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SQLBeginner

SQL Core

Foundations for Data Careers

13 hours78 lessons Self-study
2 viewed this week5.0 (78)
EE
Emmanuel Edegbo

Lead Data Engineer & Architect

About this course

Master the fundamentals of SQL querying, filtering, joining, and aggregation. Build a solid foundation for any data career path using real-world retail and compliance datasets.

SQL is the universal language of relational data — used in every enterprise data platform from compliance systems to BI tools. It remains foundational because before any insight is built or model trained, data must first be queried correctly.

Who this course is for

  • ✓Career switchers entering data roles — analyst, BI developer, junior data engineer
  • ✓Working professionals who need to query data confidently — PMs, ops, finance, marketing, audit
  • ✓Junior data analysts filling gaps in their SQL fundamentals
  • ✓BI developers who learned reporting tools first and want solid query skills underneath

Who this course is NOT for

  • ✗Experienced data engineers — SQL Core is foundational; start at SQL Applied or SQL Professional
  • ✗Database administrators — this course teaches querying, not server administration
  • ✗Anyone wanting JavaScript, Python, or web-development first — different tracks exist for that

How you'll learn

  • →Each chapter follows the same rhythm: concept → formal syntax → worked example → expected output → hands-on lab
  • →Every lab runs in your browser against the real SalesLT and ComplianceLT datasets — no local install needed
  • →Auto-graded labs give instant feedback; AI-graded Professional Challenges give rubric-based scores in seconds
  • →Module Readiness Checks at the end of every chapter confirm you're solid before moving on
  • →Course discussion lets you ask the instructor and other learners questions inline with each lesson

By the end of this course, you'll be able to

  • ✓Read and write professional SELECT queries against any relational database
  • ✓Filter, sort, group, and aggregate data with confidence
  • ✓Diagnose NULL behaviour, type coercion, and other beginner traps before they bite
  • ✓Combine result sets with UNION and translate business questions into SQL independently
  • ✓Document and defend your queries to non-technical stakeholders

Course at a glance

11
Chapters
78
Lessons
13h
Estimated time
Self-study
Format

Datasets used

SalesLTRetail dataset — products, orders, customers, pricing. Used for revenue analysis and customer-segmentation examples.
ComplianceLTBanking compliance dataset — accounts, transactions, risk ratings, alerts. Used for risk-monitoring and reconciliation examples.

Tools you'll need

  • •SQL Server Management Studio (Windows)
  • •DBeaver Community Edition (Windows / macOS / Linux)

What you get when you enrol

  • ✓Lifetime access to every lesson, exercise, and update — including future revisions to this course.
  • ✓12-month Azure SQL practice access against the same datasets used in the course (read-only). Renews on request for active learners.
  • ✓Auto-graded labs in your browser — write SQL, hit Run, get instant feedback against the expected result.
  • ✓AI-graded Professional Challenges — open-ended scenarios reviewed against a published rubric, not just a single right answer.
  • ✓Course discussion + community — talk to other learners and ask the instructor questions inside the course.
  • ✓Basic Certificate on demonstrated capability — awarded when you complete every Hands-On Lab and Module Readiness Check, plus the Professional Challenges. Confirms you can write, run, and defend course-level SQL against real datasets.
  • ✓Optional Advanced Certificate on completion of SQL Core multi-project— a separate credential awarded when you complete all three capstone projects, each independently assessed and approved by an instructor. Each project is end-to-end query engineering against a real brief with defined acceptance criteria — proves competence at a level an employer can actually evaluate. The Basic Certificate alone confirms course mastery; the Advanced Certificate confirms you can deliver.
  • ✓Optional live training upgrade — instructor-led cohort sessions with capped capacity, sold separately.

What you'll learn

  • ✓Write SELECT statements with filtering, sorting, and aggregation
  • ✓Join tables using INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, and FULL OUTER joins
  • ✓Use GROUP BY and HAVING to summarise data
  • ✓Work with subqueries and common table expressions
  • ✓Understand database design and normalisation basics
  • ✓Complete a real-world capstone project against an unfamiliar dataset (HRPro) — proving you can apply Core SQL skills to a schema you have not seen before

Who this is for

Project managersSoftware testersProgramme managersBusiness analystsAspiring data analystsData engineersProduct ownersRecruitersCyber security professionalsData scientists

Curriculum

78 lessons · 13h 28m
1. Course Orientation3 lessons
2. Structured Query Language9 lessons
3. The SELECT Statement10 lessons
4. Filtering Data10 lessons
5. Sorting & Limiting Results7 lessons
6. Aggregation — GROUP BY & HAVING7 lessons
7. Scalar Functions11 lessons
8. CASE Expressions9 lessons
9. Combining Result Sets with UNION9 lessons
10. Capstone Project — HRPro Workforce Snapshot2 lessons
11. SQL Core Cheat Sheet1 lessons

Prerequisites

  • •No prior SQL experience required
  • •Basic computer literacy

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