BMCC First College in CUNY System to Offer Apple’s Everyone Can Code Curriculum

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) students in the college’s Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development will have the opportunity starting in May to learn Swift, Apple’s easy-to-learn programming language that gives anyone the ability to create world-class apps..

BMCC is the first college in the CUNY system to offer the App Development with Swift curriculum, a full-year course designed by Apple engineers and educators to teach coding and app design to students of all levels and backgrounds. More than 50 BMCC students this year will gain the opportunity to become proficient in the powerful Swift programming language and build the fundamental skills they need to pursue careers in the booming app economy, which has created more than 1.6 million jobs in the U.S. and generated $5 billion in revenue for American app developers in 2017. Popular apps including Airbnb, KAYAK, TripAdvisor, Venmo and Yelp are all created with Swift.

“The courses are designed to accommodate students with little or no entry-level coding knowledge,” says Steve Nunez, Senior Program Coordinator in the Department of IT Programs, BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development. “It is also aligned with national curriculum standards for computer science, so it strengthens the STEM skills of students who want to continue their education in computer science.”

“This program will take students from basic proficiency to advanced applications using Swift and Xcode. It will tap into their creativity, as they turn business ideas and strategies into viable apps. It will also enhance their collaboration and problem-solving skills, and students who successfully complete the course will be prepared to enter and compete in New York City’s rapidly changing gig economy,” said Sunil Gupta, Dean of the BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development.

“This BMCC initiative is in alignment with the College’s mission and strategic goal to prepare students for 21^st-century careers and contribute to workforce development in NYC,” said Antonio Pérez, President of BMCC. “We’re also expanding the STEM pipeline, and leveling the playing field for underrepresented students.”