Breaking into the mobile development industry - Online Courses, Schools, and Other External Resour

Hello I appreciate the time you are taking to read my thread!
I have a background in real estate development and no programming experience. I already have a bachelors in Business (emphasis Finance). I am currently getting my MBA in an evening program at one of the top 20 schools in the world. I don't want to go back into real estate and want to get into the tech industry.
What I really want is to become a mobile applications developer (ios/andriod).
I can financially support my existence with a part-time job and the MBA really isn't that hard because I have an undergrad degree in business. These activities will take about 35 hours of my time a week, 45 hours during finals week.
So, I want to go back and get a degree so I can break into this field. So I am looking for recommendations.
Looking at the local state college it looks like the program is really outdated and I won't learn much practical knowledge. Having already done a bunch of college I don't really want to spend my time getting a degree to have another degree. I want to be at least relatively work force ready at graduation.
So it looks like my only option is to do an online degree.
I have identified a few options.
Full Sail, this was the only program I could find where you can specifically study Mobile development. I like that its completely project based because I will learn practical experience. Having a completed app by graduation will certainly help find a job I would think. It is however expensive and I have seen some complaints about the school online. However these complaints seemed to be mostly from people pursing a recording arts degree. IMO its crazy to pursue a degree where thousands of people graduate for only a few new openings a year. Could probably graduate in about 2 years.
Western Governors University. Has lots of good reviews online and is quite inexpensive ($6000 a year). Also you get 18 tech certifications as you go through the program. I am worried it will be less practical and it will certainly take more time. Also, its in "software" in general. So I would need to spend additional time after graduation getting more certifications and building an app to get hired most likely.
Baker College, I haven't heard much about it. It's also pretty inexpensive. Looks like it could take a while.
I have also seen Mobile development certifications from Champlain College and University of Washington Online
I would love to hear of what tech professionals think about these degrees/programs. Also, if you have heard of any other options please let me know!

Sorry I'm not a tech pro but I did enroll into Full Sail Mobile App program. I am starting on the 30th of this month. I did 3 months of extensive research including some of the schools you mentioned, and from what I have found is that Full Sail offers the best Mobile Program you can find. The applications they teach you to use is future proof. What I mean by that for example is once you learn Adobe CSS 5.5, it will be easy to transition into CSS 6, or 6.5 when it does come out. The only down side I see to it is that you are going to pay for it. The program is expensive $57,000 total for a B.A.S. From what I see is its worth it, if your serious about pursuing this career field, Full Sail is the way to go if you can afford it. Its either this or learn old soon to be outdated tools at other schools only to end up trying to catch up even after you graduate.

breaking in to the mobile dev industry
I have a similar interest in getting started in the mobile app development industry. i agree with the initial poster that going to a brick and mortar school to learn will soon be outdated once you graduate. It's hard for them to keep up with the changing nature of the industry.
I have zero experience in programming and mobile app development. As I learn about the field, I have more questions.
I haven't looked into the different programs available, but I would imagine there are some free resources to learn some basics without having to go through a degree. What does a degree even mean? I feel that being able to create something tangible is more valuable than a piece of paper. I'm sure there is a benefit to the degree as it gives you the necessary background information. W3schools offers free online training in a plethora of disciplines...html, css xml...and so on. I just need to find out which ones I need to focus on, and how to put it all together.
60K for a degree is a lot. Hope you are able to find a job afterward to pay off the loan, or if you're lucky to recoup the investment of the tuition.

