Ohio State Expands Online Swift Coding and Development Courses to the Public

Ohio State University today announced that it is opening its Swift Coding and App Development program to the public, giving anyone the chance to learn and code for the App Store.

In a press release (via CNET), the university says that more than 3,000 students, faculty, and alumni have joined the program since it launched slightly more than one year ago, and that now anyone can join the courses online from anywhere in the world.

The university offers four separate self-paced courses that make use of Apple's open-source programing language Swift, Apple's coding curriculum, and Xcode to develop apps for Apple platforms. The two final courses yet have to be detailed, but the first course with two modules, called "Swift Coding and App Development," costs $350 for the estimated 180 hours of work, and has the following description:

From the basics of Swift and Xcode to the coding communities that surround you, this Level 1 course will provide you the foundational knowledge to start building and creating apps. Debugging, problem-solving, basic interface design and connections to external fields will also be covered.

Once completing what Ohio State has to offer, participants can go on to obtain Apple's App Development with Swift certification. Ohio State director of learning programs and Digital Flagship Cory Tressler says that app coding and development serves as a foundation for future learning and innovation in the digital world, emphasizing the ability for anyone regardless of background to learn to code.

"This coding and app development certificate program allows anyone, regardless of their background or prior knowledge with coding, the opportunity to learn a tangible, applicable digital skill that will not only provide them immediate skills to utilize and explore, but also a foundation for future learning, innovation and creativity in the digital world."

Ohio State is one of many universities and colleges offering lessons and courses based on Apple's programming language and platform. As developers serve as the bedrock for Apple's product experience, Apple often works closely on updating its curriculum to ensure the next generation of developers are learning and getting ready to develop apps. More details about Ohio State courses can be found on Ohio State's course catalog.