diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index f16861cc68..19c602091d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
         <module>spring-mvc-no-xml</module>
         <module>spring-mvc-xml</module>
         <module>spring-openid</module>
+        <module>spring-protobuf</module>
         <module>spring-quartz</module>
         <module>spring-rest</module>
 
diff --git a/spring-protobuf/pom.xml b/spring-protobuf/pom.xml
index 28338f26c3..1275d72edf 100644
--- a/spring-protobuf/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-protobuf/pom.xml
@@ -40,4 +40,19 @@
 			<version>4.5.2</version>
 		</dependency>
 	</dependencies>
+
+	<build>
+		<plugins>
+
+			<plugin>
+				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+				<version>3.3</version>
+				<configuration>
+					<source>1.8</source>
+					<target>1.8</target>
+				</configuration>
+			</plugin>
+		</plugins>
+	</build>
 </project>
diff --git a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/Application.java b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/Application.java
index 38a49367a3..ce5453af61 100644
--- a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/Application.java
+++ b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/Application.java
@@ -1,23 +1,23 @@
 package com.baeldung.protobuf;
 
+import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
+import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student;
+import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student.PhoneNumber;
+import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student.PhoneType;
+import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
+import org.springframework.http.converter.protobuf.ProtobufHttpMessageConverter;
+import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;
+
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
-import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
-import org.springframework.http.converter.protobuf.ProtobufHttpMessageConverter;
-import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;
-
-import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
-import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student;
-import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student.PhoneNumber;
-import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Student.PhoneType;
-
 @SpringBootApplication
 public class Application {
+
     @Bean
     RestTemplate restTemplate(ProtobufHttpMessageConverter hmc) {
         return new RestTemplate(Arrays.asList(hmc));
@@ -29,21 +29,28 @@ public class Application {
     }
 
     @Bean
-    public CourseRepository createDummyCourses() {
-        Map<Integer, Course> dummy = new HashMap<>();
-        
-        Course course1 = Course.newBuilder().setId(1).setCourseName("REST with Spring").addAllStudent(createDummyStudents()).build();
-        Course course2 = Course.newBuilder().setId(2).setCourseName("Learn Spring Security").addAllStudent(new ArrayList<Student>()).build();
-        
-        dummy.put(course1.getId(), course1);
-        dummy.put(course2.getId(), course2);
-        
-        return new CourseRepository(dummy);
+    public CourseRepository createStubCourses() {
+        Map<Integer, Course> courses = new HashMap<>();
+
+        Course course1 = Course.newBuilder()
+                .setId(1)
+                .setCourseName("REST with Spring")
+                .addAllStudent(createStubStudents())
+                .build();
+
+        Course course2 = Course.newBuilder()
+                .setId(2)
+                .setCourseName("Learn Spring Security")
+                .addAllStudent(new ArrayList<>())
+                .build();
+
+        courses.put(course1.getId(), course1);
+        courses.put(course2.getId(), course2);
+
+        return new CourseRepository(courses);
     }
 
-    private List<Student> createDummyStudents() {
-        List<Student> studentList = new ArrayList<>();
-
+    private List<Student> createStubStudents() {
         PhoneNumber phone1 = createPhone("123456", PhoneType.MOBILE);
         Student student1 = createStudent(1, "John", "Doe", "john.doe@baeldung.com", Arrays.asList(phone1));
 
@@ -54,8 +61,7 @@ public class Application {
         PhoneNumber phone3_2 = createPhone("456789", PhoneType.LANDLINE);
         Student student3 = createStudent(3, "Jane", "Doe", "jane.doe@baeldung.com", Arrays.asList(phone3_1, phone3_2));
 
-        studentList.addAll(Arrays.asList(student1, student2, student3));
-        return studentList;
+        return Arrays.asList(student1, student2, student3);
     }
 
     private Student createStudent(int id, String firstName, String lastName, String email, List<PhoneNumber> phones) {
diff --git a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseController.java b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseController.java
index 027f296fa2..807b9a9ea4 100644
--- a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseController.java
+++ b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseController.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
 
 @RestController
 public class CourseController {
+
     @Autowired
     CourseRepository courseRepo;
 
diff --git a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseRepository.java b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseRepository.java
index aa00b2a850..60f24abf93 100644
--- a/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseRepository.java
+++ b/spring-protobuf/src/main/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/CourseRepository.java
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 package com.baeldung.protobuf;
 
-import java.util.Map;
-
 import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
 
+import java.util.Map;
+
 public class CourseRepository {
-    Map<Integer, Course> courses;
+
+    private final Map<Integer, Course> courses;
     
     public CourseRepository (Map<Integer, Course> courses) {
         this.courses = courses;
diff --git a/spring-protobuf/src/test/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/ApplicationTest.java b/spring-protobuf/src/test/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/ApplicationTest.java
index 026fa04fa2..a17082cea7 100644
--- a/spring-protobuf/src/test/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/ApplicationTest.java
+++ b/spring-protobuf/src/test/java/com/baeldung/protobuf/ApplicationTest.java
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 package com.baeldung.protobuf;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.InputStream;
-
+import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
+import com.googlecode.protobuf.format.JsonFormat;
 import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
-
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.SpringApplicationConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.WebIntegrationTest;
@@ -15,20 +15,19 @@ import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;
 
-import org.junit.Test;
-import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
 
-import com.baeldung.protobuf.BaeldungTraining.Course;
-import com.googlecode.protobuf.format.JsonFormat;
-
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 
 @RunWith(SpringJUnit4ClassRunner.class)
 @SpringApplicationConfiguration(classes = Application.class)
 @WebIntegrationTest
 public class ApplicationTest {
+
     private static final String COURSE1_URL = "http://localhost:8080/courses/1";
+
     @Autowired
     private RestTemplate restTemplate;