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Java for beginners

Java for beginners is a free, beginner online course from Herizon.

A hands-on beginner course for a junior Java role in Finland. Install a free JDK 25, write your first programs, learn classes and collections, read a Maven or Gradle build and serve your first Spring Boot 4 endpoint.

You finish with Java, Spring Boot and Object-Oriented Programming added to your Herizon profile.

Free · 30 min read · certificate when you pass the quiz · part of Technical founder · last updated 28 October 2026

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Free account, about two minutes. You can join if you live in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, or a partner organisation invited you.

Already have an account? Open it in the portal

A look inside the course

  • Step 1: Three coffee shop orders become a Java program, then a web endpoint that returns them as JSON
  • Step 2: Java ads usually name a frontend, a cloud and a CI/CD tool next to Java
  • Step 3: Two ads ask for fluent Finnish and English, others are in English, none is entry level
How page 1 starts: Why Java and what Finnish ads ask for

Amina is a career switcher in Tampere, a made-up worked example. She wants a junior Java developer job. To get ready she builds one small project, step by step: the order list of a coffee shop. It starts as three orders in a plain program and ends as a web endpoint that returns them. You build your own next to her.

It takes about 30 min of reading, plus exercises, a short quiz and a practice task. It teaches Java, Spring Boot and Object-Oriented Programming. Pass the short quiz at the end to get a certificate.

What you will be able to do

  • A free JDK 25 installed and checked
  • A Java program with variables, a loop, methods, a class and a list
  • A Spring Boot 4 endpoint that returns JSON
  • A clear picture of what Finnish Java ads ask for next to Java
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Who it is for

Time per page: 20 to 30 minutes Whole course: 4 to 6 hours with the practice project (11 pages, at your own speed) This is for you if you are: - Changing career towards software development - Aiming at a junior Java or Spring Boot role - A student who wants one clear path through the first steps You need a laptop where you can install software. You do not need to know how to code. ---

The situation you work through

Amina, a made-up career switcher in Tampere preparing for a junior Java developer job, builds the order list of a coffee shop: three orders (coffee beans 12 euros, tea 8 euros, mug 15 euros) in a plain Java program, then as a class and a list, then as a Spring Boot 4 endpoint that returns them as JSON.

Your practice task

Build your own order list for a small made-up business with three items and whole-euro prices. Write a classic Java program with a record, an ArrayList, a method that returns the total and a method that counts expensive items. Then generate a Spring Boot 4 project on Spring Initializr with Java 25 and add a controller that returns your items as JSON on /orders. Submit your Orders.java file, your record and controller file, the JSON your endpoint returned, and three sentences on what went wrong, how you fixed it and what you would learn next.

Key topics

  1. Why Java and what Finnish ads ask for
  2. Install a free JDK 25
  3. IntelliJ IDEA and your first program
  4. Variables and types
  5. Decisions and loops
  6. Methods

and 5 more pages

What you get when you pass

A certificate with your name, the course and the date. Sharing it is your choice. If you share it, it has a public link that anyone can open to check it, and you can add it to LinkedIn.

Common questions about Java for beginners

Is Java for beginners free?
Yes. The course is free with a Herizon account, and the account is free too.
How long does Java for beginners take?
It takes about 30 min of reading, plus exercises, a short quiz and a practice task. You can stop and continue later, because the portal keeps your place.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the short quiz at the end to get a certificate you can share, for example on LinkedIn.
What do I need to start?
A free Herizon account. The course is written at beginner level.
Who can join Herizon?
You can join if you live in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, or a partner organisation invited you.
Who is Java for beginners for?
Time per page: 20 to 30 minutes Whole course: 4 to 6 hours with the practice project (11 pages, at your own speed) This is for you if you are: - Changing career towards software development - Aiming at a junior Java or Spring Boot role - A student who wants one clear path through the first steps You need a laptop where you can install software. You do not need to know how to code. ---

Start Java for beginners free

Start this course free

Common questions about Java for beginners

Is Java for beginners free?
Yes. The course is free with a Herizon account, and the account is free too.
How long does Java for beginners take?
It takes about 30 min of reading, plus exercises, a short quiz and a practice task. You can stop and continue later, because the portal keeps your place.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the short quiz at the end to get a certificate you can share, for example on LinkedIn.
What do I need to start?
A free Herizon account. The course is written at beginner level.
Who can join Herizon?
You can join if you live in the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland, or a partner organisation invited you.
Who is Java for beginners for?
Time per page: 20 to 30 minutes Whole course: 4 to 6 hours with the practice project (11 pages, at your own speed) This is for you if you are: - Changing career towards software development - Aiming at a junior Java or Spring Boot role - A student who wants one clear path through the first steps You need a laptop where you can install software. You do not need to know how to code. ---

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