A Brain & Bot course · Self-paced · Free

Database Design & SQL

Build the databases that power the digital world. In 15 weeks you go from your first query to a live database-driven application running on your own domain. Not theory — the essential skills you need.

Course at a glance

Seven decision questions, taught with real databases (Access → Oracle APEX → MySQL on your own Hostinger site → PostgreSQL). Click a card to jump to that topic.

DECISION 1
"How does data live in tables?"
Tables, Keys, Basic SQL in Access & APEX
Week 2
DECISION 2
"How do I get the data I need?"
SELECT, JOINs, Subqueries, CTEs
Weeks 3, 9
DECISION 3
"How do I design a DB that won't break?"
ERD/EER, Normalization 0NF–3NF
Weeks 4–6
DECISION 4
"How do I enforce business rules?"
Constraints, Triggers, Stored Procedures
Week 6
DECISION 5
"Operations or analytics?"
Data Warehouses, ETL, Dimensional Modeling
Week 10
DECISION 6
"How do I put a database online?"
MySQL on Hostinger, PostgreSQL on Aiven, PHP APIs
Weeks 11, 13–14
DECISION 7
"What's next for databases?"
PWA, Oracle APEX, HTAP, AI-assisted dev
Week 13
CAPSTONE
"Ship a real database"
Six end-to-end industry simulations
Throughout

📊 What you walk away with

50+ SQL queries written from memory · 3 portfolio projects · 1 live website on your own domain · 100+ hours of hands-on database work — material you can point a hiring manager at.

About this course

Self-paced. Free (modulo a small Hostinger fee for Phase 2 if you want a live deployment). Pick whichever sections matter to you.

Who this course is for

Anyone who wants to actually build databases — analysts, engineers moving toward data work, founders, MBAs, product managers, or curious learners. No prior database experience is assumed; comfort with spreadsheets and basic logic gets you started.

What the course covers

An in-depth tour of database design and SQL programming. Covers entity-relationship modeling, normalization, SQL DDL/DML/TCL, advanced querying, transaction management, and connectivity with programming languages. Through hands-on exercises and projects, you'll learn to design efficient and secure databases, write simple and complex SQL queries, optimize performance, and manage data in real-world scenarios.

Why this matters

💡 Every company is a data company now:

  • Netflix: 200M users × viewing history = recommendation engine
  • Amazon: 300M products × inventory = instant delivery
  • Healthcare: patient records + privacy = life-saving decisions

You're not just learning SQL. You're learning to build the infrastructure that powers modern business.

What you'll learn

By the end you'll be able to:

  1. Design efficient relational database schemas using entity-relationship modeling and normalization.
  2. Write and optimize complex SQL queries to retrieve and manipulate data.
  3. Develop database objects — views, stored procedures, triggers — to implement business logic and ensure integrity.
  4. Apply principles of security, transaction management, and performance optimization.
  5. Solve real-world data management challenges using appropriate design and SQL techniques.
Materials & tools

Phase 1 — Learning the basics (free)

  • Microsoft Access (Office 365)Visual training ground for the first couple of weeks.
  • Oracle APEXFree Oracle Cloud workspace — no install, runs in your browser. Used by Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Phase 2 — Building your portfolio (small investment, optional)

  • Hostinger Hosting~$36 for a full semester — includes a domain (YourName.com), MySQL database, and one-click installs. Yours to keep — a permanent professional asset.

Optional but recommended (free)

How to use this course

Two ways to work through it:

  1. Follow the schedule. The 15-week plan is a suggested rhythm — go faster or slower as you like. Each week ties to one of the seven decision questions.
  2. Browse by topic. If you have a specific question ("how do I design an audit trigger?"), jump straight to that decision page.

The integrative cases at the end are where you stitch techniques together against realistic company-style data. HealthOne and Planet Fitness are the canonical end-to-end builds — pick one and ship it.

Using AI tools responsibly

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot are great pair-programming partners for SQL and database design. Use them — they make this work faster and often catch mistakes you'd miss. A few principles:

  • Learn WITH AI, not FROM AI. Treat it as a coding partner, not a replacement for your thinking.
  • Own your work. You should be able to explain every line of SQL and every design choice.
  • Verify before you trust. AI confidently produces wrong answers. Always run the query and read the result.

If you're working on a real project at work or school, follow your organization's AI policy on top of these principles.