10 Best Database Management Courses & Trainings for 2024

Analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, autonomous machines—some of today’s most advanced technologies depend on one fundamental building block: Data. This is why database management is a crucial branch of technology and a promising career path. 

However, the journey to a successful career in database management might seem challenging, given the various routes available for you to take. You can become a data management professional by starting as an SQL programmer, data analyst, cloud architect, or database application designer. You can also specialize in specific databases like Oracle database, IBM DB2, and Amazon RDS. Each of them needs overlapping skills and experiences.

To help you navigate your career in database management, we’ve brought you this guide. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the ten best database management courses and give you the resources to make the best choice for yourself.

What Is Database Management?

Database management is the practice of extracting, organizing, storing and retrieving big data,  with the goal of enabling analysts, data scientists, machine learning specialists, and business users to glean the insights they need. It includes various functions and tasks across the data lifecycle, constantly evolving to adapt to the organization’s needs.

Best Database Management Courses

Below, we’ll detail each online course, who it is ideal for, and what careers it might open up for you.

Introduction to Data Analytics Course – Springboard

Rating

• Course Report: 4.64
• Career Karma: 4.6
• SwitchUp: 4.69
• Average: 4.64

Overview

Springboard’s Introduction to Data Analytics Course is designed to introduce you to fundamental concepts and skills for a career in data analytics. It includes modules in the basics of data analytics, problem-solving frameworks, structured thinking, and data-driven decision-making. It also helps familiarize yourself with popular tools such as Excel. It covers communication and visualization skills to help you present your insights to various executive, technical and non-technical audiences. You will also complete several hands-on projects, get 1-on-1 calls every week with an industry mentor, career coaching, and a job guarantee.

Best For

This course does not need any prior experience or skills in the field, making it suitable for those with any background interested in data analytics. 

Duration

This is a four-week program with the option to complete it at your own pace.

Price

This program costs $349, which can be applied to the tuition fee of the Data Analytics Career Track if you choose to progress to it. 

Database Management Essentials – University of Colorado on Coursera

Rating

4.6 on Coursera with a 95% content rating

Overview

The Database Management Essentials program offered by the University of Colorado on Coursera is designed to help students build the skills for a career in database development, data warehousing, or business intelligence. It includes introductory lessons in databases, database management systems (DBMS), relational data models, querying with SQL, and problem-solving. 

Best For

This is an intermediate-level program, which is part one of a data warehousing for business intelligence specialization. It is best for those with some understanding of databases and SQL.

Duration

This is designed as an eight weeks program. The course lasts 108 hours and can be completed at your own pace. 

Price

You can enroll on Coursera and audit all course material for free. You need to pay for certification. A Coursera subscription costs $59 per month or $399 per year. Financial aid is available.

Become a Database Administrator (Learning Path) – LinkedIn Learning

Rating

4.74 on LinkedIn

Overview

The Become a Database Administrator Learning Path is a program with five sections, each covering introduction to databases, complex data structures, and database administration. The final application development module explores databases’ role in modern apps and building database architectures. In addition to the video lectures, each course includes exercise files for students to practice what they learn. 

Best For

This is a foundational course with no prerequisites. It is best for beginners looking to develop database management skills. 

Duration

The program includes about 12 hours of video content, which can be completed at your own pace.

Price

Each course costs $15-20. You can also get a monthly subscription to LinkedIn learning at $39.99 and access all courses.

Complete SQL and Databases Bootcamp: Zero to Mastery [2022] – Udemy

Rating

Udemy: 4.6

Overview

This bootcamp is structured to help students master SQL for database design and management. It covers an introduction to databases, SQL fundamentals, setting up an environment, querying, privileges and role management, backups, restoration, database performance, security, and more. It includes 24 hours of video, 59 articles, four downloadable resources, and one coding exercise. 

Related Read: 105 SQL Interview Questions

Best For

This program does not require any prior experience and is suitable for beginners. However, understanding SQL is definitely helpful. 

Duration

The course has video lectures of 24hr 22min long, which you can complete at your own pace. You will have lifetime access to all material.

