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

Healthcare Information Design and Visualizations (Coursera) Coursera
Northeastern University

Healthcare Information Design and Visualizations (Coursera)

Introduces processes and design principles for creating meaningful displays of information that support effective business decision-making. Studies how to collect and process data; create visualizations (both static and interactive); and use them to provide insight into a problem, situation, or opportunity. Introduces methods to critique visualizations along with ways to answer the elusive question: “What makes a visualization effective?”

Nov 2nd 2026
4 Weeks
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.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Prototyping and Design (Coursera) Coursera
University of Minnesota

Prototyping and Design (Coursera)

In this course you will learn how to design and prototype user interfaces to address the users and tasks identified in user research. Through a series of lectures and exercises, you will learn and practice paper- and other low-fidelity prototyping techniques; you will learn and apply principles from graphic design, including design patterns; you will learn to write a design rationale; and you will learn how to design for specific populations and situations, including principles and practices of accessible design.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Data Visualization Best Practices (Coursera) Coursera
University of California, Irvine

Data Visualization Best Practices (Coursera)

In this course, we will cover the basics of visualization and how it fits into the Data Science workflow. We will focus on the main concepts behind the purpose of visualization and the design principles for creating effective, easy-to-communicate results. You will also set up your Tableau environment, practice data loading, and perform univariate descriptive analysis of the S&P 500 stock sectors.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks
Relational Database Implementation and Applications (Coursera) Coursera
Illinois Tech

Relational Database Implementation and Applications (Coursera)

In today's data-driven world, the ability to work with relational databases is an essential skill for professionals in various fields. This course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and practical skills needed to become proficient in database management and application development. Whether you are pursuing a career as a database administrator, software developer, or data analyst, this course provides you with a strong foundation to excel in your chosen field.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
IBM COBOL Data and File Management (Coursera) Coursera
IBM,LearnQuest

IBM COBOL Data and File Management (Coursera)

Welcome to IBM COBOL – Data and File Management! By enrolling in this course, you are taking a big step in increasing your knowledge and hands on experience with IBM COBOL data and file management. In this course, you will learn the fundamental elements of COBOL code. You will learn the process of working with COBOL data. You will learn handling COBOL files. This course also relational databases in a mainframe, COBOL context. So let’s get started!

Oct 19th 2026
3 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.

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Relational database systems (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Relational database systems (Coursera)

Welcome to the specialization course Relational Database Systems. This course will be completed on six weeks, it will be supported with videos and various documents that will allow you to learn in a very simple way how several types of information systems and databases are available to solve different problems and needs of the companies.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
SQL for Data Science with R (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

SQL for Data Science with R (Coursera)

Much of the world's data resides in databases. SQL (or Structured Query Language) is a powerful language which is used for communicating with and extracting data from databases. A working knowledge of databases and SQL is a must if you want to become a data scientist. The purpose of this course is to introduce relational database concepts and help you learn and apply foundational knowledge of the SQL and R languages. It is also intended to get you started with performing SQL access in a data science environment.

Oct 26th 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.

Oct 19th 2026
4 Weeks