BACKEND DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING POWERFUL SERVER-SIDE APPLICATIONS

Backend Development is the engine behind web and mobile applications—managing data, business logic, user authentication, and communication with frontends. This course offers a practical, project-based introduction to backend development using modern tools and best practices.

Students will learn to build scalable, secure, and efficient server-side applications using a popular backend stack (Node.js, Python/Django, Java/Spring Boot, etc.). Topics include working with APIs, databases, authentication, RESTful design, and deployment.

Whether you're aspiring to be a full-stack developer or backend specialist, this course lays the essential foundation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

Understand the role of the Backend in Full-Stack Applications

Build RESTful APIs and server-side applications

Connect to and manage relational (SQL) and/or NoSQL (MongoDB) databases

Implement authentication and authorization systems

Handle routing, middleware, and server configuration

Use environment variables and configuration management securely

Write clean, modular, testable Backend code

Deploy backend applications to the cloud (Heroku, Render, AWS, etc.)

COURSE MODULES

Module 1: Introduction to Backend Development

What is backend development?

Overview of HTTP, client-server model, and APIs

Setting up the development environment

Module 2: Language & Framework Basics

(Choose one stack: Node.js/Express, Python/Django, Java/Spring Boot, etc.)

Example for Node.js:

JavaScript (ES6+) for backend

Intro to Express.js

Creating a basic web server

Module 3: RESTful API Development

CRUD operations

Routing and controllers

Handling request/response lifecycle

API versioning

Module 4: Working with Databases

Introduction to databases: SQL vs. NoSQL

Setting up and connecting to PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB

ORMs and query builders (e.g., Sequelize, Prisma, Mongoose)

Designing schemas and relationships

Module 5: Middleware, Validation & Error Handling

Creating and using middleware

Input validation and sanitization

Centralized error handling

Logging and monitoring basics

Module 6: Authentication & Security

User authentication with JWT, OAuth, or sessions

Role-based access control

Password hashing (bcrypt)

Security best practices (CORS, rate limiting, HTTPS, helmet)

Module 7: Testing and Debugging

Unit and integration testing with tools like Jest, Mocha, or Pytest

Debugging techniques

Mocking and test environments

Module 8: Deployment and DevOps Basics

Environment variables and config management

Building for production

Deployment to cloud platforms (Render, Heroku, AWS, etc.)

Monitoring and logging in production

CAPSTONE PROJECT

Students will build and deploy a full-featured backend service that includes:

A REST API with CRUD operations

Database integration

User authentication

Proper error handling and validation

API documentation (Swagger/Postman)

Deployment and live demo

TARGET AUDIENCE

Aspiring backend or full-stack developers

Frontend developers transitioning to backend

Students and professionals seeking web development careers

Data engineers looking to understand web services

COURSE FORMAT

Duration: 8 to 12 weeks

Format: Video lessons, live coding sessions, projects, and assessments

Delivery: Online or in-person

Tools: Postman, Git, GitHub, Visual Studio Code, Docker (optional)

OUTCOMES

Upon completion, learners will:

Be able to develop, test, and deploy scalable backend services

Understand modern backend architecture and security

Be ready for junior backend developer or full-stack developer roles

Have a deployable backend project in their portfolio

Technologies & Tools Covered

(Varies slightly by chosen stack)

Category         Tools/Tech

Language JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, or Java

Framework Express.js, Django, Spring Boot, etc.

Database PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB

API Tools Postman, Swagger

Auth         JWT, OAuth, Passport.js, Django Auth

Deployment Heroku, Vercel, Render, Docker, AWS

Version Control Git, GitHub