6 Effective Java Courses for Beginners

As a seasoned Java tutor, I can see that through the years Java is still one of the top popular languages. The recent TIOBE Index supports the evidence. This language remains to be one of the most in-demand in the job market. That’s why many people are trying to learn it and become a Java developer.

The good news is that Java is possible to learn by yourself with the help of some great online resources. In case you spend enough time and effort on the studies, of course!

So if you made up your mind to master this technology, have a look at the great options you have right within your reach. Here are some of my favorite online places to learn Java.

6 Effective Java Courses for Beginners

1. CodeGym

CodeGym is a meticulously structured and very convenient Java learning platform based on the concept “learn by doing”. It greatly fits people with many commitments and those who struggle to allocate much free time for learning. It is gamified and well-organized. 80% of the course is practice and only 20% — theory.

The main benefits:

• The resource is based on more than 1200 coding tasks. They are all practical and include real-world examples
• The course contains explanatory lectures and covers all the topics from the beginner level to the advanced. You can easily start from scratch and gradually become an experienced coder
• One of the great advantages is a user-friendly mobile app. You can learn wherever you are, right on the go, in the park, at home, at any place of your choice
• The Virtual Mentor will get you through the learning process.
• For some sort of discussion or moral support, CodeGym has an active community of Java learners
• The well-structured curriculum will guide you through the learning process step by step. You won’t have to figure out what to do next every time you move on

Platforms supported: desktop, Android.

Pricing: includes free option and up to $50 per month.

The main features:

• The access to over 1200 coding tasks
• Lectures on Core Java topics and more advanced levels
• Instant code validation function, tips for solving code tasks
• The course is organized as a linear gamified story
• Small-sized lectures allow you to plan your time for studying

2. Java In-Depth: Become a Complete Java Engineer!

“Java In-Depth” is a very detailed Udemy course that perfectly helps to achieve the goal to learn Java from scratch. The explanations are easy to understand. And the very topics cover the core subjects a newbie learner wants to know like Collections Framework, Generics, Multi-threading, etc. Spending enough time on this type of learning will bring you an in-depth understanding of these aspects.

The main benefits:

• The course opens up not only core and advanced features of the Java language but also teaches the internals of Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
• As a more complicated challenge, the learner can get real-world experience by developing a web app based on Java EE with the help of the instructor
• Possibility to learn how to use technologies like JSP, Servlets, and MySQL on practical tasks
• The course includes an overview of Java-related technologies, for example, web applications
• TV or mobile access available

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, and iOS.

Pricing: $74.99 for the whole course

The main features:

• The learning path would lead you through over 66 hours of video, 22 articles, 291 downloadable resources, and 15 coding exercises
• Project-based learning gives hands-on experience from the start
• Successful students would receive a certificate of completion. Even more, one can become an Oracle Certified Associate

3. Java Fundamentals by Pluralsight

The course is aimed at providing an initial basic knowledge in a short time. It does not require any previous programming experience and covers all the major development environments like server-side, client-side, or Android.

The creator of the course has over 30 years of experience in software development. His course is very practically-driven and is easy to complete due to a relatively short number of tasks. You will definitely feel like you are an achiever upon finishing “Java Fundamentals”!

The main benefits:

• The course offers a grounded introduction to the concept of SOLID. SOLID is an acronym of five main object-oriented design principles that make your code have a meaning
• Practical tasks are a great way to learn the technology by doing something related to reality
• Short number of lessons makes it easy to complete the course in a very short time

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: monthly fee $29, annual fee — $299, premium fee — $449. Team and enterprise packages are available as well.

The main features:

• The course is short and concise, it does not require much time per one study shift
• It contains interactive videos and quizzes, which is kind of fun by itself
• There are many real-world examples helping you to figure out how it all really works
• It covers not only syntax but design patterns as well

4. Java Certification by Duke University (Coursera)

The course by Duke University covers several important topics besides Java itself. It is focused on teaching coding with the problem-solving approach. This is achieved through project-based learning and providing foundation skills on software development in general. The course does not require any previous programming experience. Moreover, you will learn the basics of Android development as well.

The main benefits:

• The course is project-based. During the learning, you will make a recommender engine, an interactive webpage, and other types of work. By the end of the course, you will have a portfolio to show
• The learning process implies receiving graded assignments and feedback from peers
• There is an option to get a certificate of completion which you can share on your LinkedIn

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: free

The main features:

• The course teaches foundational skills required by any software engineer
• You will learn how to design algorithms, test, and debug your programs
• Certification is subdivided into five sub-courses that cover various aspects of the language
• The course includes several practical projects to apply your knowledge to

5. Java Programming for Complete Beginners in 250 Steps

This is one of the most recent Java courses. It includes news tools that were only introduced to Java 9 (e.g. JShell). The course covers both basic programming notions and advanced object-oriented concepts. Moreover, it contains over 200 code examples. The creators of the course promise that by the end of the learning you will have enough expertise to handle a job interview.

The main benefits:

• A very clear explanation that covers functional and objective-oriented programming and quite a modern approach to teaching
• The course is structured into 302 lectures with an overall duration of about 26 hours
• It does not take any previous programming experience to start learning

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: $149.99

The main features:

• The course contains over 200 real-world code examples
• Students learn both the basics of functional programming and object-oriented ones. Advanced topics included
• Successful learners receive a certificate of completion

6. The Complete Java Masterclass

This is one of the top Udemy courses on Java. The instructor has over 18 years of Java programming experience and teaches how to use Java 8 and Java 11. The course contains an essential foundation that would further lead to an understanding of the Spring framework, Android development, and more. If you successfully complete the course you will be able to pass the Oracle Java Certification.

The main benefits:

• The instructor takes students’ feedback seriously and really makes improvements based on that. Moreover, he reviews the knowledge of the previous lecture before starting a new one
• The course is so comprehensive that many students were able to find their first jobs upon completion
• Besides the tech side, you will also learn about the ways that engineers use to increase productivity

Platforms supported: desktop, Android, iOS

Pricing: $149.99

The main features:

• 400 lectures, around 80 hours of content
• 36 coding exercises
• Challenges after every topic
• Certificate of completion
• Access on mobile and TV

Wrap Up

So as you can see you do have a choice on how to learn Java. Just choose what fits you best and have fun in the process of learning. The main point is actually to start learning and keep doing it regularly. Then step by step you will become the one you wanted to: an experienced Java developer. This might add up to your motivation: once you land your first job, you will be a highly demanded professional for many years on. See for yourself!

First published on Java Revisited.