The University of Helsinki supplementary courses
Additional TypeScript, Relational Databases courses
Dive even deeper Into Modern Web Development
The University of Helsinki has long been a pioneer in online education, offering high-quality, free courses that empower developers worldwide. Building on the success of its Full Stack Open program, the university now provides supplementary courses covering essential technologies like TypeScript, Relational Databases, GraphQL, and React Native. These courses are designed for those who want to deepen their expertise in modern web development, bridging the gap between foundational knowledge and advanced real-world applications. Whether you're looking to refine your TypeScript skills, master database design, or explore mobile development with React Native, these courses offer a structured and hands-on learning experience.
The Typescript (Part 9)
The TypeScript section of the University of Helsinki's supplementary courses provides a deep dive into one of the most widely used typed languages in modern web development. TypeScript, an open-source superset of JavaScript developed by Microsoft, enhances JavaScript by introducing static types, improving code maintainability, and reducing runtime errors.
The TypeScript course content
In this part, learners will build end-to-end features within an existing ecosystem, working with a predefined codebase and linters while writing TypeScript. The course aims to provide hands-on experience in configuring and developing TypeScript-based projects, preparing students for real-world applications.
- Background and Introduction – Understanding the purpose and benefits of TypeScript
- First Steps with TypeScript – Setting up a TypeScript project and learning fundamental concepts
- Implementing TypeScript in a backend environment with Express
- React with Types – Applying TypeScript to React projects for better component safety and reusability
- Grande Finale: Patientor – A comprehensive project where students build a healthcare application using TypeScript
The TypeScript course provided valuable hands-on experience with integrating TypeScript into real-world applications. From setting up a project to typing an Express backend and React components, the course offered practical insights that I now use daily in my job. The structured approach and real-world examples, especially the Patientor project, helped solidify my understanding of TypeScript’s best practices. Learning how to enforce type safety, configure linters, and use libraries like Zod for validation has significantly improved my workflow and code quality.
Using Relational Databases (Part 13)
The relational databases section of the University of Helsinki's supplementary courses provides an in-depth look at SQL-based databases in modern web development. While previous sections focused on NoSQL databases like MongoDB, this part explores relational databases, their resurgence, and how they have adapted to modern scalability challenges. PostgreSQL, the leading open-source relational database, is the primary focus.
The Relational Databases course content
In this section, learners will work with relational databases in Node.js applications, focusing on PostgreSQL. The course covers essential database concepts, from setting up Sequelize as an ORM to handling migrations and complex queries.
- Using relational databases with Sequelize – Setting up Sequelize and interacting with PostgreSQL
- Join tables and queries – Understanding relationships between tables and writing optimized queries
- Migrations and many-to-many relationships – Structuring data efficiently and managing schema changes
This course provided me with essential knowledge of relational databases, which I apply in my daily work. Understanding how to design efficient database schemas, write optimized SQL queries, and manage migrations has significantly improved the way I work with backend applications. The focus on PostgreSQL and Sequelize has been particularly valuable, helping me build scalable and maintainable data-driven applications.