High School

In high school, take as many computer science classes as possible—including programming, Web design, and database management. Sign up for science and mathematics courses to develop your analytical and critical-thinking skills. Design and art classes will help you to hone your artistic abilities, and English and speech classes will help you to become a strong communicator, a key skill for mobile software developers.

Postsecondary Education

A bachelor’s degree in software development, software design, computer science, or software engineering, plus at least one year of experience with programming languages, is required for most mobile software developers. A few colleges—such as Columbia College Chicago, University of Texas at Austin, and Rasmussen College—offer degrees in mobile application development. Many computer science departments offer classes in app design.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education webinars, on-site classes, workshops, and other educational opportunities are provided by professional associations and for-profit schools (such as Global Knowledge Training LLC and Udacity). For example, the Association for Computing Machinery offers online courses on topics such as software design and development, Web development, and business skills. The IEEE Computer Society provides online courses on management, leadership, project management, and other topics. The International Web Association offers a variety of classes including Mobile Web Design, Intro to Programming Concepts, Introduction to C#, and Introduction to JavaScript. Contact these organizations for more information.

Certification

The IEEE Computer Society provides more than 10 knowledge area certificates, including those in software requirements, software design, and software testing. Many colleges and universities offer certificates in software design and other IT-related areas. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs. 

Certification or Licensing

Mobile application developers who pass an examination and meet other requirements can earn the following certification credentials from Amazon Web Services:

• certified solutions architect-associate
• certified solutions architect-professional
• certified developer-associate
• certified sysops administrator-associate
• certified devops engineer-professional
• certified cloud practitioner

The IEEE Computer Society offers the designation, professional software developer, to individuals who pass an examination and meet educational and experience requirements.

Aspiring mobile software developers should participate in at least one internship during college. Additionally, they should obtain at least one year of programming or web development experience.

According to a Robert Half Technology guide, IT managers rated the following soft skills as especially important: communication (including the ability to speak effectively to both technical and nontechnical audiences), problem-solving, collaboration, team-oriented, and creative (which refers to design skills, but also to the ability to find innovative approaches to solve problems). Other important traits include a detail-oriented personality, organizational and time-management skills, patience, diligence, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to continue to learn throughout one’s career.  

Mobile software developers need knowledge of object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Python, and C++ that all developers possess, but they also must be skilled in newer object-oriented programming languages and have knowledge of specific mobile development environments like Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. They must be able to use artificial intelligence tools; be familiar with agile software development techniques; have knowledge of application program interfaces, the general mobile landscape, trends, and emerging technologies; and a solid understanding of the mobile development cycle.