Foundations of SQL

Whether you're brand new to data or ready to sharpen your technical edge, the Foundations of SQL course is your gateway to understanding how modern organizations access, analyze, and optimize information. You’ll start with the essentials: writing queries, joining tables, filtering data, and summarizing results — all using real-world scenarios. As you grow in confidence, you’ll also begin learning practical performance habits that can scale with you as your skills grow. From selecting only the columns you need to reducing data scanned using smart WHERE filters, this course introduces the kind of thoughtful query design that separates beginners from pros. You'll explore why it matters to align filters with partition or cluster keys, how to think about efficient joins, and when to avoid costly transformations early in your queries. These optimization insights, often overlooked in beginner courses, set you up for long-term success with large datasets and cloud databases like BigQuery. Designed for professionals across industries — from HR to education to engineering — this instructor-led course includes hands-on exercises, downloadable resources, and access to AI co-pilots for extra support. You'll leave with a strong foundation in SQL, plus the skills to write cleaner, faster, and more effective queries that make your data work harder for you.