Django Web Framework is an open-source Python web framework used to build web applications. It is fast, reliable, scalable, reusable, and secure, making it extremely suitable for Python developers and experts to create high-performance apps.
According to a Stackoverflow report in 2020, Django is the 10th most popular framework, along with Flask, another powerful Python microframework.
Thus, if you already master Python, adding Django to your skillset is a solid choice. A Python Django developer in the United States makes $117,673 a year on average, based on Ziprecruiter’s survey.
Django is not too difficult to excel, though you are a beginner in programming. If you complete a high-quality Django course, you will be able to build a Django web application of your own.
Things You Should Know
Each course has different prerequisites. For instance, some may require nothing, while some may ask you to have Python knowledge along with basic web development skills. Thus, make sure you read the details of each course clearly.
However, I still believe that for beginners to learn Django smoothly, you should take one full Python course and another HTML and CSS.
Although online courses are beneficial, you will often use documentation from the Django Software Foundation for clarification. You can access it by clicking on this link.
Finally, I would like to disclose that this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I will receive a small commission from online learning platforms. I promise I will use this income to improve my website and provide better content for my visitors.
Best Online Django Courses
1. Django for Everybody Specialization
If you want to take a comprehensive course on Django, this specialization from the University of Michigan is one of the best options available. You will learn from Charles Russell Severance, a clinical professor at the School of Information.
You will build and deploy a full Django web application like web developers. However, you can’t take this course as an absolute beginner as you need a good understanding of Python to proceed.
Course Content
This specialization can be separated into 4 minor courses:
1. Web Application Technologies and Django: This course will teach you the fundamental concepts of web apps. You will understand how web apps interact with browsers, the concepts of HTTP request/response cycle, MVC pattern, and its relationship to Django.
2. Building Web Applications in Django: You will start by learning more about data models to figure out how Django communicates with the database.
The instructor will then explain the concept of object-relational Mapping for database access, basic SQL, database modeling in Django models, and many more.
3. Django Features and Libraries: Course 3 will teach you how to build an application to support a website. Instructors will provide an overview of cookies, sessions, and authentication processes in the Django app.
Several techniques that help solve problems and accelerate development will be discussed as well.
Finally, you will understand how developers move their apps from the development to the production stage.
4. Using JavaScript, jQuery, JSON in Django: In course 4, you will continue to build your application from the last course. You will add multiple features such as search and interactivity to it by utilizing JavaScript, jQuery, and JSON.
The instructor recommends that you spend 3 hours a week for 5 months in this specialization, while the monthly payment is $39.
Comments and Tips
This is the Django course that you don’t want to miss. The curriculum is very well-structured. You start from the theoretical side and build upon that knowledge to create a complete web application of your own.
The workload of this specialization is very manageable. You will not have to worry about being unable to catch up with the course at all.
You could try this full course for 7 days completely free.
Interesting note: You could take this specialization on the edX platform as well. There is no major difference between the two. However, you will have to pay course fees all at once on the edX platform.
Course Length: 5 Months
Ratings: 4.8/5.0
Access: Monthly
2. Django: Getting Started
This tutorial series on PluralSight is a top choice for students who want to learn Django. You will learn with Reindert-Jan Ekker, an instructor with more than a decade of experience teaching and creating courses for new programmers.
Course Content:
- Introduction to Django: You will install Django and start a project
- Creating a simple website: In this part, you will learn about the control flow and use the Django template to create an HTML page.
- Setting up a database model: You will learn about model classes and migrations so that you can store and retrieve your data.
- MTV Pattern: The instructor will teach you about the MTV Pattern (Models, Views, Templates), which is a core pattern of the Django framework
- Adding CSS Styling and images to your website
- Adding user interaction features
You have to subscribe to PluralSight to access this tutorial. The price tag is $19 monthly or $159 yearly. In addition to this Django class, you can access more than 7,500 tutorials and courses on the PluralSight platform.
Comments and Tips
This tutorial is great for students to learn Django essentials. You will understand how to use the Django framework to build simple websites.
However, I believe the class is too brief (only 2.5 hours of content) for anyone new to web development to master Django. You might have to find other Django courses to improve your skills further.
