Summary
Software developer courses are accessible, affordable, and the best way to learn software engineering. Here are the top software courses for beginners to advanced learners.
Software developer courses are vital for engineers who want to deepen their skills, become technically proficient, and elevate their careers.
Online software developer courses represent the most accessible and affordable software development educational path. Courses provide comprehensive technical instruction tailored to a range of learning levels, needs, and aims. And these courses equip learners with the skills necessary to excel by building problem-solving skills, enhancing critical thinking, fostering creativity, and exposing students to real-world scenarios and challenges.
On top of that, the best software developer courses, like Maven, offer access to world-class instructors. It democratizes learning and lets everyone around the world benefit from industry leader expertise.
If you’re interested in learning software engineering online, here are five solid choices to consider. These recommendations include software courses for beginners, middle, and experts. Review this list to discover the best one for you.
Critical Skills Every Software Developer Should Master
Software developers design, build, and maintain websites, applications, and programs. In order to do so, developers have to be proficient in programming, software architecture, data science, and several other competencies.
Here are some critical skills for software developers to master:
- Programming: Python, Java, C++, or competence in another programming language
- Integrated Development Environments (IDEs)
- Data structures and algorithms
- Data pipeline design
- Writing SQL queries and working with databases
- The software development life cycle
- Data analysis
- Testing and debugging
- Code review
- Peer collaboration
Software developers must master technical skills, higher-order thinking, and soft skills. Technical skills include programming, data structures, algorithms, and other data science skills, such as source control workflows. Developers must be technically proficient in fundamental skills and can deepen certain skills in order to specialize and increase their salary.
However, developers have to master higher-order thinking skills for effective problem-solving and decision-making. This is what separates software engineers and developers from coders.
Soft skills are essential for working well with others. Software engineers need to collaborate with peers and get along with supervisors and non-technical team members. Career progress depends on this.
Good software developer courses should cover all three. Here are five that meet these standards.
Must-Take Software Developer Courses for Engineers
Become a Better Software Developer by Building Your Own Redis Server
Become a Better Software Developer by Building Your Own Redis Server is a 4-week software developer course where senior developer John Crickett guides learners through building a Redis application.
The course goes through a Redis project from start to finish while teaching essential aspects of software development.
Learning topics include breaking projects into manageable stages, architectural decision records (ADRs), test-driven development (TDD), building CI pipelines, code reviews, network programming, and concurrency considerations.
Crickett provides hands-on, step-by-step instruction that builds a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts and techniques necessary for efficient, high-quality software development.
Become a Better Software Developer is a live coding challenge course – not a learn-to-code bootcamp. Students should understand basic programming before taking it. With that aside, this course is appropriate for engineers of all experience levels.
New and junior developers will learn and strengthen the practical fundamentals of building applications from scratch. Mid-level and senior developers will sharpen things up and garner peer insights from real-world problem-solving examples.
“Well thought out challenges. Much better for learning than just algorithms. I use them as inspiration to learn new languages and technologies. I recommend them to anyone at any skill level for expanding their software skills. They’re also great for practicing software design and test-driven development.” - Mike Thornton
Introduction to Coding for Absolute Beginners
⭐️ 8.8
Introduction to Coding for Absolute Beginners is a 4-week long software developer course for beginners – absolute beginners, that is. Instructor Jamshid Hashimi is a developer, teacher, and Founder of CodeWeekend.
This is an excellent software course for beginners. Hashimi provides a comprehensive introduction to coding, covering the basics of programming with Python or JavaScript, building websites using HTML and CSS, exploring no-code tools, understanding AI concepts and chatbots, and gaining hands-on experience through a small-scale coding project.
What separates this from other beginner software courses, is that Hashimi teaches general knowledge foundational to the software development field. Students learn about the history of computing and how coding has evolved. They learn about artificial intelligence and get a clear picture of AI basics, current real-world use, benefits, challenges, and application in daily life.
This is a great affordable software development for absolute beginners.
“Jamshid Hashimi made web development easy to understand. I had no experience before this course, but Jamshid was patient and knowledgeable. I can now create a webpage with HTML, CSS, and JS.” - Fahima
Fast Track to Senior Engineer
Fast Track to Senior Engineer is a 3-week, cohort-based software developer course on engineering career success. It’s led by Alex Migutsky, a software developer career coach and senior engineer at Microsoft.
Alex packed this course with insights, strategies, and methods for achieving professional success as a software developer. He shares insights on understanding industry dynamics and breaks down the factors affecting salaries and compensation.
This course includes real-world experimentation and actionable feedback to help learners become industry-ready professionals who are confident in their abilities. And it details the Career Growth Operating System (CarGOS) – a clear framework for fast-tracking progress toward a senior title.