Price

This course is priced at $40, with discounts available. 

Database Management Program (UC San Diego Division Of Extended Studies)

Rating

• Indeed: 4.7
• Switchup: 3
• Course Report: 4.66
• Average: 4.12

Overview

This San Diego University Extended Studies program covers the use of SQL to create, manipulate and generate reports from database data. In this course, you will learn about the following: designing complex databases, data warehousing, client/server environments, transaction processing, and cloud computing architecture. The course also offers electives in web frameworks, UNIX/Linux systems, MongoDB, and LEAN Thinking.

Best For

This program is open to college-prepared working professionals. There are no prerequisites for the program, but any experience in business, IT, or computer science is a bonus. 

Duration

9-12 months

Price

$3,000, not including textbooks or software. While this course is now offered online, in-person modules might cost more.

Data Manipulation with Python – Datacamp

Rating

• Course Report: 4.15
• Switchup: 4.69
• Average: 4.42

Overview

This program offers an in-depth understanding of data manipulation with Python and libraries like Pandas. It includes modules in transforming, aggregating, indexing, and visualizing data frames, merging and combining data with pandas, and the basics of relational databases with Python. It also includes a project exploring the Stanford Open Policing Project database to analyze the impact of gender on police behavior.

Best For

Anyone with an interest in data wrangling and who already has skills in Python. 

Duration

The four modules expect coursework of about 4 hours each, totaling 16 hours.

Price

DataCamp offers subscriptions at $25 a month on average. There are also offers and discounts available for new as well as existing subscribers.

MicroBachelors® Program in Introduction to Databases (NYU on edX)

Rating

N/A

Overview

This NYU MicroBachelors program is an introduction to databases. In this program, you will learn to write SQL queries for creating, reading, updating, and deleting data. You’ll also learn about concepts such as integrity constraints, data models, relational database schema, concurrency control, and database administration. Upon completing this course, you’ll receive a certificate, along with three college credits at Thomas Edison State University, which you can put towards a general elective course. You can also pursue a graduate program in a related field while completing this course. It also covers much of the material assessed on the MySQL 8.0 database developer Oracle-certified professional exam, which you can pursue independently.

Best For

This specialized program is designed for those who understand programming, operating systems, and networking.

Duration

The program is designed to be taken through four months at 6-8 hours per week. However, you can progress at your own pace.

Price

$498, with discounts available.

Become an Oracle Cloud Data Management Foundations Associate (Learning Path) – Oracle University

Rating

• Indeed: 4.5
• Gartner peer sights: 4.9
• Average: 4.7

Overview

This is a foundational program for learning database management, modern application development, and data transformations. The five-hour-long workshop introduces data management platforms and how to architect them to maximize productivity while reducing cost and improving performance, reliability, and network security. You’ll also create an autonomous Oracle database for your practical projects. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to test for the Oracle Cloud Data Management Foundations Associate certification. 

Best For

As a professional certification, it demands foundational knowledge of database management and programming. This course is best for application developers looking to transition to a data-related career.

Duration

The course comprises a workshop of 5 hours and 37 mins and a certification exam of about 90 minutes.

Price

The subscription fee for Oracle Learning is $4995 per year. You can access all available courses and learning paths during this time. 

Database Management System from Scratch – Part 1-4 (Udemy)

Rating

4.6 on Udemy

Overview

The database management system from scratch is a four-part series covering DBMS fundamentals, SQL programming, and transaction processing. Part 1 covers database objects, data models, ER model, relationship terminologies and types, conversion of ER model to a relational database, and functional dependencies. Part 2 covers decomposition, normal forms, operations of relational algebra, joins, and challenges. Part 3 covers SQL, table creation, referential trigger actions, data retrieval, set operations, pattern matching, and concatenation. And part 4 covers transactions, current vs. serial execution, states and properties, schedules, and serializability

Best For 

Anyone who needs to learn database management. However, familiarity with software engineering or computer science will be helpful.

Duration

The four-part program has 38 hours of video lectures and four articles, which can be taken at your own pace. 

Price

Each part costs about $15, with discounts available. 

