Discover how a coding bootcamp can help you transition into a career in back-end development, one of the most popular fields in technology. Learn what it takes to become a Web Developer, mobile application developer, or other back-end professional—all without needing a college degree.
Key Takeaways
- Coding bootcamps focus on teaching technical skills to aspiring scientists, engineers, developers, and data science professionals. They offer a fast-track to a career in web development or other STEM-focused fields.
- Back-end development bootcamps focus on the programming and architecture of digital products and services—everything that's hidden from users when they use websites or mobile applications.
- Bootcamps come in different formats, including skills-focused ones and career-building ones. The latter pairs technical skills with career advice.
- Necessary foundational skills for back-end development including understanding multiple programming languages, web development, and design, database design and management, and project completion/portfolio building.
- Noble Desktop offers several coding bootcamps for back-end development, including a Full Stack Web Development Certificate ($6,995,12 weeks full-time/9 months part-time), a Python Web Development with Django bootcamp ($2,995,60 hours), and a WordPress for Codersprogram ($425,6 hours).
- Salaries for back-end developers can vary significantly, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for web developers was $77,200 in May 2020.
Attending a coding bootcamp is a sure-fire way to build a career in science and technology without a college degree. Therefore, most coding bootcamps focus on teaching technical skills to an audience of aspiring scientists, engineers, developers, and data science professionals. Of these STEM-focused fields, the development of web pages and platforms is one common topic seen across training schools and bootcamp curricula.
Compared to data science and software engineering, web development incorporates practical and professional skills applicable to anyone interested in creating their platforms and applications. By taking coding bootcamps for back-end development, students can also build the necessary skills to become web developers without a degree.
Who Benefits from a Coding Bootcamp in Back-end Development
Suppose you are interested in learning web and software development or pursuing a career as a Back-End Developer. In that case, you will benefit from a coding bootcamp in back-end development. As the opposite of front-end development, back-end development includes creating everything that users do not see when engaging with a website, platform, or mobile application. Back-end development is a general term that applies to the programming and architecture of various digital products and services.
Consequently, most coding bootcamps that offer back-end development instruction focus on skills development and career building. While coding bootcamps for skills development teach students how to do something, coding boot camps for career-building pair skills building with teaching students how to find a job in the industry. These coding bootcamps are divided between different development courses and certificate programs for specific careers and projects for back-end development.
Unlike certificate programs, coding bootcamps that include training in back-l end development are highly skills-based. These coding bootcamps build students' knowledge and skills in web development, mobile application development, and building the back-end of a digital platform. For example, students who want to learn how to create a custom website or online portfolio can take web development bootcamps. In contrast, students who want to build an app can take mobile application development bootcamps. But what if you want to learn more about the steps of building the back-end of a platform? In that case, you can benefit from a certificate program in web development or full-stack development that combines foundational skills with career advice.
Foundational Skills for Back-end Development
For aspiring developers, web development certificate programs and other coding bootcamps prioritize teaching students the foundational skills needed to create their projects and products. Because back-end development is only one part of the development process, the skills listed below summarize the foundational skills required to pursue a career in back-end development. Specifically, students who benefit from learning the foundational skills for back-end development are interested in becoming web developers, back-end developers, full-stack developers, or mobile application developers.
Programming Languages
The foundation of back-end development includes learning multiple programming languages that correspond to different projects and careers. According to the 2021 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, developers' top-five programming languages are JavaScript, HTML and CSS, Python, SQL, and Java. Each of these programming languages corresponds to a specific aspect of web development. Some languages are used more for front-end development while others are more common amongst back-end developers.
In the same way that developers can specialize in specific types of development, they can also specialize in a particular programming language. For example, developers with a preference for Python can become Python developers. At the same time, training in JavaScript can lead to a career as a JavaScript Full-Stack Developer.
Web Development and Design
Of the various programming languages that developers can learn, many of the most common languages are used for web development and design. Specifically, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, and PHP are all scripting languages essential to creating and editing web pages and content. However, most of these languages are more common within front-end development, so while back-end developers should understand these languages, they are more foundational to full-stack development.
Database Design and Management
In contrast to scripting languages, the SQL programming language is a foundational skill for back-end development. Databases collect and store information from user engagement and customer purchases within web development. Therefore, the structured querying language is required for back-end developers to create and communicate with complex relational database management systems. For mobile application developers, it is also essential to understand NoSQL databases such as MongoDB, that collect less structured data from websites and applications.
Project Completion and Portfolio Building
Although many coding bootcamps focus on teaching technical skills, project completion and portfolio building are equally important when it comes to back-end development. Because back-end development focuses on what is not seen by the user, students need to practice and virtually present their skills. For example, building a website to display your resume and portfolio is a simple way to demonstrate your web development skills to a prospective employer. In addition, creating a web presence and functioning products such as a mobile application or platform, is another example of how you can apply your bootcamp skills outside of the classroom and within a product team. By engaging in this type of creative work, students can use the development of projects and a portfolio to build a career in back-end development.
Top Coding Bootcamps for Back-end Development
Noble Desktop offers several coding bootcamps for back-end development that cover many essential skills developers and coders should know. From certificates in full-stack development to coding bootcamps in web development, the following list includes options for beginners to back-end development and more advanced students.
Full Stack Web Development Certificate
The Full Stack Web Development Certificate program combines front and back-end web development training. Including a series of beginner coding bootcamps, this program introduces several programming languages and web development tools for aspiring full-stack, web, and mobile application developers. Therefore, this certificate program is a comprehensive offering for students interested in building a career in multiple forms of back-end development.
- Cost: $6,995
- Duration: 12 weeks (full-time); 9 months (part-time)
- Skills: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Git, GitHub, MongoDB, Web Development Tools
Python Web Development with Django
Python Web Development with Django is a coding bootcamp that focuses on mobile application and back-end development. In contrast to the Full Stack Development Certificate, this bootcamp is for students with experience in the Python programming language and the fundamentals of coding. Therefore, this coding bootcamp is essential for students who want to apply their automation and web development skills to build a portfolio of projects.
- Cost: $2,995
- Duration: 60 hours
- Skills: Python, SQL, Django, Automation and Web Development Tools
WordPress for Coders
The WordPress for Coders bootcamp is a shorter course intended for students with prior experience in web development and design. While WordPress is commonly viewed as a platform that allows users to create websites without prior coding knowledge, understanding how to code allows developers to use the platform to create more intricate and engaging web content. Therefore, students taking this course should already understand how to use WordPress and be familiar with using HTML and CSS to build and edit a website.
- Cost: $425
- Duration: 6 hours
- Skills: HTML, CSS, PHP, WordPress, Web Development and Design
Are You Looking for Web Development Bootcamps?
Students looking for a web development bootcamp can find any number of courses and certificate programs under Noble Desktop's coding bootcamps. Many of these bootcamps are offered as in-person coding bootcamps, which allow students to take classes at their local training school or university. At the same time, students who prefer remote learning can take these same classes through live online coding bootcamps.