CS 377W “Create Engaging Web Applications Using Metrics and Learning on Facebook” 3-5 units Tues & Thurs: 2:15 - 5:05
Because technology changes and the money follows.
This is the problem of trying to teach specifics rather than general principles. Most engineering degrees in Aus. have a 1 year 'in-industry' year before graduation. Does CS needs something like this for grads to cut their teeth in technology specifics?
iPhone (and Facebook) app development is the type of stuff that any sufficiently intelligent programmer (surely most Stanford CS students?) should be able to pick up from books, tutorials, documentation, etc.
If you've got the opportunity to study CS at Stanford, I'd focus on the CS fundamentals, not the latest trendy technology. Though if you're looking for a fun break from the harder stuff, maybe it's worthwhile?
I'm a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics at another university. I'm taking a class in developing an iPhone application (though I'm not being taught anything, it's more of an experimental independent study), which will count as an upper-level elective. Sure, I'm also interested in the "real" level 400 classes as well, but I can't take those until next Fall! So in some cases, students who take such classes are actually going above and beyond their "level" in school, with instructor permission.
If I was at Stanford, I would definitely enroll in that class.
I noticed this was part of stanford's Professional Development course series, but I still am surprised they would offer such a short-term focused course.