Backend Developer Roadmap Curated by the Programming Community

What you'll learn

Computer Science And Programming concepts
Python Programming language
Django Web Framework
Version control using Git
Postgres database engine
How to build a blog application in Django

overview

Backend developers are in demand today because almost every website and mobile app requires a backend API to function. As a backend developer, it will be your responsibility to create database connections and schemas, write and maintain backend code, integrate your code with the front end, and so on (depending on your role and workplace).
This roadmap will guide you through some of the crucial technologies you need to learn in order to become a backend developer.
This roadmap focuses on Django, a popular Python framework used by Mozilla Firefox, Pinterest, NASA, and many more. Keep in mind that there are various other technology stacks you can choose from.

Intro to Computer Science with Python

To get started, the backend developers at Hackr recommend general computer science and mathematics courses. We found courses from several reliable sources, including MIT. Start with one of these to dive into the fundamentals of computer science.

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python - MIT (edx.org)

Introduction to Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science (coursera.pxf.io)

Python Language

Many of our backend developers started with Python. If you want to learn, we found several valuable resources to get started. We recommend books like Python the Hard Way for those who prefer learning via text. For an in-depth academic course with video demonstrations and assignments, check out our very own Python with Dr. Johns.

Learn Python the Hard Way (amazon)

Google's Python Class (developers.google.com)

Django Framework

Need to create a database-driven website? Our backend developers recommend learning Django. Here are a few of our community's favorite resources to help you get started.

Django Girls Tutorial (tutorial.djangogirls.org)

Python and Django Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp (udemy.com)

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Project

Build a Django Blog

PostgreSQL Database Engine

PostgreSQL is a popular choice among Django developers for persisting data. You will find everything you need in the official docs, including how to integrate it with Django, and there are additional resources if you want project-based assignments to help hold yourself accountable.

PostgreSQL Tutorial (official docs) (postgresql.org)

The Complete Python & PostgreSQL Developer Course (udemy.com)

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Git Version Control

Use Git, the version control system, to maintain your software. This is an industry standard and you'll need to understand the fundamentals. Here are a few resources we found to be especially helpful for beginners.

Git Guru Guide by Atlassian (atlassian.com)

The Definitive, Step-by-Step Guide to Git (udemy.com)

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How to follow this roadmap?

Read our blog post on Django and see if it interests you. Otherwise, you can choose to follow any other roadmap.
If you want to learn the basics of computer science, you should start with the MIT course. It uses Python, but you should be able to pick up any language after taking it.
If you want to get started as soon as possible, you can start with any of the Python tutorials. After finishing whichever Python tutorial(s) you end up choosing, you should start with the “Django Girls” tutorial.
Learning Git is optional, but we suggest you learn at least one version control system.
Postgres is an open-source database engine that you can integrate with your app. You can also look into Mysql or MariaDB.
We recommend you complete all listed projects whenever you feel comfortable, so you have some real-world experience building stuff.