WGU D387: Advanced Java
D387 caps WGU's Java sequence with a performance assessment: you extend a Spring Boot back end with an Angular front end to add multithreaded language translation and currency display, then containerize the app with Docker and document a cloud deployment plan, all through a GitLab pipeline.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Western Governors University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The multithreading requirement is the conceptual core, but most lost time is logistics: GitLab setup, pipeline permissions, and Docker friction. Students who clone the repo and get the pipeline running on day one finish in weeks; submissions mostly bounce for missing rubric items, not broken code.
What you'll cover
- • Java multithreading and ExecutorService
- • Spring Boot back-end development
- • Angular front-end integration
- • Docker containerization
- • GitLab pipelines and version control
- • Cloud deployment concepts
The D387 study guide
How to study for WGU D387, step by step.
- 1
Read the rubric and map every task before coding
D387 is graded line by line against its task rubrics. List each requirement (translation, currency, Docker, deployment write-up) as a checkbox before opening the IDE.
- 2
Clone the repo and run the pipeline on day one
GitLab and pipeline friction is this course's documented time sink. A green pipeline in the first session means the rest of the project is just work, not mystery.
- 3
Implement the multithreaded translation deliberately
ExecutorService and resource bundles are the conceptual heart of the PA. Understand why the threads improve the behavior, because the write-up expects you to explain it.
- 4
Containerize early, not last
Build the Docker image as soon as the app runs rather than treating it as a final step. Container surprises found early cost hours; found at the deadline they cost weeks.
- 5
Audit the rubric, then submit
Walk every task requirement and required screenshot before submitting. Revisions are free, and rubric misses (not code quality) are the usual return reason.
Today
Today's D387 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for D387. Yours is built from your own syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is WGU D387 hard?
The code itself is moderate if D286-D288 went fine; the friction is GitLab, pipelines, and Docker setup. Students who get the environment running on day one report 2-4 week finishes.
What do you build in D387?
You extend a provided Spring Boot and Angular application with multithreaded language translation and currency display, containerize it with Docker, and document a cloud deployment plan.
Does D387 have an exam?
No. It's a performance assessment submitted through GitLab. Check every rubric line before submitting; incomplete requirements are the top reason submissions come back.
More WGU courses
D287: Java Frameworks
D287 moves from core Java into Spring Boot: you take a provided starter application and extend it to meet business requirements, working with MVC structure, controllers, and templates. It's assessed as a performance assessment: a working project submission, not an exam.
D386: Hardware and Operating Systems Essentials
D386 grounds WGU's software engineering students in how machines run their code: computer architecture, memory and storage technologies, operating system functions, virtualization, RAID, and cloud and networking basics. It ends in an OA.
D288: Back-End Programming
D288 is the project course where WGU software students build a real back end: a Spring Boot REST application wired to a provided MySQL database and Angular front end, developed in the WGU lab environment with IntelliJ. It's assessed as a performance assessment, not an exam.
D480: Software Design and Quality Assurance
D480 covers software design and QA practice through two scenario-based performance assessment tasks: a software design plan responding to a business ticket, and a quality assurance test plan for the proposed change. It's writing-heavy: documents, not code.