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.
What 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.
Today's CS-360 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for CS-360. Yours is built from your syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
- Review: Android Studio and project structureReview · 25 min
Work back through the CS-360 material on android studio and project structure. In the app, Fennie builds this from your own notes and syllabus.
- Practice: Activities, intents, and the app lifecyclePractice · 20 min
Targeted problems on activities, intents, and the app lifecycle, the kind CS-360 actually tests.
- Quick quiz: UI layouts in XMLQuiz · 10 min
Five generated questions to expose weak spots on ui layouts in xml before the exam does.
- Preview: SQLite databases on AndroidPreview · 10 min
A first pass over sqlite databases on android so the next session starts from familiar ground.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
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.
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