BeginnerHybrid

Backend Development

Master server-side development with Node.js, databases, and cloud platforms. Learn to build scalable APIs, handle authentication, and deploy applications to production.

Students will learn how to design, build, and operate production-ready backend systems using Python and Node.js, modern APIs, databases, cloud infrastructure, and AI-assisted development workflows. By the end of the program, students will have built and deployed real backend services for a live studio product, worked with real data, handled authentication, scalability, and integrations, and understood how backend engineers think in real companies. This is not just "learning APIs" — it's learning how systems survive in the real world.

5 months
Max 22 students
Starts 6/1/2026

Backend Development

Beginner to Expert

Certification and Recognition from AltX Academy

Course Fee (Naira)400,000
Course Fee (USD)$0
Certification Included
Job Guarantee

Who This Course Is For

  • Beginners with no backend experience
  • Frontend developers moving into full-stack
  • Career switchers who want serious backend skills
  • Builders who want to work on real products, not toy APIs

Teaching Model

This course is: Product-driven, Studio-integrated, AI-assisted (responsibly)

  • Students learn concepts only when the studio product needs them
  • Mirroring real-world engineering growth
  • Building real backend services for live products
  • Using AI responsibly as a development accelerator

What You'll Learn

Python & Node.js backend development
RESTful API design and implementation
Database design and management (SQL & NoSQL)
Authentication and authorization
Cloud deployment and infrastructure
Third-party integrations
Performance optimization
AI-assisted development workflows
Real studio product contributions

Curriculum Structure

1

Programming & Backend Foundations (Beginner)

Understand how backend systems work and build confidence writing server-side code.

Topics:

How the internet works (HTTP, requests, responses)
What a backend actually does
Introduction to programming concepts - variables, data types, conditionals & loops, functions
Introduction to Python and JavaScript (Node.js)
Command line basics
Git & GitHub for backend collaboration

Studio Application:

Write simple backend scripts. Handle basic HTTP requests. Collaborate via GitHub repositories.

AI Integration:

Using AI to explain backend concepts. Using AI to debug syntax and logic errors. Learning how to validate AI-generated code.

2

Backend APIs & Databases (Junior Backend Level)

Build real APIs that store and retrieve data.

Topics:

REST API fundamentals
Building APIs with Python (FastAPI / Flask) and Node.js (Express / Nest basics)
Request validation
Error handling
Databases: SQL basics (PostgreSQL / MySQL), NoSQL basics (MongoDB)
ORM fundamentals
CRUD operations

Studio Application:

Build APIs for studio app features. Connect backend to real databases. Handle errors and edge cases.

AI Integration:

AI-assisted API design. AI for generating database schemas. Using AI to reason about data models.

3

Backend Architecture & Business Logic (Intermediate)

Think in systems, not endpoints.

Topics:

Application structure & layering
Service-based architecture
Environment variables & config management
Authentication basics
Authorization & roles
API versioning
Logging fundamentals

Studio Application:

Implement authentication for the studio app. Add roles (admin, user, contributor). Structure backend code for maintainability.

AI Integration:

AI-assisted architecture suggestions. Reviewing AI design proposals critically. Using AI to simulate edge cases.

4

Advanced Backend & Integrations (Mid-Level)

Build backend systems that integrate with the real world.

Topics:

Advanced authentication (JWT, sessions)
Third-party integrations
Background jobs & task queues
Caching (Redis basics)
File uploads & media handling
Rate limiting & API security
Webhooks

Studio Application:

Integrate external services (payments, email, etc.). Handle async background tasks. Optimize performance for real usage.

AI Integration:

AI for writing background job logic. AI-assisted security reviews. Using AI to generate integration tests.

5

Production Backend Engineering (Senior-Level)

Build systems that can scale and be maintained.

Topics:

Clean architecture principles
Testing (unit, integration)
Observability: logs, metrics, error tracking
Performance optimization
Database indexing & migrations
API documentation
CI/CD basics
Cloud deployment fundamentals

Studio Application:

Deploy backend services to the cloud. Monitor live systems. Fix production issues. Participate in code reviews.

AI Integration:

AI-assisted test generation. AI for refactoring legacy code. AI for writing documentation. AI as a debugging partner (not decision-maker).

6

AI-Assisted Backend Engineering (Expert Layer)

Use AI to accelerate backend engineering responsibly.

Topics:

AI-assisted coding workflows
Prompting for backend tasks
AI for: API scaffolding, data modeling, refactoring, test coverage
Understanding AI limitations in backend systems
Security, privacy, and cost awareness when using AI tools
Avoiding "AI-generated spaghetti code"

Studio Application:

Speed up backend feature delivery. Improve code quality with AI review loops. Balance human judgment with AI assistance.

AI Integration:

Master AI tools as development accelerators, not replacements. Learn professional AI-assisted backend workflows.

Prerequisites

Required:

  • Basic computer literacy
  • Willingness to learn and debug
  • Logical thinking and patience

Helpful but not required:

  • Basic programming concepts
  • Familiarity with JavaScript or Python (not mandatory)

Final Studio Deliverables

  • Built and deployed real backend services for a live studio product
  • Worked with real databases and APIs
  • Implemented authentication, authorization, and integrations
  • Used AI responsibly in backend development
  • Created a production-grade backend portfolio

Evaluation & Certification Criteria

Certification is earned, not automatic. Students are assessed based on:

Correctness and reliability
Code structure
System thinking
Security awareness
Collaboration and ownership

Career Outcomes

Backend Developer
API Developer
Full-stack Developer
DevOps Engineer

Course Pricing

400,000
Nigerian Naira
$0
US Dollar

Ready to Start Your Journey?

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