Course Length: 2.5 Hours
Access: Monthly or Yearly
3. Django 3 – Full Stack Websites with Python Web Development (Udemy)
This Udemy course is a great blend of simplicity and practicality. You will learn Django 3 (the latest version of the framework) from Nick Walter, a programmer who has strong mobile and web development experience.
Nick will teach you in the form of project guidance. He will guide you to build as many as 3 real-world sites by using Django along with HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap.
Course Content:
- Python Review (Variables, Lists, Loops, Classes, etc.)
- Project 1: Creating a simple password generator site. You will work with Django URL routing, create templates, and deal with HTML form data.
- Project 2: Personal Portfolio and Blog: You will create models, work with databases, manage users, access the admin interface, and work with files. You will use Bootstrap 4 to make your site responsive.
- Project 3: Todo Woo: You will build a more complicated web app that users can sign up to manage their todo-list. Nick will teach you how to create an authentication system, virtual environment, CRUD application, and many more.
- Deploy your app to Python Anywhere
Comments and Tips
Nick’s course is interesting and useful. It is one of the few online courses that teaches Django 3 concisely and insightfully. The content is not too brief, so learners will be taught adequate web technologies to further develop their own websites.
If you have an opportunity to buy this Udemy course at a discount, never hesitate!
Course Length: 8.5 Hours
Ratings: 4.6/5.0
Students: 9,900+
Access: Lifetime
4. Python and Django Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp (Udemy)
This course on Udemy was created by Jose Portilla, head of data science at Pierian Data Inc.
Despite its name, this course is more like a web development course. Jose will start teaching with core web programming skills, then Python and Django. You will complete several exercises and projects along the way.
You won’t need any basics to start learning. If you want to build a firm web app without prior experience, this is your top choice.
Course Content
- A crash course on HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery (10 hrs+ of content here)
- A summary on Bootstrap
- Python and OOP revisit
- Django basics: URL Mappings, Templates
- Models and MTV Paradigm
- Django Forms, Relative URLs and Template Filters
- Adding user authentication
- Deployment to Python Anywhere
- Customization of Django admin
- Real-world Project: Building a blog and a social media site
- and many more
Comments and Tips
Jose’s course is unarguably one of the most comprehensive Django courses available. He is an excellent instructor (I took more than 2 courses with him.) His teachings are easy to follow and understand. The content and resources provided are superior to most courses and tutorials.
However, there is a significant drawback. Jose has not provided updates for almost two years. Thus, this course still teaches Django 1.11, while the most recent version of the framework is Django 3!
Thus, you have to search for the updated information on the documentation a lot, which can be very frustrating for many students.
Course Length: 32 Hours
Ratings: 4.6/5.0
Students: 141,200+
Access: Lifetime
5. Build a Backend REST API with Python & Django (Udemy)
This Udemy course by Mark Winterbottom and Brooke Rutherford is separated into two parts. You have to buy BOTH of them to access all materials.
In both courses, you will create a Backend REST API using Python and Django. If you are familiar with any programming language, the command line tools, and Django, you are free to start learning.
On the other hand, if you are a beginner, you will not be ready to take the courses.
Course Content:
Beginner Part:
- Set up your development environment, projects, databases and your Django app
- Creating API Views and a serializer. You will also add several methods to them.
- Creating and Testing viewsets
- Build Profiles, Log In and Profile Feed API
- Deploy to AWS
Advanced Part:
- Installation of all necessary technologies and Django Admin
- Install Travis CI to automate code checking
- Introduction to Test Driven Development
- Configuration of Django custom user model (normalize email address, create super users, add validation for email fields, etc.)
- Create User API and tags endpoint, add ingredients and recipe model
- Add Filtering
After you finish all the lessons, you will be ready to build a REST API with Django REST Framework and Docker, the backbone of every successful web app. You will be fully-equipped to build real-world Django applications like other developers.
Comments and Tips
These two courses are beneficial for both new and experienced developers alike, but advanced developers might want to take only the advanced part alone.
Still, I think the content is too short to justify separating it into two courses. Many reviewers also pointed out that the courses are more advanced than the course description suggests (especially the beginner part.)
Total Length: 5 hrs (beginner), 8 hrs (advanced)
Ratings: 4.5/5.0 (Both)
Students: 16,000+ (Both)
Access: Lifetime
More Django Courses
If there are new high-quality Django courses, I will update them here for your further consideration.
