Java backend course · from zero
Applications openJava Backend Career Track
Start with programming fundamentals and finish with a working backend built on Java, SQL and Spring Boot. Every assignment is submitted as a Pull Request, reviewed and defended.
- Duration
- 24 weeks
- about 6 months
- Format
- Online
- Language
- Azerbaijani / English
- separate cohorts; material in both languages
- Cohort
- Small cohort
- Taught by the founder
Coming soonStart date and schedule for the founding cohort will be announced shortly. Applicants hear first.
Who it's for
You don't need to code to start.
- 01
Complete beginners
You've never written code, but you think logically and can practise consistently.
- 02
Students and recent graduates
You've studied the theory, but you haven't built a real backend project yet.
- 03
Course graduates who lack confidence
You know the syntax, but building a project on your own — and explaining it in an interview — is still hard.
- 04
Career switchers
You're coming from another field and making a serious, deliberate move into software.
Who it's not for
- Anyone looking for a certificate in a few weeks.
- Anyone who can't make time to practise every week.
- Anyone looking for a job guarantee — we do not guarantee employment.
Outcome
What you'll be able to do
- Write readable, tested Java code
- Design a data model in PostgreSQL and write SQL queries
- Design and build REST APIs with Spring Boot
- Work in a team with Git and Pull Requests
- Give and receive code review, and improve code from feedback
- Explain and justify your technical decisions
- Run and present a project with Docker
No education program can guarantee a job offer. Outcomes depend on your effort, your practice and the job market.
From code to system
From a one-line program to a running backend system.
What you build grows with you. Each step builds on the last and ends in a backend project that has been reviewed, tested and is actually running.
Hello World
System.out.println("Hello");
How programs work: variables, conditions, loops.
System.out.println("Hello");
Java application
class Order { … }
A well-structured console app with OOP, collections and exceptions.
class Order { … }
REST API
GET /api/orders
Endpoints, validation and error handling with Spring Boot.
GET /api/orders
PostgreSQL
SELECT * FROM orders
A data model, SQL and persistence with JPA.
SELECT * FROM orders
Authentication
POST /auth/login
User login and security fundamentals.
POST /auth/login
Tests
@Test void placesOrder()
Protecting behaviour with automated tests.
@Test void placesOrder()
Docker
docker compose up
Running the app and its database the same way everywhere.
docker compose up
Running backend
GET /health → UP
A tested, reviewed and running capstone project.
GET /health → UP
Curriculum
Eight stages. Each one ends with practical work and review.
- 01
Programming foundations
Logic and problem solving · How programs work · The command line
- 02
Java Core & OOP
Java Core · OOP · Collections · Generics · Exceptions
- 03
Tooling & workflow
IDE and build tools · Git · GitHub · Pull Requests
- 04
Databases
SQL · PostgreSQL · Data modelling
- 05
Spring & REST APIs
Spring Boot · REST APIs · JPA / Hibernate · Validation
- 06
Quality & security
Testing · Clean Code · Code Review · Authentication basics
- 07
Delivery
Docker · Configuration · Deployment basics
- 08
Capstone & career
Backend project · Project defence · Interview preparation
The week-by-week plan has its own page. It is the planned syllabus for the founding cohort; order and depth may be adjusted to the group's level.
See the full syllabusReady? Applying takes about 5 minutes and creates no payment obligation.
Code Review
How your code gets reviewed
In real teams, code isn't accepted just because it runs. It's read, discussed and improved. In this program that's part of every assignment.
- 01
Submit a Pull Request
You submit assignments as Pull Requests on GitHub, the way teams do.
- 02
Specific feedback
Explained comments on naming, structure, tests, error handling and design.
- 03
Iterate
You rework the code based on feedback — the part where most of the learning happens.
- 04
Defend
You explain why you did it this way. We discuss alternatives and trade-offs.
Add endpoint to create orders#14
feature/create-order → main
student · a1f3c2e · Add create-order endpoint
OrderController.java
@PostMapping("/orders")OrderDto create(@RequestBody OrderRequest req) {Added:if (req.quantity() <= 0) {Added:throw new BadRequestException("quantity");Added:}Added:Order order = repository.save(new Order(req));return OrderDto.from(order);}MentorChanges requested
This is a business rule — it shouldn't live in the controller. Move it into OrderService and add a test, so the rule holds however an order gets created.
student · 9c27e1b · Move the rule into OrderService
Removed:if (req.quantity() <= 0) { … }Removed:Order order = repository.save(new Order(req));Added:Order order = orderService.place(req);- Tests passed
- Build succeeded
Approved · merged into main
What you leave with
More than a certificate: work you can show.
