With more than 200 billion Android apps and 30 billion iOS apps downloaded each year, the UNH College of Professional Studies' new Mobile Application Development course offers an opportunity for students of any discipline to be immersed in one of the hottest sectors of the Information Technology (IT) industry. Whether you’re ready to advance your IT career or you’re interested in learning something new, you will develop a diverse, marketable skillset for your future.
What are Mobile Applications?
In today’s tech-driven world, almost everyone has a smart phone in their pocket. People spend an average of five hours on their phones every day – about a third of the time they’re awake. And as they spend all that time on their phones, they’re using applications, including social media and messaging apps, scheduling and planning apps, entertainment apps, and much more. Apps are central tools with which people manage their lives. But in order to have and use apps, they must first be designed and developed by knowledgeable professionals.
What Will You Learn in a Mobile Application Development Course?
In our new online Mobile Application Development course, you’ll learn how to design smartphone applications in both Android and IOS platforms.
Your instructor will take you through the development process and teach you to build your own applications from the ground up. You’ll use JavaScript, a programming language, and React Native, an open-source user interface framework. You’ll also learn the importance of designing apps that have strong user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) layouts. UX and UI impact the usability and success of any mobile app.
While there is a pre-requisite for this course (CMPL 515), it can be waived if you have taken any entry-level IT course, including Foundations of Cybersecurity or Advanced Software Tools. In addition to being highly valuable for IT majors, the skills you’ll learn in this course are relevant to programs such as Professional Communication, Criminal Justice, Digital Communication Design, or Marketing. This course also makes an excellent elective that will help you develop a diverse skillset.
How Can I Benefit From Learning Mobile Application Development?
There are many benefits to learning how to develop mobile applications, but let’s look at a few:
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Strong Job Security and Earnings Potential
Mobile application development is a booming career option that offers a highly desirable salary range and excellent job security. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for mobile app developers is expected to grow by an impressive 22% in the next 5 to 8 years, with an average annual salary of $110,000.
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Essential Skillsets to Advance Your IT Career
If you’re pursuing a career in Information Technology but don’t necessarily intend to choose a path that specifically focuses on application development, a mobile app development course can still enhance your coding skills, providing you a more well-rounded professional portfolio. Employers are more eager to hire professionals with a diverse skillset.
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The Ability to Work in and Across Industries
Technology has become essential across every industry, and the demand for mobile application developers only continues to grow. Because the demand for smartphone apps is so widespread, mobile app developers have a unique amount of flexibility to work in the industry they want. Whether it be hospitality and tourism, food services, education, gaming and entertainment, health and wellness, environmental science, public service, or arts and culture – the list of possibilities is endless!
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Learn Valuable Skills for Other Career Paths
Even if you don’t intend to pursue a career specifically in technology or app development, the skills learned in this course can be useful in many other fields. Learning coding skills and understanding the essentials of user experience and user interface can be beneficial in other career paths, such Marketing and Digital Communication Design.