Related

[Q] Full Sail Mobile Development

http://online.fullsail.edu/
http://online.fullsail.edu/degrees/mobile-development-bachelors - direct link
Online Full Sail Mobile Development Bachelors
WOW!
I might be happy doing this for myself, what are the pays, anyone know yet? I don't mean greediness, but I'm also loving it.
Interesting. I teach at fullsail and was unware of such a program. If anyone is interested in it let me know and If there are any questions about the program that you can't have answered let me know, and I will see if I can find anything.
--Shadd
Edit: Yea that came off as a sales pitch and thats not the case. If I can be of any help I would be more then happy to, but I will also give you my personal opinion
shadd01 said:
Interesting. I teach at fullsail and was unware of such a program. If anyone is interested in it let me know and If there are any questions about the program that you can't have answered let me know, and I will see if I can find anything.
--Shadd
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Very nice. I will probably take the online courses for Mobile Development next year.
As an alumni of EBBS I'm quite happy to see Full Sail to offer more courses focused for this market!
My buddy went to Full Sail for Show Production and Touring. i went down several times to visit him. the Full Sail staff is awesome. everybody was just cool and easy to get along with. good to see they're branching out into mobile development!
For any of those who end up deciding to enroll, here is something that might end up being useful...
[APP] Full Sail Online Mobile
@alekosy
did you enroll & grad? how is it?
i was thinking about going here for Audio Production/engineering..but thats too far from my home state
i think i'm going to enroll for the online mobile development...i spoke to an admins rep and shes helping me get going with fafsa and all that stuff...i've heard mixed reviews about the course..saying it's out of date and its too specific, but i've done research..i have an associates in graphic design and i think this bachelors will make a world of a difference
I am currently a student of the online Mobile Development program living in California trying to complete it. I can tell you it is pretty hard if you are working full time.
I am currently in my second year and I am struggling. I really enjoy being a Full Sail student, but you have to be prepared to have a TON of information thrown at you super fast. That is probably the biggest challenge. Imagine never once having worked with a language such as Javascript, and have it thrown at you in a single month while working full time and having a family. Its difficult.
Each course is only a month long, and the amount of stuff you have to absorb is overwhelming. But again, this is what we sign up for. I struggle a lot and I am under constant pressure, but there is a sense of accomplishment when you actually see your projects come to fruition.

[Q] Full Sail Mobile Development Online

Hey everyone,
I'm very interested in enrolling in Full Sail's Mobile Development degree program, which is completely online. The cost alone is enough to make me cringe a bit (around $65,000) and I am curious if anyone has any *helpful* insight on the program to help me decide if this is the right direction to go.
Thanks!
I think you're better off hitting up a community college, learn basic programming for cheap, and download the free tools for mobile development (most platforms offer free SDK's) and practice on your own. Seriously, you could go to a prestigious school like UCLA (I will be, starting next year) for HALF that.
jasongw said:
Seriously, you could go to a prestigious school like UCLA (I will be, starting next year) for HALF that.
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Good luck with that. Though as I said before, I'm aware that it is expensive.
Any past or present students that actually attended Full Sail care to share their opinions or experiences?
I too am interested and currently looking at this school for this program. And that is high as hell! Does anyone know of any online programs or schools near Pittsburgh, Pa thats credible but in a more affordable range?
any grads here from Full Sail's Mobile Development degree program? how is you developing skills & have you landed a good job?
I know 2 graduates from Full Sail - different areas of interest, one for audio engineering and one for graphic design. Neither of them work in the profession they went to school for. Full Sail is notorious for over-burdening their students with costs.
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Thanks ✟
Moving to Q&A
Full Sail is a for profit university. You really, really want to stay away from these. They're far more costly than a non-profit, and tend to not have the best reputation. I also doubt you'd get any more out of it than just going through a regular IT program that allows you to to put some focus in mobile development & java. Do some research on not for profit online degrees if you want to stay online.
^ thanks for your inputs guys!
can you recommend any online school/ org about "Mobile Development Course" ?

