Hi, I’m Lada — Content Project Manager at Hyperskill.
We’ve already covered how our Python and Kotlin courses are structured. Next up is Java.
Java is often chosen by learners who want a strong foundation for backend, enterprise, or full-stack development. It’s also a language where understanding architecture, concurrency, and long-term maintainability really matters. That’s why our Java courses are organized around different development paths — from learning the language fundamentals to building full-scale applications.
As with our other tracks, some topics overlap across Java courses. This is intentional. When you complete a concept in one course, it carries over to others, so your progress is always preserved and you don’t repeat the same material.
Here’s a quick overview to help you choose.
Quick Comparison
| Course | Best For | Project Examples | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Java | Complete beginners | Cinema Room Manager / Amazing Numbers | Java syntax, OOP basics, loops, conditionals, arrays and strings, error handling, algorithmic thinking |
| Java Developer | Learners with basic Java ready to grow into developers | Learning Progress Tracker / JSON Database with Java | OOP, functional programming, collections, multithreading, design patterns, databases, HTTP requests, JSON/XML, server-side basics, build tools |
| Java Backend Developer (Spring Boot) | Aspiring backend developers | Web Quiz Engine / Cinema Room REST Service | Spring Boot, REST APIs, relational databases, concurrency and thread safety, JSON handling, unit and integration testing, web security basics, backend architecture |
| Java Full Stack Developer | Aspiring full-stack developers | Code-sharing Platform / Real-time Chat | Java and JavaScript development, Spring Boot, frontend essentials (HTML, CSS, JS), WebSockets, STOMP protocol, databases, deployment, real-time web applications |
| Java Desktop Application Developer | Aspiring desktop app developers | Desktop Tic-Tac-Toe / Graph-Algorithms Visualizer | Java core, Swing GUI framework, multithreading, event handling, algorithm visualization, desktop application design |
Note: Each course includes more projects than shown here — these are just some highlights.
The Courses
Introduction to Java
CV-ready skills: Java, IntelliJ IDEA basics, functions, data types, control structures, debugging, error handling, OOP basics.
This course is the perfect starting point if you're taking your first steps toward a tech career. You'll learn the core concepts behind Java, one of the most widely used programming languages in the world, and gain confidence working with code from the very beginning. You'll practice using variables, loops, conditionals, functions, strings, arrays, and user input while recognizing foundational object-oriented principles.
By the end of the course, you'll be able to design, implement, and explain your own small application from start to finish. For example, in Cinema Room Manager, you create a program that helps manage a cinema theatre: selling tickets, tracking available seats, and displaying statistics. In Amazing Numbers, you develop a program that analyzes the properties of numbers and identifies patterns, such as whether a number is palindromic or gapful.
Perfect if: You’ve never programmed before or want a clear and structured introduction to Java.
Java Developer
CV-ready skills: OOP and functional programming, collections, multithreading, design patterns, databases, HTTP requests, server-side development basics, build tools.
This course is designed for learners who already understand the basics and want to move toward professional-level development. You'll begin by strengthening your foundation in Java — learning how to write clean and readable code that follows the conventions used in real-world projects. From there, you'll explore object-oriented programming in depth and learn how to apply these concepts to structure larger applications. The course gradually introduces more advanced language features, including functional programming and multithreading, so you can build software that is not only correct but also efficient and scalable.
This course teaches the core skills that allow developers to pick up any framework later. You'll work with collections, design patterns, databases, HTTP requests, and JSON/XML, and use essential build tools. These are the skills that make you adaptable and able to grow into roles like backend developer, full-stack engineer, or platform engineer.
Perfect if: You know basic Java and are ready to move towards professional-level development.
Java Backend Developer (Spring Boot)
CV-ready skills: Spring Boot, REST APIs, relational databases, concurrency and thread safety, JSON handling, Gradle, Git, IntelliJ IDEA, unit and integration testing, basic web security, backend application architecture.
This course is for learners aiming to build practical web development skills and become backend developers. You'll deepen your understanding of core Java concepts such as object-oriented design, data structures, algorithms, and concurrency, then learn how to apply these fundamentals to backend systems using Spring Boot. You'll learn how to structure, design, and deploy real web applications.
You'll work with RESTful APIs, relational databases, JSON data, and unit/integration testing, while following web security practices and using Gradle and Git for professional workflows. Projects include Web Quiz Engine, building a web service for creating and managing quizzes, and Cinema Room REST Service, a ticketing service handling HTTP requests and JSON responses.
Perfect if: You're aiming for backend developer roles.
Java Full Stack Developer
CV-ready skills: Full-stack development with Java and JavaScript, Spring Boot, frontend essentials (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), WebSockets, STOMP protocol, databases, deployment, real-time web applications.
This course is ideal for learners aiming to become versatile full-stack developers who can build both backend and frontend components. You'll strengthen your Java skills while adding knowledge of frontend technologies and how they interact with backend services. The focus is on creating real-life web applications that you can deploy and showcase in your portfolio.
Throughout the course, you'll combine backend and frontend development using Java and JavaScript, working with Spring Boot for server-side logic and databases, and implementing dynamic user interfaces with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You'll also learn real-time communication using WebSockets and the STOMP protocol, preparing you for full-stack development challenges.
Perfect if: You're aiming for full-stack developer roles.
Java Desktop Application Developer
CV-ready skills: Java core, Swing GUI framework, multithreading, event handling, desktop application design.
This course is perfect for learners who want to specialize in desktop application development using Java. You'll deepen your Java knowledge while learning to design interactive graphical user interfaces with the Swing framework. The focus is on creating real, functional desktop applications that combine programming logic and visual interaction.
You'll explore GUI components, structure responsive applications with multithreading, handle user input effectively, and use regular expressions to process HTML. The projects are designed to strengthen both programming and interface design skills.
Perfect if: You want to specialize in desktop application development and build GUI-based portfolio projects.
Which One Should You Pick?
Start with Introduction to Java if you’re completely new to programming or new to Java as a language.
Choose Java Developer if you already know the basics and want to grow into a professional developer, learning how real Java applications are structured and maintained.
Go with Java Backend Developer (Spring Boot) if you want to focus on building server-side applications, REST APIs, and scalable backend systems.
Pick Java Full Stack Developer if you’re interested in working across both backend and frontend, building end-to-end web applications and real-time features.
Select Java Desktop Application Developer if you want to create desktop applications and explore GUI development with Java.
As with our other learning paths, these courses are connected. Topics overlap, and your progress carries over — so you never have to relearn the same concepts twice.
Along the way, you’ll build real projects you can add to your GitHub and show to potential employers.
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