You build all of this yourself during the program. These are planned program deliverables — not a job guarantee.
repo/
GitHub repositories
Each project in its own repository, with a clean commit history.
PR #
Pull Request history
Review comments and fixes — your progress is visible.
GET /api
A working REST API
Built with Spring Boot, with proper validation.
PostgreSQL
A database-backed backend
A clear domain model and data persisted with SQL.
@Test
Automated tests
Unit and integration tests that protect behaviour.
Dockerfile
A Dockerized application
A project that starts with one command.
ADR.md
Decision records
Short written explanations of your key technical decisions.
demo
Capstone presentation
You present the project and defend your decisions.
Capstone
You finish by building — and defending — your own backend.
You start from requirements: a domain model, a REST API, PostgreSQL, tests and Docker. The project goes through review, then you present it and explain every key decision.
- 01
Requirements
Understand the problem and pin down what to build.
- 02
Design
Plan the model, the endpoints and the layers.
- 03
Build & review
Build through Pull Requests and improve from feedback.
- 04
Present & defend
Demo the running project and justify your decisions.
The project topic will be finalised together with the curriculum.
Rusif Budagov
Founder & lead instructor · Solution Architect
Founder
This path was built from experience.
Rusif Budagov has spent 12+ years building and designing production software for banking, payments, telecom and enterprise platforms. The career path at the academy is the one he walked himself.
Rusif's path
Java Developer
You start here
Senior Engineer
Technical Lead
Solution Architect
- 12+ years
- Production systems in banking, payments, digital lending and telecom.
- Baku → Málaga
- From Azerbaijani companies to international, remote teams.
- Architecture
- Decisions across microservices, Kafka, event-driven systems, AWS and Kubernetes.
Rusif will personally teach the founding cohort.
Admission
How admission works
You don't need to know how to code. We look at motivation, logical thinking and your readiness to practise consistently. Applicants must be 18 or older.
Apply
A short online form. No coding required.
Review
We read every application personally and get in touch the way you asked.
Intro or assessment
Where it helps, we may set up a short intro conversation or an extra assessment. Not everyone needs one.
Admission decision
You hear the outcome, plus the founding cohort's dates, schedule and price.
Onboarding
We set up your tools together and agree how we work.
Ready? Applying takes about 5 minutes and creates no payment obligation.
FAQ
Questions
Do I need programming experience?
No. The Java Backend Career Track is built for people starting from zero. Admission looks at motivation, logical thinking and readiness to practise consistently — not coding. Basic computer skills are enough.
Is it online or in person?
The program runs online and is instructor-led: classes, assignments and code review. The founder, Rusif Budagov, will personally teach the founding cohort.
Does the program guarantee a job?
No. No education program can honestly guarantee a job offer. The program is designed to build the practical skills expected from a junior backend developer, and it includes interview preparation. Outcomes depend on your effort and the job market.
What language is it taught in?
Azerbaijani or English: each cohort is taught in one language, and English cohorts are for international students. The course material exists in both languages. Terms like Java, Spring Boot and Code Review stay in English, as they are used in industry.
When does it start, and what's the schedule?
The program runs for about 24 weeks (6 months). The start date and weekly schedule for the founding cohort will be announced shortly and shared with applicants first.
How much does it cost?
Monthly: 6 × 250 AZN (1,500 AZN in total), or 1,350 AZN in one payment. After acceptance you pay a 50 AZN seat reservation, which is credited toward tuition — not an extra fee. Applying is free and creates no payment obligation.
What do I need?
A personal computer where you can install software (Windows, macOS or Linux), a stable internet connection and time to practise regularly. We set up the tools together during onboarding.
How much time per week should I plan?
The program needs consistent work: classes, assignments and responding to review. The exact weekly workload will be announced with the schedule.
What happens after I apply?
We read your application personally and get in touch using the method you chose. Where it helps, we may set up a short intro conversation or an extra assessment. Then you get the admission decision and the founding cohort details, followed by onboarding.
Learn. Build. Scale.
Apply to the founding cohort
The founding cohort will be small and taught by the founder. Applying creates no payment obligation.