Course Title:

Mastering SQL: From Fundamentals to Advanced Data Queries

Course Description:

This comprehensive course is designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively interact with relational databases using SQL (Structured Query Language). Covering everything from basic queries to advanced data manipulation, the course combines theory with hands-on practice to ensure learners gain practical and job-ready SQL skills.

---

Course Duration:

4–6 Weeks (can be customized)
Delivery Format: In-person / Online / Hybrid
Level: Beginner to Intermediate/Advanced
Target Audience:

• Students and professionals interested in data

• Aspiring data analysts and data scientists

• Backend developers and database administrators

• Business analysts and decision-makers

---

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand relational database concepts and structures

• Write SQL queries to retrieve, filter, sort, and analyze data

• Perform joins across multiple tables

• Use aggregate functions and subqueries for data analysis

• Create and manage database objects like tables, views, and indexes

• Understand and apply data integrity and normalization principles

• Write optimized and secure SQL queries for performance

---

Course Outline:

---

Module 1: Introduction to Databases and SQL

• What is a database?

• Types of databases (Relational vs Non-relational)

• Introduction to RDBMS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite)

• SQL vs NoSQL

• Introduction to SQL syntax

Practical:

• Installing and connecting to a local or cloud-based RDBMS

• Creating your first table and running a basic query

---

Module 2: Data Retrieval – SELECT Queries

• Basic SELECT statements

• Filtering data with WHERE

• Using logical operators (AND, OR, NOT)

• Sorting results with ORDER BY

• Working with LIMIT and OFFSET

Practical:

• Querying a sample employee database

• Product catalog search queries

---

Module 3: Working with Different Data Types

• SQL data types: integers, floats, strings, dates, etc.

• Formatting output

• Type casting and conversions

• NULL values and handling missing data

Practical:

• Filtering products by price/date

• Creating reports with formatted data

---

Module 4: Data Filtering and Advanced Operators

• Using BETWEEN, IN, LIKE, and pattern matching

• Wildcards and case sensitivity

• Conditional logic with CASE and IF

Practical:

• Sales data filtering and segmentation

• Categorizing customer types based on purchase volume

---

Module 5: Aggregate Functions and Grouping

• Using COUNT(), SUM(), AVG(), MIN(), MAX()

• Grouping data with GROUP BY

• Filtering grouped data with HAVING

Practical:

• Sales performance report by region

• Average order value per customer

---

Module 6: Multi-table Queries – JOINs

• Understanding primary and foreign keys

• INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL OUTER JOIN

• Joining more than two tables

• Self-joins and aliasing

Practical:

• Customer order tracking system

• Employee and department hierarchy report

---

Module 7: Subqueries and Nested SELECTs

• Writing subqueries in WHERE, FROM, and SELECT clauses

• Correlated vs non-correlated subqueries

• Common use cases and performance considerations

Practical:

• Retrieving top-performing products

• Customers with orders above the average value

---

Module 8: Data Modification – INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE

• Inserting new records into a table

• Updating existing data

• Deleting records safely

• Using transactions for multiple changes

Practical:

• Populating a customer table

• Bulk updating product pricing

---

Module 9: Database Design and Normalization

• Principles of normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF)

• Designing efficient relational tables

• Data integrity and constraints

• Understanding indexes and performance tuning

Practical:

• Designing a normalized database schema

• Applying constraints to ensure data integrity

---

Module 10: Views, Indexes, and Stored Procedures (Optional Advanced Module)

• Creating and using views

• Index creation and optimization

• Introduction to stored procedures and functions

• Understanding execution plans

Practical:

• Creating a view for monthly sales summaries

• Indexing a large product table for faster queries

---

Capstone Project (Optional/Final Assessment):

Participants apply their skills to design and query a database for a real-world scenario such as:

• E-commerce order management system

• School or student management system

• Hospital patient record system

---

Assessment and Certification:

• Module-end quizzes

• Mini SQL challenges

• Final capstone project

• Certificate of Completion upon passing

---

Tools and Platforms:

• MySQL / PostgreSQL / SQLite

• SQL Playground tools (like DB Fiddle, SQLBolt, Mode Analytics)

• pgAdmin / DBeaver for GUI interaction

---

Resources Provided:

• Sample datasets for practice

• Query cheat sheets

• ER diagram templates

• Course slides and downloadable materials

• GitHub repository with project templates