IBM Relational Database Administrator Professional Certificate Course Syllabus

Overview: This professional certificate program is designed to equip learners with comprehensive skills in relational database administration, from foundational concepts to advanced management and optimization. The curriculum spans approximately 180 hours of self-paced learning, structured across 11 courses that progressively build technical expertise in database systems, SQL, security, automation, and data pipelines. Learners will engage in hands-on labs and real-world projects, culminating in a capstone project that demonstrates mastery of database design, administration, and performance tuning. Ideal for aspiring database administrators and data engineers, this program requires no prior experience and offers lifetime access to materials.

Module 1: Introduction to Data Engineering

Estimated time: 13 hours

• Overview of data engineering roles and responsibilities
• Understanding the data lifecycle
• Data security and compliance fundamentals
• Introduction to data infrastructure and pipelines

Module 2: Introduction to Relational Databases (RDBMS)

Estimated time: 15 hours

• Core concepts of relational databases
• Data models and schema design
• Normalization and data integrity
• Comparison of popular RDBMS platforms

Module 3: SQL for Data Science

Estimated time: 20 hours

• Writing basic and advanced SQL queries
• Data filtering, sorting, and aggregation
• Joins, subqueries, and set operations
• Using SQL in data science workflows

Module 4: Database Design and Management

Estimated time: 20 hours

• Principles of database design
• Entity-relationship modeling
• Normalization techniques
• Implementing and managing database schemas

Module 5: Relational Database Administration (DBA)

Estimated time: 21 hours

• Database installation and configuration
• User management and role-based access control
• Backup and recovery strategies
• Monitoring and maintaining database health

Module 6: Final Project

Estimated time: 20 hours

• Design and implement a complete relational database system
• Apply ETL processes and data warehouse concepts
• Deliver a secure, optimized, and documented database solution

Prerequisites

• No prior database experience required
• Basic computer literacy
• Familiarity with command-line interfaces is helpful but not mandatory

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Design and implement relational databases using industry best practices
• Write efficient SQL queries for data retrieval and manipulation
• Perform essential database administration tasks including backup, restore, and user management
• Ensure database security and compliance with regulatory standards
• Automate database operations using shell scripting and workflow tools