The 'App Development via Participation in a Hackathon' course runs from May 11-July 6, and all students are encouraged to enroll.
HPU is offering students a unique opportunity this summer to develop real, working applications (apps) on a global stage and earn academic credit while doing it.
App Development via Participation in a Hackathon is a new online, asynchronous course running during the Summer 2026 8A semester (May 11-July 6) where students design, build, and compete with music app prototypes alongside developers and creators from around the world. Along the way, they will move through the full arc of a real development cycle, from ideation and user-centered design to rapid prototyping, version control, and a final showcase to gaining practical skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and presenting technical work to an audience.
The novel course is built around the “Audiotool × HPU Music + AI Hackathon Series 2026,” an international competition powered by Audiotool's NEXUS platform: an open-source multiplayer music protocol that connects apps, artificial intelligence, and creators in real time. Audiotool itself is a free, cloud-based digital audio workstation that runs entirely in a web browser with no software download required and has become a go-to platform for musicians and developers worldwide.
The University partnership carries a meaningful personal thread. Audiotool was co-founded by HPU alumna Mirta Gilson, who studied communications at HPU before going on to build the platform from Berlin, and whose connection to the University helped bring this collaboration to life.
The HPU course was developed by HPU Associate Professor Mary Smith, Ed.D., whose capstone teams have already been building on the NEXUS platform this year with impressive results.
“This course is not just for computer science students. Musicians, designers, communicators, and students from across HPU are encouraged to join,” said Smith. “The hackathon is intentionally interdisciplinary, and the strongest teams tend to reflect it. This is exactly the kind of hands-on, real-world experience that sets students apart. Working alongside developers and creators from around the world, on a platform with genuine industry reach, gives our students something they can point to long after the semester ends."
HPU serves as a partner for the series, alongside NYU, Berklee, Queen Mary University of London, and Munich Music Labs.
All students who want to earn academic credit can enroll in CSCI 4997, which counts as an upper-level computer science elective or can be applied toward any major that allows unrestricted electives. Students who do not need the credit are still welcome to participate by registering directly through the hackathon website.
To enroll, reach out to Smith directly at: mlsmith@hpu.edu.
Remember: the summer session begins May 11. There is still time to get in and create something amazing!
