Chapter 1: Introduction to MERN Stack

• What is MERN?
• Why MERN over other stacks?
• Real-world use cases

Chapter 2: Environment Setup

• Installing Node.js, npm/yarn
• JavaScript fundamentals (based on candidate needs)
• Installing MongoDB (local or Atlas)
• Git & GitHub basics
• Maintaining a clean and structured repo

Chapter 3: Node.js Fundamentals

• Event-driven architecture
• File system, HTTP, modules
• CommonJS vs ES modules

Chapter 4: Express.js Basics

• Creating REST APIs
• Routing and middleware
• Using Postman

Chapter 5: MongoDB with Mongoose

• CRUD with MongoDB
• Mongoose schemas and models
• Using MongoDB Atlas & Compass

Chapter 6: Authentication & Authorization

• JWT (JSON Web Tokens)
• Middleware for protected routes
• Role-based access

Chapter 7: Advanced Express Features

• Error handling
• File uploads (Multer)
• Pagination, filtering, searching
• MVC pattern structure

Chapter 8: React Fundamentals

• JSX, Components, Props, State
• Functional vs Class components
• Event handling

Chapter 9: React Hooks & Forms

• useState, useEffect, useRef, useContext
• Controlled vs uncontrolled forms
• Form validation

Chapter 10: Routing & Navigation

• React Router v6
• PrivateRoute protection
• Redirects and nested routes

Chapter 11: State Management

• Lifting state up
• Context API
• Redux Toolkit (RTK)

Chapter 12: Connecting React to Node/Express

• Using fetch/axios
• Proxy configuration in React
• Async request/response handling

Chapter 13: Authentication Frontend

• Login/Register UI
• JWT handling on frontend
• Protected routes

Chapter 14: File Uploads & Image Handling

• Upload from React
• Store on Cloudinary or local server
• Previewing uploaded images

Chapter 15: App Optimization

• Code splitting
• Lazy loading
• Performance tuning

Chapter 16: Deployment (Optional)

• Deploy frontend: Netlify, Vercel
• Deploy backend: Render, Railway, Heroku
• MongoDB Atlas setup
• Environment variables with .env

Chapter 17: Fullstack Project

• Choose project: eCommerce, Blog, Gigs App, Task Manager
• Frontend + Backend + MongoDB/MySQL
• Live project debugging and optimization

Chapter 18: Role-Based Access Control

• Admin vs user roles
• Route and UI restrictions

Chapter 19: Testing Basics

• Unit testing with Jest
• API testing with Postman/Supertest

Chapter 20: WebSockets & Real-Time (Optional)

• Basics of Socket.io
• Real-time chat or notification system