Software developers of all experience levels benefit from this course. Beginners, junior, and mid-level developers can gain clarity and understand how to direct their careers. Senior engineers who are feeling stuck or undervalued can take this to revitalize their careers.
“I really enjoyed three topics: Career Growth Plan, Attention BIOS, and Impact Accounting. These are game changers for me. Thank you!” - Adel Dubinnikova
Native SQL For Developers
Native SQL For Developers is a four-week software developer course on how to streamline application development by using native SQL. It’s led by Lucian Lazar, a software developer and Oracle-certified professional.
Lazar teaches students how to achieve faster application development by using native SQL instead of object-relational mapping when working with databases. Core learning topics include how to set up an Oracle database, use Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) to create tables, and write SQL queries efficiently.
Participants in this course learn how to design tables while considering database performance and flexibility, how to apply conditions and functions to transform data, and how to analyze data using window functions. Additionally, the course covers query optimization techniques, including index usage, to access data as quickly as possible.
Lazar has over 15 years of experience in software development and teaching. He’s excellent at helping learners grasp complex technical topics.
“Lucian presents some very important SQL and performance concepts that any backend developer should be aware of, in an interesting and captivating matter. Having these notions and improvements in mind can make our lives a lot easier when we develop a complex application.” - Sabina Macarie
Mastering Software Engineering
Mastering Software Engineering is a 3-day, intermediate-level software developer course led by Georges El Khoury – an experienced software engineer who’s worked at Uber, Airbnb, and Microsoft. It hones in on specifics of software building, maintenance, and career performance and teaches practical skills that software engineers can apply in their daily work.
Participants learn software engineering best practices and career-advancing soft skills. Learning topics include code reviews, observability, release management, outage management, and career ladders, among others.
Mastering Software Engineering is focused on helping professional developers elevate their skills and become proficient professionals, but it’s still an appropriate software course for beginners.
It’s an affordable software development program for junior to senior engineers looking to enhance their ability to effectively build and maintain software products.
“What truly sets this course apart is the opportunity to learn directly from an expert in the field, and to engage in interactive dialogue by asking questions and seeking clarification. I was amazed by the comprehensive coverage of all the key concepts and stages of software engineering.” - Roland Chalfoun
Things to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Software Developer Course
Software developer courses present an accessible and affordable way to become a software developer and advance your career.
The best way to learn software engineering is through engaging, interactive, hands-on education that fits your learning level and objectives.
Find software developer courses offering a rich and experiential learning experience. That means instructor access, peer interaction, feedback, live sessions, and practical projects.
This is critical when learning technical skills. Experiential, hands-on instruction ensures that you’ve actually learned the skills and are able to perform them – instead of just becoming familiar with them. Instructor access through live workshops and Q&A sessions gives you a chance to ask questions, gain clarity, and get feedback. Learning along with other students builds a sense of community and support and makes it easier to stick with things.
It’s possible to learn software engineering online and have an engaging, personal learning experience.
High-quality software developer courses should meet those standards. Here are some other criteria to help narrow things down.
- Course length: how long will it take to complete and what are the time commitments?
- Cost: how much is it and can you have it reimbursed as a learning and development expense?
- Topics: does the course curriculum fit your learning objectives?
- Prerequisites: do you have the skills necessary to take this course?
- Career benefits: what career or work benefits does the course promise to deliver?
- Recommended participants: who is the course intended to help?
The most important thing is to choose an interesting course that aligns with your professional goals.
Stand Out as a Software Developer
If you want to learn software engineering online and have serious career goals to achieve, Maven is the best choice for you.
Maven is a modern learning and development platform for people who want to learn from the best in their chosen field. All Maven courses are created by individuals with demonstrated industry preeminence, leadership, and success. Plus, these courses adhere to pedagogical best practices to provide a rich and engaging learning experience.
These software developer courses teach technical and higher-order thinking skills and give helpful career advice. They’re engaging, interactive, and include hands-on projects, practical real-world topics, and personal instructor access.
These courses are the best way to learn software engineering and are available to you right now. There are a wide variety of software courses for beginners, intermediates, and advanced developers.
FAQ
What is a software developer's salary?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual software developer wage was $120,730 in 2021.
The lowest-earning 10% made less than $48,960 and the highest-earning 10% made more than $153,250.
Can I become a software developer in 3 months?
Yes, you can become a basic software developer in 3 months. Intensive software courses for beginners can get you there.
Look for a course that features interactive learning, hands-on projects, and instructor access.
Introduction to Coding for Absolute Beginners is a good start. Enroll in it on Maven and take the next step to your new career.
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