Microsoft Back-End Developer Professional Certificate Course Syllabus

Overview: This professional certificate program is designed to equip learners with comprehensive back-end development skills using Microsoft technologies. Over approximately 40 weeks, you'll progress from foundational C# and .NET concepts to building, deploying, and maintaining scalable cloud-native applications on Azure. Each module combines hands-on labs, real-world scenarios, and practical assessments, culminating in a capstone project that demonstrates production-level proficiency. Estimated total time: 200–250 hours.

Module 1: C# and .NET Fundamentals

Estimated time: 40 hours

• Core C# syntax and data types
• Object-oriented programming principles
• Async/await programming model
• .NET Core CLI and project structure
• Unit testing with xUnit

Module 2: API Development with ASP.NET Core

Estimated time: 50 hours

• Building RESTful services using controllers
• Creating minimal APIs
• Implementing JWT authentication
• Role-based authorization and policies
• Documenting APIs with Swagger/OpenAPI

Module 3: Database Development

Estimated time: 45 hours

• SQL Server database design and normalization
• Query optimization and indexing
• Data access with Entity Framework Core
• Working with NoSQL databases using Azure Cosmos DB

Module 4: Cloud Integration

Estimated time: 55 hours

• Deploying applications to Azure App Service
• Containerizing apps with Azure Container Apps
• Implementing serverless functions using Azure Functions
• Configuring Azure SQL Database and Redis caching

Module 5: DevOps & Microservices

Estimated time: 40 hours

• Setting up CI/CD pipelines with Azure DevOps
• Docker containerization for .NET applications
• Basic Kubernetes orchestration on Azure Kubernetes Service
• Applying microservices architecture patterns

Module 6: Final Project

Estimated time: 60 hours

• Design and develop a full back-end system using ASP.NET Core
• Implement authentication, security, and monitoring
• Deploy the solution to Azure with CI/CD and performance tuning

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with basic programming concepts
• Basic understanding of web technologies (HTTP, JSON)
• Access to an Azure free-tier subscription for hands-on labs

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Build enterprise-grade back-end services using C# and .NET Core
• Design and optimize relational and NoSQL databases
• Create secure, documented RESTful APIs with ASP.NET Core
• Deploy and manage cloud-native applications on Microsoft Azure
• Implement DevOps practices and microservices architectures