Wondering how best to peruse a career in MOS

Hi i am interested in becoming a developer. I have been researching schools that have bachelor degrees in mobile operating systems. The most clear cut program i have found is through full sail university.. However they font have the best credentials. I had wondering what some of the developers and mods might think of full sail and any recommendations they might have for other programs
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I827 using xda app-developers app
Others can correct me if they disagree, but I think that the reason that you're not finding much in the way of "mobile operating systems" degree programs is that there just aren't that many schools that have a program that narrowly focused, especially in an area so (relatively) newly booming. I'm interested in a career in mobile developemtn and I'm nearing the end of a Computer Science bachelors program, and I feel like I've been very well served by it -- I think you're much more likely to find long-term success if you look more towards a general Computer Science degree at a reputable college or university rather than some flashy super-specific program at a for-profit school like Full Sail University. I'm not inclined to say that their program would hold up.
lyric234 said:
Hi i am interested in becoming a developer. I have been researching schools that have bachelor degrees in mobile operating systems. The most clear cut program i have found is through full sail university.. However they font have the best credentials. I had wondering what some of the developers and mods might think of full sail and any recommendations they might have for other programs
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I827 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
What you want is a BS in computer science because you need to learn the languages, not how to do one specific thing. The main idea behind it all is learning how to think like a programmer. I've seen mobile app dev classes at my university, but they normally require pre req computer science classes and they aren't part of a degree program.
- In reality though many programmers never go to school. Everything you need to know is on the internet. It will be a long road but well worth it, the hardest part is getting started, and sticking with it. I'd suggest starting here:
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/want-to-learn-how-to-program-for-android-start-here/
I agree with the other two posters. Dont pursue a degree in mobile developing. Who knows, maybe within 5 years the next big thing might be here and render all this mobile stuff useless. However, all this programming and how to think like a programmer stuff will still be around, not to say that things you learn from mobile development wont be relevant though. When you fully decide to go this route, stick with it and be dedicated. You will spend many, many, many nights trying to do the simplest things. You will need plenty of time to study and code. If you have kids, it'll be even tougher but still doable if you are dedicated, you'll just simply sleep a lot less. There will also be many night when some strange errors will seem unsolvable and that's when it'll push you to your limits. At that point, it makes or breaks a lot of people and I have reason to believe it breaks a lot of folks. Anyway, its a long road ahead. It took me a very long time to create my fist app and it was the simplest app ever. If I had to build that app again, I could probably do it in less than a hour and it'll probably be better than the first one, haha. Also, most developers know that its something like 90% of the code is already written for you, its the 10% of what you code that make it unique and yours. Good luck.

Pre-med Biology Major thinking of double majoring in computer science.

As the title says I'm a Pre-med Biology Major thinking of double majoring in computer science (purely because of my new profound love for android and the way it intuitively becomes a big tool of my life.) As a junior moving into higher level physics and bio classes. Could I manage coding classes as well. I'm a pretty good student, 3.1 GPA. Is it even necessary to get university lecture on the material, or can it be self taught? I've always had a knack for computers and was upgrading hardware on a brand new Windows ME system when I was like 8-9. Yeah it exists, Google it lol.
Bottom line, where do I start? I think if Organic Chemistry II doesn't do me in, I might have a fighting chance.
Suggestions? Languages to learn?
Thanks,
Edit: I'm really proficient with the adobe suite. Any perks with that?
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not sure what its like in the states, but in Australia pretty much all university computer science courses teach you Java first, then use that as a basis for more advanced subjects. Which is handy as Android apps in particular are built using the Java framework.
If you want to get into Android then take Java. I know you can build apps with C++ as well but Java is a lot more common.
I think any graphics tool skills will be useful if you are creating your own apps. If you are an android programmer for a development house then you would have a graphics team doing that work for you.
I say learn Java to start out, its the main language for just about every android app/game. And I too have a love for science (chemistry, biology)
And computers.
Nothing should stop you from learning, and nothing should stop you from thinking freely. Do what you love!
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Get your first degree and then move on to the second if you wish. If you jump around too much, some unexpected life event may come and you will be stuck with a whole bunch of credits and not much to show for it.
Unlike most other fields, computer science and IT is actually mostly self taught. This is the one field that traditional university isn't a necessity and thats why there's so many certifications and phenomenal self study resources. So if you're interested, start reading up.
That being said, I would be careful with your choice with a Biology degree. Dont get me wrong, its a totally different story if you live and breathe medicine and are 100% committed on pursuing medical school. However, if you dont go the MD route, a Biology degree in the real world won't get you very far. I've know plenty of people with Pre-Med degrees who are back in school a second time cuz they can barely find a job.
Just a few things to think about....

Question Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro with CalyxOS?

