Relational Database Design (Coursera)

Offered by Illinois Tech,
Relational Database Design (Coursera)

This course provides you with the opportunity to learn about relational database design. You will be provided an in-depth understanding of the design principles and methodologies involved in creating well-structured, normalized, and efficient relational databases to manage data for small, medium, and large-scale enterprises.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Possessing database design skills will enable you to excel in careers such as Database Administrators, Data Analysts, Software Developers, Data Engineers, and Business Intelligence Developers; capitalizing on the ability to create robust and efficient data solutions for any organization. These are one of the top sought-after careers across many industries today.
At the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Describe the process and the design aspects involved in relational database design.
  • Interpret the main components of an Entity-Relationship diagram (ERD) using unified modeling language (UML) notation.
  • Develop entity-relationship diagrams using basic and extended Entity-relationship features in relational design.
  • Translate Entity-Relationships diagrams into logical schemas (relation schemas).
  • Describe the theory and practical application of functional dependencies in relational database design.
  • Use the theory to recognize candidate keys and primary keys.
  • Derive minimal and canonical covers of functional dependencies.
  • Describe the principles of database normalization.
  • Identify and apply normalization techniques.

What you'll learn

  • Describe the process and the design aspects involved in relational database design.
  • Develop entity-relationship diagrams using basic and extended Entity-relationship features in relational design.
  • Identify and apply normalization techniques.

Syllabus

Module 1: Design Overview
This module is organized in three lessons: 1) Entity-Relationship (E-R) modeling, 2) E-R diagrams, and 3) Extended ER features and relation schemas. The learning objectives of this module are presented below. Refer to the enrichment activities at the end of each lesson.

Module 2: Functional Dependency (FD)
This module explores the theory and practical application of functional dependencies in relational database design, providing students with the knowledge and skills to identify and enforce data relationships, ensuring data integrity and optimization in database systems. This module is organized into three lessons: 1) Functional dependency theory, 2) Finding candidate keys and attribute closure, and 3) Deriving canonical (minimal) covers of functional dependencies. The learning objectives of this module are presented below. Please refer to the enrichment activities at the end of each lesson.

Module 3: Database Normalization
The database normalization module demonstrates the principles and techniques of organizing data into well-structured tables through normalization, ensuring data integrity and reducing redundancy for efficient and scalable database systems. This module is organized in three lessons: 1) Normal Forms (NFs), 2) more Normal forms, and 3) DB Design example (applying ER modeling + Normalization). The learning objectives of this module include are presented below. Refer to the enrichment activities at the end of each lesson.

Summative Course Assessment

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

SQL for Security Specialist (Coursera) Coursera
Codio

SQL for Security Specialist (Coursera)

This course is designed specifically for SQL Security Specialists with a focus on PostgreSQL. It assumes a solid foundation in SQL and guides learners through advanced topics specific to PostgreSQL. You'll explore crucial concepts, such as complex queries, performance optimization, and database administration tasks unique to PostgreSQL.

Jul 20th 2026
3 Weeks
Introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL) (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL) (Coursera)

In this course, you'll walk through installation steps for installing a text editor, installing MAMP or XAMPP (or equivalent) and creating a MySql Database. You'll learn about single table queries and the basic syntax of the SQL language, as well as database design with multiple tables, foreign keys, and the JOIN operation. Lastly, you'll learn to model many-to-many relationships like those needed to represent users, roles, and courses.

Jul 20th 2026
4 Weeks
Data Connection and Functionalities in Power BI (Coursera) Coursera
Edureka

Data Connection and Functionalities in Power BI (Coursera)

Welcome to the course on Data Connection and Functionalities in Power BI. This course is strategically crafted to empower you with the skills needed to construct a robust database and efficiently manage intricate datasets using MS SQL Server. Throughout this course, you will acquire the expertise to develop well-formatted database that are seamlessly designed to integrate with Power BI.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Data Engineering Capstone Project (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

Data Engineering Capstone Project (Coursera)

In this course you will apply a variety of data engineering skills and techniques you have learned as part of the previous courses in the IBM Data Engineering Professional Certificate. You will assume the role of a Junior Data Engineer who has recently joined the organization and be presented with a real-world use case that requires a data engineering solution.

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Managing Relational Databases (Coursera) Coursera
Akamai Technologies, Inc.

Managing Relational Databases (Coursera)

Students will learn about the structure and design of relational databases including primary and foreign key fields, one-to-many and one-to-one relationships. Students will learn about the Structured Query Language (SQL) and use SQL to examine the database structure. They will also learn to create and manage databases, tables, and records. The focus of the course is on data analysis.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks
Data Analysis Using SQL (Coursera) Coursera
Fractal Analytics

Data Analysis Using SQL (Coursera)

In this comprehensive course, you will embark on a transformative journey to master the art of analyzing data through SQL. SQL is a powerful tool used for managing and manipulating data in relational databases. Throughout this course, you will acquire the essential skills to efficiently extract relevant data from databases, empowering you to navigate through vast amounts of information with ease.

Jul 20th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Software Design as an Abstraction (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Software Design as an Abstraction (Coursera)

The design step in developing software has some unique characteristics. First of all, it’s the only step where drawing pictures of things is the norm. Why is that? What do pictures do that other representations cannot do? Pictures have varying levels of detail; pictures have context. Pictures…paint a picture. Why are these things important? In this course, too, we begin looking at other disciplines (building architecture is a favorite one) for lessons on design.

Jul 20th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Clinical Data Models and Data Quality Assessments (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Clinical Data Models and Data Quality Assessments (Coursera)

This course aims to teach the concepts of clinical data models and common data models. Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to interpret and evaluate data model designs using Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs), differentiate between data models and articulate how each are used to support clinical care and data science, and create SQL statements in Google BigQuery to query the MIMIC3 clinical data model and the OMOP common data model.

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Operate Alibaba Cloud Systems and Services (Coursera) Coursera
Alibaba Cloud Academy

Operate Alibaba Cloud Systems and Services (Coursera)

ACA System Operator Certification Preparation Course is intended for individuals who have technical expertise in deployment, management and operations on Alibaba Cloud. It’s recommended for System administrators with at least one year of experience in deployment, management, and operations on Alibaba Cloud.

Jul 27th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Database Design and Basic SQL in PostgreSQL (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Database Design and Basic SQL in PostgreSQL (Coursera)

In this course you will learn more about the historical design of databases and the use of SQL in the PostgreSQL environment. Using SQL techniques and common commands (INSERT INTO, WHERE, ORDER BY, ON DELETE CASCADE, etc) will enable you to create tables, column types and define the schema of your data in PostgreSQL. You will learn about data modeling and how to represent one-to-many and many-to-many relationships in PostgreSQL.

Jul 20th 2026
Self-Paced
Object-Oriented Design (Coursera) Coursera
University of Alberta

Object-Oriented Design (Coursera)

This course takes Java beginners to the next level by covering object-oriented analysis and design. You will discover how to create modular, flexible, and reusable software, by applying object-oriented design principles and guidelines. And, you will be able to communicate these designs in a visual notation known as Unified Modelling Language (UML). You will be challenged in the Capstone Project to apply your knowledge of object-oriented design by evolving and documenting the Java codebase for an Android application with corresponding UML documentation.

Jul 27th 2026
4 Weeks