By Slash Lane

Published: 09:00 AM EST

Apple has recently released details of a new program designed for higher education institutions looking to introduce curriculum for developing iPhone or iPod touch applications.

Dubbed iPhone Developer University, the new program allows instructors and professors to create a development team with up to 200 students free of charge. It offers all of the same tools granted to paid iPhone developers, including the iPhone SDK, but also provides iPhones and iPod touches for evaluation purposes.

"With the suite of sophisticated and elegant tools included in the iPhone SDK, and a wide-range of resources in the iPhone Dev Center, students participating in the class will have everything they need to create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod touch," Apple says.

It appears the company will treat university development teams like small companies, allowing members to discuss the iPhone SDK and inner workings of iPhone development with one another.

Students within the same development team will also be able share their applications with each other through email, or by posting them to a private website for presentation and grading purposes. In addition, higher education institutions can submit applications developed by students for distribution on the App Store.

The program is presently available only to to accredited, higher education institutions in the United States.