The Complete SQL Bootcamp 2022: Go from Zero to Hero – Udemy

Rating

• 4.7 on Udemy

Overview

This is a program designed to make you an expert at SQL. It covers an overview of databases, SQL fundamentals, group by statements, joins, advanced commands, creating databases and tables, conditional expressions and procedures, and an extra module on PostgresSQL with Python. It helps you get comfortable with SQL and PostgreSQL, replicate real-world situations and query reports, and use SQL to perform data analysis.

Best For

This program does not require any background knowledge. However, as you’ll be using SQL extensively, understanding computer science and programming will be beneficial.

Duration

This course entails nine hours of on-demand video, 14 articles, and 13 downloadable resources that you can learn at your own pace. You also have unlimited access to the materials for a lifetime.

Price

This program costs $45 with discounts available.

How Do You Choose a Database Management Course?

Database management courses available today vary significantly in the lessons they teach, the time they take, the assignments they require, and the certification they offer. Without having a similarity of parameters, choosing the one that’s right for you might be difficult. To help, we have curated the best advice from our mentors.

Curriculum

Before you shortlist the course to do, explore the curriculum in detail. Understand what concepts the course covers and in what detail. For example, if you are a beginner, you might need a module about the fundamentals of SQL. If you’re already familiar with SQL programming, you might need more on data wrangling or modeling. Ensure that the curriculum helps you refresh your existing skills as well as add new ones.

Career Goals

The course most suitable for you is the one that furthers your career goals. If you’re looking to build a career as a database admin, a course designed for that would be best for you. If you’re looking to be a data analyst or a data scientist, you might only have a foundational program in database management. Clearly define your career goals and choose a course that accelerates your journey.

Prerequisites

You will not gain any value from subscribing to a course that you don’t meet the prerequisites of. So, carefully understand what skills you are expected to have. Some courses might say there are no prerequisites but assume a basic understanding of programming, operating systems, cloud technologies, etc. Be cautious while choosing.

Reviews and Ratings

Alumni are an excellent resource for evaluating a course. Before shortlisting courses, look for reviews and ratings across platforms such as Course Report, SwitchUp, Career Karma, etc. Also, read the reviews to get a qualitative view. 

Pricing

Any education is an investment in your future. So choose a course that will further your career goals, even if it is expensive. A course that offers 1-on-1 mentorship, career coaching, interview preparation, and certification will add more value to your career than a cheaper course that doesn’t provide such support.

Time Commitment

Even a part-time course demands a time commitment. Before you choose a course, identify how much time you have to spare for learning. Find a course that allows you to complete your learning in the time you can spare.

Projects and Practical Experience

Make sure that the course you choose gives you practical, hands-on experience. Potential employers will want to see projects and a portfolio that can demonstrate your skills. To kickstart your career as a database professional, choose a course that has a healthy practical component.

Making the Most Out of Your Database Management Course

Here are some questions to ask yourself to make the most of your course. 

How Will the Course Work?

Different courses work differently. An immersive program like the Springboard Introduction to Data Analytics Course includes projects, mentoring sessions, and career coaching, which are done in collaboration with industry experts. Some courses on platforms like Coursera or Udemy might involve much more independent study. 

What Should You Expect To Learn During a Data Management Course?

Any good database management course must offer an introduction to data-related concepts, problem-solving frameworks, structured thinking, and an acquaintance with top analytical tools. What’s equally important are communication, behavioral and analytical skills to build reports and presentations for various stakeholders. While taking up a course for career progression, ensure you get wholesome support.

What Will Your Schedule Look Like?

A typical part-time course will demand 10-20 hours a week. You can break this down into 1-2 hours of study during the week and 3-4 hours over weekends. You can spread your projects and problem-solving tasks over the weekends too.

FAQs About Database Management Courses

We’ve got the answers to your most frequently asked questions.

Since you’re here…
Interested in a career in data analytics? You will be after scanning this data analytics salary guide. When you’re serious about getting a job, look into our 40-hour Intro to Data Analytics Course for total beginners, or our mentor-led Data Analytics Bootcamp.