The field of web development is booming—it’s an exciting career with high earning potential and an excellent job outlook. But if you’re considering becoming a Web Developer, it can be hard to know what education you’ll need to get started. To help set you on the right path, this guide will teach you the essential classes required to become a Front End Web Developer, Back End Web Developer, and Full Stack Web Developer.
What Classes Should Aspiring Front End Web Developers Take?
Front end web development has to do with everything on the client side of websites—all the elements users see and interact with. Front End Web Developers are responsible for making sure that websites are not only fully functional and user-friendly, but also aesthetically pleasing. To learn how to do this, aspiring Front End Web Developers should take the following classes:
HTML & CSS
The very first class you should take as an aspiring Front End Web Developer is on HTML and CSS. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are foundational programming languages; together, they allow developers to create webpages plus arrange and style its text, color, buttons, graphics, headings, and tables.
Flexbox, Grid, & Bootstrap
Once you have a solid understanding of how to code with HTML and CSS, you should then take a class that covers Flexbox, Grid, and Bootstrap. These tools help Front End Web Developers quickly build layouts and align webpage content so that they can save time during development.
JavaScript for the Front End
Another essential class for aspiring Front End Web Developers is JavaScript. On the front end of websites, JavaScript is used to make pages more dynamic and interactive, which keeps the user engaged. For example, JavaScript can be used to display animations, play audio or video, alter a button’s colors when a mouse hovers over it, and progress through a slideshow of various pictures.
Web Developer Tools
You’ll also need to learn some of the most common tools developers use, including Visual Studio Code (VS Code), Git, GitHub, and Sass. VS Code is an open-source editor created by Microsoft that’s used by more than 70% of professional Web Developers. With Git and GitHub, you can collaborate with other programmers and track any changes made to the code. Sass is a popular CSS preprocessor that simplifies the programming of style elements on a website.
WordPress
As an aspiring Front End Web Developer, you should also invest in a class on WordPress. WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world; in fact, it’s used on 43% of all websites currently in existence. In a WordPress class, you’ll learn how to build websites with WordPress, install and customize themes, use plugins, and more.
What Classes Should Aspiring Back End Web Developers Take?
Back end web development deals with everything behind the scenes that website users don’t interact with, including servers, applications, and databases. All of these components work to support the front end, allowing it to function properly. The role of the Back End Web Developer is to build, test, debug, and maintain these elements to keep the website up and running. To learn the essential skills of this position, you should take classes in:
JavaScript
The easiest path to learning back end web development is to rely on the MERN stack, which is based on JavaScript. While JavaScript was originally designed to work on the front end of websites, it can now be used on the back side also thanks to a runtime environment called Node.js (which is the “N” in “MERN”). That means JavaScript is the first class you should take as an aspiring Back End Web Developer.
Node.js
Once you learn JavaScript, you’ll need to learn how to use it on the back end through Node.js. Node.js is a Runtime Environment (RTE) that allows developers to use JavaScript on the back end to b build web servers, develop scalable network applications, and handle updates from the front end.
Express.js
Learning Express.js is another essential for potential Back End Developers. As the “E” in the MERN stack, Express.js is a back end framework that works within Node.js to help developers create single-page, multiple-page, and hybrid web applications quickly and efficiently.
MongoDB
You’ll also need to learn MongoDB, the “M” in the MERN stack. MongoDB is a flexible, scalable, user-friendly NoSQL database. It also happens to be the most popular NoSQL database in the world, with more than 28% of professional developers reporting regular usage.
React
React is another essential component of the MERN stack; it’s an open-source JavaScript library that simplifies the creation of user interface (UI) components. React is currently the most widely used code library among professional Web Developers, with more than 40% of those surveyed by Stack Overflow reporting extensive use in the past year.
Web Developer Tools
Back End Web Developers also need to know how to use several of the most common development tools. While it’s not necessary for them to learn Sass since it’s strictly a front end tool, they should be able to use Git, GitHub, and VS Code.
Suggested but not Required: Java and Python
If you want to expand your back end development skills, you could also take classes to learn how to program in Java and Python. While knowing these two languages might open up a few more employment opportunities for you, they’re not necessary.
Optional: HTML
It’s also useful for Back End Web Developers to have a solid understanding of HTML, though it’s not required. You likely won’t code with HTML, but knowing how it works can make you a more versatile developer.
What Classes Should Aspiring Full Stack Web Developers Take?
As a combination of both front end and back end development, full stack web development deals with both the user-facing elements of a website plus all the technological components behind the scenes. Full Stack Developer needs to have a broad range of skills and knowledge of a various programming languages to complete their job successfully. To acquire these skills, aspiring Full Stack Web Developers should take classes covering topics such as:
HTML & CSS
Aspiring Full Stack Web Developers should take a class in HTML and CSS at the beginning of their educational path. HTML and CSS are foundational languages that allow developers to build the front end of a website and customize its most essential elements, including headings, buttons, text, and graphics.
Flexbox, Grid, & Bootstrap
After learning how to use HTML and CSS, the next step is taking a Flexbox, Grid, and Bootstrap class. Each of these tools will help speed up development by simplifying the layout and web design process.
Web Developer Tools
Another class you’ll need to take early on in your education is tools for web development. Some of the most vital tools you’ll learn to use are Sass, Git, GitHub, and Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Sass is a front end tool used to simplify the coding of style elements, while Git and GitHub allow you to work with other developers and track code changes. Created by Microsoft, VS Code is the most popular code editor among developers.
JavaScript
The next class on your list should be JavaScript, the most widely used programming language globally. Full Stack Developers rely heavily on JavaScript; they can use this essential language to program websites from back to front, making it another necessary course for those looking to break into the field of web development.
Back End JavaScript Development with the MERN Stack
Once you’ve mastered JavaScript, the next step in your learning journey is the MERN stack. The MERN stack is composed of four different technologies—MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js—that allow Full Stack Web Developers to easily create websites and applications.
The Most Efficient Way to Become a Web Developer
The fastest and most efficient way to become a Web Developer is to complete a comprehensive bootcamp or certificate program. Instead of taking many individual classes, bootcamps and certificate programs will teach you all the skills you need in one convenient course of study. They offer intensive, abbreviated schedules so you can become ready to embark on your new career in just a few months.
Depending upon your location, you may be able to find a web development bootcamp in your area. If there are none nearby or if you prefer learning from home, another option would be completing a web development bootcamp live online. These offer you the same high-quality curriculum and instant instructor feedback as face-to-face training, but without the tiresome commute required by in-person classes.
If you’re still exploring web development as a potential career choice, you might not feel like you’re ready to commit to a full bootcamp or certificate program. If so, taking one or two web development classes might be your best option. That way, you can build up your skills gradually while testing your interest in pursuing a web development career.