As criminals develop increasingly sophisticated methods of hacking web systems and databases, developers must know how to build those systems securely to prevent breaches. This course teaches the art of building reliable and secure data-intensive back-end systems. You will learn how to craft APIs for usability, apply techniques to strengthen their security, choose between database design alternatives, and unlock concurrent, scalable programming.
Throughout this course, (the second in the Back-End Development Certificate), you’ll further hone your programming skills, learning to sidestep common pitfalls. You’ll also continue to sharpen your architectural thinking and clean coding skills. The course focuses on:
- Developing web services and user-friendly APIs
- Delving deeper into reusable patterns and standard solutions
- Securing back ends
- Managing sessions and permissions
- Storing and retrieving data in document and relational databases
- Concurrent and asynchronous programming
This course allows learners to work at their own pace and features optional, live drop-in sessions.
This course is eligible for OSAP funding as of June 2026. Learners are encouraged to apply as early as possible. In many cases, applications may still be submitted up to approximately 60 days before the end of the study period. For more information, please visit our Financial Support page.
Learning outcomes
- Build a secure web service backed by a well-designed database
- Evaluate alternative data storage strategies
- Describe architectural patterns and know when to use them
- Apply asynchronous programming skills to build scalable web back ends
- Identify areas and strategies for continuous improvement of coding skills
Module 1: URL And API design
Module 2: Protocols and Architectural Styles
Module 3: Encryption and Certificates
Module 4: Authentication and Session Management
Module 5: Authorization and other API Security Techniques
Module 6: Relational Database Design
Module 7: Advanced SQL and Transactional Looking
Module 8: NoSQL
Module 9: Concurrency
Module 10: Reactive Style and Review
This course is intended for individuals with a basic understanding of web development who want to deepen their expertise in back-end systems. Specifically, it is appropriate for:
- Early-career developers who have a primarily front-end focus or have completed a general programming bootcamp and want to level up their skills.
- Front-end developers who want to accelerate their career progression with back-end skills and knowledge.
- Programmers with experience in JavaScript, TypeScript, or Python who want to learn how to build reliable, resilient back-end systems.
This 10-week course combines synchronous and asynchronous delivery modes and includes:
- A one-hour live online orientation session
- Weekly one-hour optional live code-along sessions
- Weekly independent online learning and group coding assignments
- Regular online interaction with peers and instructor via discussion boards
- Major group project with real-world applications
Academic requirements
- Prior experience with Python, TypeScript, or JavaScript
- Basic understanding of web development
- Basic understanding of version control using Git
- It is recommended that learners complete the Back-End Framework and Architecture course before registering for this course.
System requirements
- Visual Studio or your preferred IDE
- GitHub Classroom for coding assignments
Receive a certificate and badge from the University of Waterloo
Upon successful completion of this program, you will receive a professional education certificate and badge from the University of Waterloo. To earn the certificate, students must achieve a minimum grade of 70 per cent in the course.
Other courses in this program
Larry Simon
Founder and Managing Director, Inflection Group
Larry Simon is an entrepreneur, management consultant, and angel investor with a specialization in IT strategy and data analytics. He is the founder and a managing director of Inflection Group, bringing over 30 years of experience in advising startups, global corporations, and government institutions.
Previously, Simon served as a Partner with Ernst & Young Consulting, where he held the positions of CTO and National Director of their strategy and delivery centres. His experience also includes serving on the faculty of the Rotman School of Management, acting as the Head Judge of the Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA), and as a Councillor of the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario.
Simon holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and a B.Math (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo. His extensive experience and diverse roles demonstrate his commitment to the field and his ability to drive strategic initiatives.
Jerome Ortega
Founder, Happopei Inc. | Course Instructor
Jerome Ortega has more than 20 years of experience helping organizations improve their software development and operations through DevOps practices, cloud engineering, and platform architecture. Based in the Greater Toronto Area, he focuses on building solutions that drive cost efficiency, accelerate product delivery, and enhance developer engagement.
As the founder of Happopei Inc., Ortega has worked with enterprises and startups across North America and Europe, delivering results including cloud cost reductions and improvements in software development and operations efficiencies. His expertise includes serverless and microservice architectures, cloud-native solutions, and security.
He holds professional certifications including Certified Kubernetes Administrator and Security Specialist, AWS DevOps Engineer Professional, and AWS Solutions Architect Professional. He also holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from the University of the Philippines, and a certificate in Data Science from the University of Waterloo's WatSPEED.
Prem Rara
Senior Cloud Architect, Tidal Cloud | Course Instructor
Prem Rara is a senior cloud architect and technical leader with more than 15 years of experience in back-end systems development, cloud infrastructure, and software engineering. Currently at Tidal Cloud, he leads cloud transformation initiatives and migration strategies for enterprise clients. Previously, as director of cloud engineering at Cascadeo Inc., he built and mentored engineering teams and architected distributed systems, microservices orchestration, Big Data analytics platforms, IoT backends, and scalable monitoring systems.
Rara's development background spans low-level systems programming in C and Linux kernel development, as well as modern cloud-native applications. His technical foundation was built through research at the University of the Philippines Computer Networks Laboratory, where he developed embedded Linux systems, VoIP platforms, device drivers, and wireless sensor networks. He holds professional certifications in cloud architecture and security.
