and even health and well-being for esports players.

Practical experience:

Many BTEC courses emphasize practical learning through projects, assignments, and even work placements within the esports industry. This helps you apply your knowledge and gain real-world experience.

Career preparation:

By learning esports-specific skills and broader industry knowledge, you'll be prepared for various career paths within the growing esports industry, such as event management, broadcasting, marketing, content creation, and even professional gaming.

Transferable skills:

Even if you don't end up working directly in esports, the transferable skills you gain, like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and digital literacy, are valuable in any career.

Passion-driven learning:

If you're passionate about esports, this course can be a fun and engaging way to learn and deepen your knowledge while developing valuable skills.

A group of people standing around a banner stating 'Nottingham College - you're in good hands'.

You will be encouraged to participate in a 30-hour work placement while you are studying.

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Course information

2 years

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Esports

You’ll need 4 GCSEs at Grade 9-4, including English Language and Maths Functional Skills Level 2 can be used as equivalent to GCSE Grade 4.

These BTEC Nationals are assessed using internal assessments, which are set and marked by teachers and externally verified by Pearson.

The primary focus of the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Esports is on progressing to employment across a range of roles within esports.

Jobs that are available in these areas include:

  • esports player
  • team coach
  • event’s organiser
  • shoutcaster and presenter
  • social media influencer
  • video production editor
  • photographer
  • data analyst

The qualification attracts UCAS Tariff points and is recognised by higher education providers as contributing to entry requirements for many related courses. When taken in a two-year, full-time study programme, you can progress to higher education degree programmes, such as a BA (Hons) in Events Management, a BA (Hons) in Media or a BA (Hons) in Esports, as well as accessing other higher education programmes. You should check entry requirements for specific degree programmes with providers.

Students aged 16-18 don't have to pay tuition fees.

If you are aged 19 or over you may still be eligible for funding. Check out our Financial Help pages to find out more!

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss National, please visit our EU Settled Status scheme page for more information.

Careers related to this course

Events Managers and Organisers

Potential Earnings

£52,406.08

Average Earnings

£25,064.09

Source: Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

Pathways

Marketing and Sales

People in these occupations conduct market research, create advertising content, sell goods, services, or property, and provide customer support.

Accommodation, Travel and Food Services

People in these occupations provide lodging, travel, and tourism support services and prepare and serve food and beverages.

Art, Performance and Design

People in these occupations create art and fine craftwork, produce and perform plays and motion pictures, and design graphics and other products.

Media, Publishing and Information Services

People in these occupations produce, publish, and release media and provide library, archive, curation, and information services.

Skills

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
View more about this career

Economic data for careers is provided by Lightcast and also available through our Career Coach app. Job postings, employment and earnings information is represented at the regional level for the East Midlands.

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