Building Modular Monoliths with .NET 8

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. In this course, you will learn how to develop modular monoliths using .NET 8, a modern approach to building scalable, maintainable, and flexible applications. By the end, you'll be proficient in creating modular monoliths that offer the benefits of both traditional monolithic architectures and microservices, avoiding the pitfalls of both. You'll explore key concepts like vertical slice architecture, dependency injection, domain-driven design (DDD), and clean architecture while gaining practical experience in building modular components. The course begins with an overview of modular monoliths and their advantages over traditional monolithic architectures and microservices. You'll also get a deep dive into the limitations of traditional monoliths and the common issues with microservices architecture, such as technology lock-in and distributed monoliths. After building a solid foundational understanding, you will explore modular monoliths, particularly through the lens of real-world examples such as Shopify's architecture and Amazon's transition from microservices back to a monolithic structure. Moving forward, you will dive into creating a complete modular monolith solution, beginning with setting up project structures, establishing folder hierarchies, and organizing dependencies. You'll explore the various layers and modules of the application, ensuring that each module is developed with best practices for scalability and maintainability. Special attention is given to domain modeling using DDD, implementing CQRS, and structuring APIs to achieve separation of concerns while optimizing for modularity. This course is perfect for developers looking to transition from traditional monoliths to modular architectures or those seeking a robust understanding of .NET-based modular monoliths. No prior experience with .NET 8 is required, though a basic understanding of C# and software development principles will be helpful. Whether you're working on large-scale enterprise applications or smaller projects, this course provides the tools and techniques to design and implement a highly maintainable and scalable solution.