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Backend Engineering

Backend Engineering: Node.js

From zero to shipping production REST APIs

140h total11 courses3 stages
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What you'll be able to do

  • Design and ship production REST APIs with Node.js and Express
  • Model data and run queries against a relational database
  • Add authentication, validation, and error handling to a service
  • Write tests and deploy an API to a cloud host

Before you start

  • Comfort using a terminal and installing software
  • Basic programming logic (variables, loops, functions) in any language
  • Willingness to read documentation

Level 1 ·JavaScript & Node Foundations

JavaScript Deep Dive

beginner18h

Closures, async/await, the event loop: the fundamentals that actually matter for backend work.

  • Scopes, closures & hoisting
  • Promises & async/await patterns
  • Event loop & microtask queue
  • ES modules vs CommonJS

Node.js & npm Internals

beginner12h

Modules, streams, the Node runtime, and building CLI tools.

  • File system & streams
  • Build a CLI tool with readline
  • npm scripts & workspaces

TypeScript for Backend Devs

beginner10h

Types, interfaces, generics: just enough to be effective.

  • Type inference & annotations
  • Interfaces vs. type aliases
  • Generics in functions & classes

Git & Command Line Fundamentals

beginner8h

The daily tools every backend developer lives in.

  • Branching, merging & rebasing
  • SSH keys & remote configuration
  • File permissions & bash basics

Level 2 ·APIs & Databases

Express & REST API Design

intermediate18h

Routing, middleware, validation, error handling: build a real CRUD API.

  • Router & middleware chain
  • Request validation with Zod
  • Centralised error handling
  • Ship a CRUD bookstore API

PostgreSQL & Prisma ORM

intermediate16h

Relational modelling, migrations, query optimisation, and indexing.

  • Schema design & relations
  • Prisma migrations & seeding
  • N+1 query problem & eager loading
  • Database indexing strategy

Authentication, JWT & Security

intermediate14h

Sessions, JWTs, bcrypt, CORS, rate limiting, OWASP basics.

  • bcrypt password hashing
  • JWT sign, verify & refresh
  • CORS & rate-limiting middleware
  • Secure cookie sessions

Redis: Caching & Background Queues

intermediate10h

Intro to Redis: caching, pub/sub, and async job processing with BullMQ.

  • Cache-aside pattern with Redis
  • Pub/sub for real-time events
  • Background job queue with BullMQ

Level 3 ·Testing & Production

Testing: Unit, Integration & E2E

intermediate14h

Vitest, Supertest, and testing patterns for APIs that actually survive production.

  • Unit tests with Vitest
  • Integration tests with Supertest
  • >80% coverage on your API

Docker & Container Deployment

intermediate14h

Containerise your app, write multi-stage Dockerfiles, and ship to a VPS or cloud.

  • Multi-stage Dockerfile for Node app
  • Docker Compose: app + postgres + redis
  • Deploy to Railway or Render

System Design Fundamentals

advanced16h

Scalability patterns, load balancing, caching strategies, message queues, and databases at scale.

  • Design a URL shortener
  • Design a notification system
  • CAP theorem & consistency tradeoffs

Frequently asked

Is the Backend Engineering: Node.js roadmap free?+

Yes. The entire Backend Engineering: Node.js roadmap and every curated resource is free to follow on Commit. You can track your progress, keep a daily streak, and earn a shareable certificate at no cost — there is no paywall.

How long does the Backend Engineering: Node.js roadmap take to complete?+

About 140 hours of focused study across 11 courses and 3 stages. At roughly one hour a day that is about 5 months; you can move faster by studying more each day.

Do I get a certificate for finishing the Backend Engineering: Node.js roadmap?+

Yes. When you complete the roadmap on Commit you receive a verifiable certificate of completion that you can add to LinkedIn and your public Commit profile as proof of what you finished.

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