Did You Know: You Could Study iPhone App Development at Your School

In case you are planning to hop aboard the iTunes App Store, first you’d better check if you’re eligible to join Apple’s free iPhone Developer University Program. Designed specifically for higher education, the program is aimed at institutions looking to introduce iPhone-app development into their curriculum, according to the Cupertino-based Mac maker.

However, not everyone can enter. The free iPhone Developer University Program is available only to qualified, degree-granting, higher education institutions, and, even if you do meet these requirements, Apple still reserves the right to determine further eligibility.

“The iPhone Developer University Program allows instructors and professors to create a development team with up to 200 students,” the company explains on its website. “With the suite of sophisticated and elegant tools included in the iPhone SDK, and a wide range of resources in the iPhone Dev Center, students participating in the class will have everything they need to create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” the iPad maker stresses.

According to Apple, those who join its iPhone Developer University Program will be able to “test and debug their applications using Xcode’s graphical debugger, or collect real-time performance data in Instruments’ timeline view.” Addressing both students and professors, Apple continues, “To see their work in action and ensure proper functionality, students can install their applications directly on iPhone and iPod touch.”

After developing an application, a student will be allowed to show it off either through email, or by posting it to a private website, accessible only to those enrolled in the program, including their teachers, who can grade them accordingly.

Apple cannot stress enough that this program is limited to higher education institutions looking to introduce iPhone-app development into their portfolio. This means no Pre-release versions of the iPhone SDK, no code-level technical support, and no distribution of iPhone applications outside tight education circles. However, the program is completely free.

In addition to the University program, Apple has the Standard Program for developers primarily creating free and paid iPhone applications for distribution in the App Store, which costs $99 USD/year, and the Enterprise Program, which targets companies and organizations set to create proprietary iPhone applications for internal distribution. For this particular program, Apple lists additional requirements, such as a minimum of 500 employees (including students), and Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS). The annual fee is also bigger – USD299/year.