The top 6 courses for front end developers
Whether you choose to go the full-time job or freelance route, front end development not only pays well, but your work also has a direct visual impact for the brands you work with. There are dozens of courses available both for complete beginners and advanced practitioners. In this article, we’re rounding up the top 6 courses for front end developers, in no particular order. Under each course, we share how much it costs, the content, and why the course is valuable.
1 - HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers
This free course is taught by Johns Hopkins University faculty and is offered through Coursera.
Content focus:
It contains about 40 hours of video lectures and features subtitles in 12 languages. The course teaches the three foundational frameworks of front end development: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Why this course is valuable:
To start, the course is totally free, making it incredibly accessible. It’s also highly rated by past students. But perhaps the biggest reasons why someone may consider this course is its impact: 52% of students said this course helped them change careers. Since the course focuses on the foundational frameworks of front end development, you can use it to brush up on your skills or learn them for the first time.
Link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/html-css-javascript-for-web-developers
2 - JavaScript for Beginners
Another great beginner course, JavaScript for Beginners costs around $50 USD and is taught through Teachable.
Content focus:
At only 6 hours of content, it’s the shortest course on our list. However, despite the brevity, the course goes in-depth on all things JavaScript: types, operators, loops, arrays, functions, error handling, and more.
Why this course is valuable:
The course is built for complete beginners, so you don’t need to know anything beforehand in order to succeed. Further, JavaScript is a dynamic language applied in both front end and back end development, making it a flexible and valuable language for any developer to know.
Link: https://discover.teachable.com/course/javascript-basics-for-beginners
3 - The Complete Front-End Web Development Course!
People who want to go from zero to front end developer will like this course. It’s offered through Udemy and costs around $150 USD, but there are often deals to get it cheaper.
Content focus:
This course covers the foundations of front end development plus a few advanced concepts:
- HTML.
- CSS.
- JavaScript.
- jQuery.
- Bootstrap.
There is about 17 hours of video content containing both theory and application based work.
Why this course is valuable:
The course is geared to beginners, but applies to advanced practitioners as well. The course works through actual projects to help students build up their portfolio and test their skills on real-world applications.
Projects in the course include: a text site using HTML, a pip-boy (from the Fallout video game series) using CSS and Bootstrap, and building a Google Chrome extension using JavaScript.
Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/front-end-web-development/
4 - Front End Web Development Master Course for 2021
At 61 hours of content, this Master course is the longest and most comprehensive on our list. The price is around $125 USD, though there are often deals to get it for a cheaper price through Udemy.
Content focus:
The course promises mastery in a wide variety of front end development topics, including:
- HTML5
- CSS3
- JavaScript
- Github
- Bootstrap
- SVG
- Text editors
- jQuery
- Various web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and more)
Why this course is valuable:
Modules feature both the beginner and advanced versions of each concept, so you can progress at your own pace whether that’s learning from scratch or tightening up your skill set. Further, the course focuses on the most recent iterations of each language (HTML5 and CSS3, for instance), which could help you when looking for a job or pitching for freelance work.
Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/learn-front-end-development/
5 - Build Responsive Real World Websites with HTML5 and CSS3
For front end developers looking to brush up on their responsive design skills, this $150 USD course is a great option.
Content focus:
The course’s 12 hours of content focuses exclusively on responsive design using HTML5 and CSS3. The more advanced modules of the course look at how jQuery is linked into building responsive websites and how to optimize for SEO, site speed, and other details like adding a favicon.
Why this course is valuable:
As more businesses look to build visually attractive websites, responsive design is becoming more popular. This course is also built for people to start from scratch and work from any kind of computer (Windows, Mac OSx, or Linux), making it accessible to anyone.
Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/design-and-develop-a-killer-website-with-html5-and-css3/
6 - CSS - Basics To Advanced for Front End Development (2021)
This $40 USD course goes in-depth on all things CSS, making it a great option for more experienced front end developers wanting to hone their craft.
Content focus:
Part theory and part practice, this course focuses on the entire CSS3 ecosystem and how it affects websites, works with HTML5, and how CSS comes into play when building both responsive and mobile-friendly websites. There’s about 5 hours of content, making it easily digestible for front end developers learning on the go.
Why this course is valuable:
The course is valuable for its advanced focus. It’s meant for people who already have a familiarity with HTML5 and want to take their skills to the next level.
Link: https://www.udemy.com/course/css-basics-to-advanced/
Never stop learning
Front end development is an evolving profession, so even experts will need to continually learn to stay on top of their game. These 6 courses are just a handful of the many out there to learn front end development basics and progress to advanced concepts. If you’re looking to hone your craft, there are a lot of front end developer resources—take advantage of them!
