SNHU CS-360: Mobile Architecture and Programming
CS-360 is SNHU's Android development course: you build a working mobile app in Android Studio across the term — typically an inventory, event-tracking, or weight-tracking app — with a login screen, an SQLite database, and SMS notification permissions. It assumes solid Java and benefits heavily from a CS-319 design to implement.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Southern New Hampshire University. This is an unofficial study guide.
Build my CS-360 study planWhat makes it hard
Android Studio itself is the first obstacle — the emulator is slow, builds fail cryptically, and lifecycle concepts like activities and intents have no equivalent in earlier courses. The app builds milestone by milestone, so an architecture shortcut taken in week 3 tends to surface as a painful refactor in week 6.
What you'll cover
- • Android Studio and project structure
- • Activities, intents, and the app lifecycle
- • UI layouts in XML
- • SQLite databases on Android
- • Permissions and SMS notifications
- • Testing on emulators and devices
The CS-360 study guide
How to study for SNHU CS-360, step by step.
- 1
Get Android Studio and the emulator working immediately
Install, create a project, and run it on the emulator before week 1 ends. Android tooling problems are the single biggest time sink in CS-360, and they're cheapest to fix early.
- 2
Learn the lifecycle before you fight it
Activities, intents, and what happens on screen rotation are the concepts behind most mysterious Android bugs. An hour on the lifecycle diagram saves many hours of confused debugging.
- 3
Build the database layer early and test it alone
Get SQLite reads and writes working from a simple screen before wiring up the full UI. Trusting the data layer makes every later bug easier to localize.
- 4
Keep a working copy of every milestone
Save the version that runs before adding the next feature. When a new permission request or layout change breaks the build, you want a known-good app to diff against.
- 5
Spread app work across the week
Emulator-driven debugging is slow, and a Sunday-night build failure has nowhere to go. Three shorter sessions a week consistently beat one weekend marathon in this course.
- 6
Let Fennie manage the milestone clock
Upload the CS-360 milestone schedule and Fennie's Daily Plans turn each one into day-by-day build sessions paced to your deadlines, with quizzes on lifecycle and Android concepts generated from your actual course materials. Starting is free.
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How Fennie helps with CS-360
Upload the CS-360 milestone schedule and Fennie's Daily Plans spread each week's app work across several sessions, because emulator debugging punishes Sunday-night starts. Chat through Android concepts that have no earlier-course equivalent — the activity lifecycle, intents, permissions — and quiz yourself on them before the milestone weeks.
FAQ
Is SNHU CS-360 hard?
It's time-consuming more than conceptually brutal. Android Studio tooling and the app lifecycle are the learning curve; students comfortable with Java who start milestones early report it's very manageable.
What app do you build in CS-360?
One app developed across the term — commonly an inventory-management, event-tracking, or weight-tracking app — with a login screen, an SQLite database, and SMS notification handling, built milestone by milestone in Android Studio.
Do I need a physical Android phone for CS-360?
No — the Android Studio emulator covers the coursework. A real device can make testing faster if you have one, but it's a convenience, not a requirement.
Pass CS-360 with a plan, not a cram
Upload your CS-360 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.
Get started freeMore SNHU courses
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