Google and Udacity launch an Android Basics course for novice coders

Online education company Udacity has partnered with Google to introduce a new course covering the basics of Android programming.

The aptly titled Android Basics Nanodegree is aimed at those with little or no programming experience and provides entry points into Java, web APIs, using a SQLite database, and more. But beyond that, it will also cover how to develop an idea for an app into something more substantial, along the lines of an actual app. The Android Basics Nanodegree will cost $199 per month and features courses built by “Google experts” who also offer mentorship and coaching.

Founded in 2011, Udacity is one of a number of companies offering massive open online courses (MOOCs) — courses open to an unlimited number of people on the web. It’s big business, too, which is why Udacity alone has managed to raise more than $160 million in VC funding to date, including a chunky $105 million round it closed seven months back.

Udacity is no stranger to partnering with tech companies. It has offered courses in conjunction with Google for a number of years already, covering the likes of Android fundamentals, cloud fundamentals, UX fundamentals, and web performance. The duo also teamed up to offer a tech entrepreneur nanodegree last year, which was swiftly followed by a new deep learning course. Elsewhere, the likes of GitHub and Flipkart have also turned to the online learning platform to offer courses.

By way of encouraging early sign-ups for the new Android Basics Nanodegree, Google is also promising to give the first 50 graduates scholarships to enroll in the more advanced Android Developer Nanodegree program.