This is what the Android Nanodegree entails

One of the ‘lesser’ announcements Google made at last week’s I/O 2015 keynote was the new Android Nanodegree, which aimed to offer a crash course in Android development and offer an insight into the lifecycle of Android app development. Today, the Redmond-based company has revealed exactly what the Nanodegree entails and if you’re interested in becoming a marketable Android developer, you’ll definitely want to read on.

Partnered with online education specialist Udacity, the Android Nanodegree program lasts for between six and twelve months at a cost of $200 per month. The course covers everything from the fundamentals of Android and app development to advanced development skills and also focuses on Google Play Services and Material Design.

Today’s update on the Android Developers blog reveals the finer details and one specific point; the Nanodegree contains the same courses that are individually available for free but subscribing to the Nanodegree “gives you access to coaches who will review your code, provide guidance on your project, answer questions about the class, and help keep you on track when you need it“.

The other element to the Nanodegree is that it’s based on the skills and projects in your portfolio and – unlike a traditional degree program – you can skip the courses that address the skills you already possess. As Google’s own post says:

You can focus on writing the code and building the projects that meet the requirements for the Nanodegree credential.

So what does the Android Nanodegree actually entail? Google has also outlined the individual courses that make up the degree:

• Android App Development for Beginners: How to Make an Android App, with Katherine Kuan
• Developing Android Apps: Android Fundamentals, with Reto Meier, Katherine Kuan, Dan Galpin and Alex Lucas
• Advanced Android app development: Productionize and Publish Your Apps, with Dan Galpin, Ian Lake and Johanna Smith
• Google Play services: Use Google APIs to Improve Your Apps (Maps, Location, and more!), with Jocelyn Becker, Magnus Hyttsten and Laurence Moroney
• Android Ubiquitous Computing: Extend Apps to Wearables, TV and Auto, with Timothy Jordan, Wayne Piekarski and Joshua Gordon
• Android Performance: Optimizing Apps for Speed and Usability, with Colt McAnlis
• Android Design for Developers: Make Your Apps Material, with Nick Butcher and Roman Nurik
• Gradle for Android and Java: Build Better Apps Though Automation with Gradle

Is the Nanodegree a good move by Google? It certainly is, for a couple of reasons: first, it offers developers the chance to gain a credential that can set them apart from other developers and secondly, it allows Google to train developers to create apps that meet its own standards. Given that the courses themselves are available individually for free, it remains to be seen how many people are willing to spent $200 per month to get access to help when they need it.

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What do you think of the Nanodegree? Would you pay $200 per month for Google’s help to build your app and gain a credential that will allow you to market yourself better? Let us know your views in the comments below!