Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: explain the core components of back-end systems, including client-server communication, HTTP, REST APIs, and data serialization (e.g., JSON); compare different backend environments and describe where Node.js fits in the web development ecosystem; set up and configure Node.js projects using CommonJS or ECMAScript modules; implement asynchronous code using callbacks, Promises, and async/await to handle non-blocking I/O; apply common design patterns (creational, structural, behavioral) to create maintainable and testable applications; develop modular applications using separation of concerns and dependency injection; design and build microservices-based applications with RESTful APIs or message queues (e.g., RabbitMQ, Redis); optimize performance using clustering, caching, middleware, and load distribution strategies; secure applications using JWT-based authentication and proper access controls; and build and document a fully functional, scalable, event-driven backend application that integrates all learned concepts—modularity, microservices, real-time updates, and performance optimization.