Hello, I am currently a privacy novice trying to learn about different avenues of where I can get help to better protect myself. I see apple devices and I like the fact that they have a closed ecosystem per device, but I don’t like the fact that they are all interconnected with each other; it freaks me out that someone else with an Apple device could very easily connect to mine. That’s why CalyxOS stood out to me, because what it looks like from the outside-in is a decentralized form of android device, without all of the Google strings attached. I’d honestly rather use it than Graphene, because the people over on the graphene forums are kinda toxic to be honest. I have no knowledge of how to install operating systems, however, and I’m afraid that I could easily screw it up. Does Calyx sell any Pixel 6/Pixel 6 Pro models that I could buy to get started?
Welcome. I'm probably a terrible example but oh well. I had time to kill and been stuck on this topic myself since the early 90s.
If you're serious about privacy to the point that you are worried about other devices as you mentioned, I highly suggest (seriously, not trying to be a ****) you take some online courses on the fundamentals of telecommunications, and do some "light" reading on topics likeLinux Kernel, enterprise networking, Signals Intelligence, and Section 215 metadata collection. thats a decent starting point to the state of things. Though it's just a shinny coin on a string to distract while the real work continues. It must always continue. It will never stop.
I'm sorry to tell you.
It's too late. In any practical sense short of finding somewhere to go love in a cave until you starve or die from a infection a 99¢ tube of cream could have prevented.
You can have a privacy focused phone. It can keep certain things safe. Stop some people from doing things. Delay an outcome. You're gonna need to learn about installing an OS though. It gets pretty complex rather quickly.
Nothing is safe. Every lock can be picked or bypassed. There is no such thing as a door only you can use. The last place anything is truly a secret is in your head. When you are the only person in the entire world with the right permissions.
There was a window when we could have made meaningful and lasting choices in how protocols, standards, regulations, and laws were adopted. Back when it was all just a few hundred trunk lines, IXPs and NOC with good intentions, and tragically short sight. Lots of people screaming at the top of their lungs about the potential outcomes. Tinfoil hats were worn. Turns out we were right.
When you wrap your brain around what the "internet" really is...it's similar to getting a small sliver of understanding; grasping ever so lightly; the brain breaking inconceivable scale of the infinite universe and how infinitesimally small we are. The remnants of a dead stars clumped together pondering its own own existence. Connecting wires together and making things beyond our capabilities. The amount of data being exchanged right now ain't ****. It's bonkers, but it won't be next year, or next or the next.
The rate at which machine learning and the race to general AI is going, watch for the casualties along the way. one example is encryption as we know it. Gone. It'll be rendered trivial by 2040 MAYBE. Honestly that's a really high estimate. Likely before.
Post quantum encryption is just about as experimentally verifiable as string theory. Won't be long though before we get a chance to see if itll hold up. The Xbox is older than the time we have left. The Patriot Act as well.
Practice basic OPsec. Best Practices. Trust few, tell fewer. Read. Read some more. Then read the book. Every question you could ever think of likely has a 12 year old thread at a slackexchange site and no shortage of users ready to remind you how tired they are of duplicates. The community at grapheneOS is similar. On that though. Best to just go to the source. He tries to explain things without just speaking in jargon. Daniel Micay himself on the matter of android security.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/bddq5u
and
https://www.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/du23la
There is no shortage of people currently who disagree with him even though they have little to no grasp on the complexity of what it is he actually intended. Ran into one of them myself, on this site, just the other day. Sure, It's hardneded, but what that means from user to user is drastically different.
It's more than some. It'll fit some use cases. But it's just a speck in a cloud. If you attract the attention of a human being with skills and motivation...good luck my dude. Godspeed.
The real thought experiment and one of my favorites to fall asleep to on nights I actually sleep is "what are they going to do with all the encrypted data they hoovered up and have been storing for the last 30-40 years? Once AI turns the encryption algorithms that humanity runs on into a half finished cheap dollar store sudoku." How long does any one reckon that'll be the case before us plebs hear about it. We got a good track record, as a collective species in doing the right thing, right? No way they will actually use what is functionally a rewind button on...well everything. Nah, it'll be fine.
Oh look, Lapsus$ group woke up, posted a new dump... Wonder how much Globant spend on securing their stuff. Probably more than me.
--just a jaded old man

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