The Information Technology department is sponsoring a contest to see which students create the best mobile app.

CSUN AppJam 2015 allows students to put their designing and coding skills to the test, as they compete to make the greatest app in the competition.

“The competition, spearheaded by Information Technology, began with the recognition that app development is a growing field that presents many entrepreneurial opportunities for students,” said Deone Zell, Senior Director of Academic Technology.

Participants can win up to $5000 in prize money, and those pursuing a related career could add this to their résumé.

There are two categories to participate in: Student life or student finances. According to the online application, the student life category includes apps that help student succeed in any aspect of CSUN life. The student finance category includes apps that help students manage money and banking.

Students can compete individually or in a group of at least three. Teams of graphic designers, designers, or business developers can work together, and their app will be judged based on innovation, relevance and user experience.

“My partners and I are aiming for an app that will fulfill characteristics in both categories of lifestyle and finance,” says third year accounting major Alec Tejuco.

Each team must also make a two minute video describing their app and how it works. The video and their app will be presented at the AppJam showcase on April 30 in the Oviatt Library’s Ferman Presentation Room.

The top three apps will be recognized at the following award ceremony, where winners can receive $1,500 for third place, $3,500 for second place, and $5,000 for first place.

The competition is open to all students, regardless of prior design, coding or programming experience. It allows up to six team members, and other options such as which platform your app is for.

The deadline for the application is April 1, and there will be a kickoff event that day at Sequoia Hall 104.

“AppJam would be a way to bring student together to work in an inter-disciplinary setting as teams to learn about app development, and compete for prize monies at the same time,” Zell says.

For more information, visit the IT department website.