E-sports is rapidly gaining popularity among young people and attracting significant interest from universities. However, there is still no consensus on what e-sports curricula should include, and a comprehensive framework for e-sports education has yet to be fully established. In this regard, the present study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate an undergraduate-level e-sports curriculum in Turkey, designed to be adaptable within an international framework. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods design. The curriculum development process was structured in four main stages: Needs Analysis, Program Design, Program Implementation, and Program Evaluation and Revision. During the needs analysis phase, two distinct participant groups were consulted. A total of 100 stakeholders participated in a needs analysis workshop, and based on the data obtained, surveys were administered to 386 stakeholders across Turkey. For implementation, pilot testing involved 32 undergraduate students (7 weeks, 4 hours per week), while the main implementation was carried out with another group of 32 undergraduate students (14 weeks, 2 hours per week). Data collection tools included interviews, surveys, observation forms, and performance tests. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were used to analyze the data. The results of the pilot and main implementations demonstrated that the program enhanced students’ awareness, knowledge, and skills in areas such as e-sports ecosystems, ethics, health and ergonomics, communication, and career planning. The study contributes to the establishment of educational standards for e-sports in Turkey. Given the international nature of e-sports, the curriculum developed in this study may also serve as a model for adoption in other countries. By maximizing the educational potential of e-sports, it offers significant contributions to the enhancement of educational quality both nationally and internationally.
E-sports, sports sciences, higher education, curriculum, curriculum development.