Build practical back-end development skills with .NET and learn how to create secure, scalable, and high-performing APIs for modern applications. This Professional Certificate helps you understand the complete API development lifecycle—from building APIs with ASP.NET Core to implementing authentication, improving performance, and scaling applications for real-world use cases.
You’ll start by learning .NET architecture, C# fundamentals, API routing, dependency injection, middleware, serialization, and OpenAPI integration. As you progress, you’ll develop skills in authentication and authorization using ASP.NET Identity, JSON Web Tokens (JWT), role-based access control, encryption, and secure data handling practices.
The program also introduces performance optimization concepts including caching strategies, database query optimization, distributed systems, load balancing, and scalable application architecture. Throughout the certificate, you’ll use Microsoft Copilot to accelerate coding, debugging, optimization, and secure development workflows.
By the end of the program, you’ll be able to develop and secure APIs, optimize application performance, implement scalable architectures, and apply modern development practices used by back-end engineers.
This program is designed for aspiring back-end developers, software engineers, and learners interested in API development and application security. No prior programming experience is required.
Applied Learning Project
Throughout the program, learners complete practical activities and guided projects that simulate real-world back-end development workflows. You’ll build APIs using ASP.NET Core, implement authentication and authorization systems, integrate OpenAPI documentation, optimize database queries, and improve application performance using caching and scalability techniques.
Learners will also use Microsoft Co-pilot to generate, debug, and optimize code while applying secure coding practices. Hands-on exercises focus on solving realistic engineering challenges including securing endpoints with JWT authentication, implementing middleware components, configuring distributed caching, and improving application scalability.
By the end of the certificate, learners will have developed portfolio-ready API projects that demonstrate practical skills in secure and scalable back-end application development.
