Audience
- Developers building their first database-backed application.
- Analysts moving from spreadsheets to relational data systems.
- Technical business professionals responsible for data-intensive internal tools.
AI & technology
Databases & Cloud
Build foundations in organising data and running applications in cloud environments.
Learning with a practical purpose.
Build the foundations for applications that store information correctly and make it available to the right people. This module begins with relational data modelling and SQL, then connects those skills to a small cloud-hosted application. You will work through the decisions behind tables, relationships, validation, access and recovery.
The practical case is a service-management database containing people, enquiries and follow-up activities. You will develop the schema, write queries and expose selected information through a controlled application layer. The emphasis is a coherent design that supports daily work, with sensible performance choices and a clear understanding of what must be configured, monitored and backed up.
Live onlineTeaching through Kent Business College, UK
2 hoursOne live session each teaching week
14 sessionsA semester for each module
28 live hoursPer module, plus independent study
The outline below is a 14-session online module, with one two-hour live session each teaching week. Reading weeks, breaks and additional activities follow the agreed cohort calendar. The cohort syllabus, full route, dates, fees, independent study and assessment requirements are confirmed before enrolment.
Who this module is designed for.
Starting knowledge and preparation
- Confidence with spreadsheets, records and everyday application workflows.
- Basic coding is helpful for the application-connection exercises.
- No prior cloud-administration or database-management experience is required.
What you will work towards.
- Design a relational schema with suitable keys, relationships and constraints.
- Write SQL queries that combine and summarise operational records.
- Use transactions and validation to preserve important data rules.
- Connect an application through controlled access without exposing database credentials.
- Prepare practical performance, backup and recovery arrangements for a small cloud service.
Explore the 14-session learning plan.
Explore the focus and practical output of each teaching session. Open individual sessions below, or expand the complete plan.
Session 01 From business records to a data model
Identify entities and relationships in a service workflow and distinguish stored facts from calculated outputs.
Practical output: An initial entity-relationship diagram.
Session 02 Tables, keys and constraints
Choose identifiers and enforce required values, uniqueness and valid relationships using a relational schema.
Practical output: A constrained database schema.
Session 03 SQL for everyday questions
Retrieve, filter and sort records to answer operational questions with clear, reproducible queries.
Practical output: A query workbook with expected results.
Session 04 Joining related information
Combine people, enquiries and activities while checking how missing relationships or duplicate matches affect results.
Practical output: A tested set of join queries.
Session 05 Aggregations and useful reporting
Calculate totals and grouped measures, then reconcile the results with the underlying records.
Practical output: An operational reporting query set.
Session 06 Data quality and schema design
Review repeated information, normalisation and validation choices in relation to the application’s update needs.
Practical output: A revised schema and quality checks.
Session 07 Transactions and consistent changes
Group related updates and examine how failures or simultaneous actions can affect important business rules.
Practical output: A transaction-based workflow.
Session 08 Application access and queries
Connect a small application through parameterised queries and return only the fields needed for its task.
Practical output: A controlled database-backed endpoint.
Session 09 Cloud service foundations
Map the roles of application hosting, database hosting, networking and configuration in the proposed deployment.
Practical output: A cloud architecture and configuration map.
Session 10 Identity, roles and access boundaries
Define who can read or change each record and enforce those permissions through the application design.
Practical output: An access matrix and permission tests.
Session 11 Indexes and query performance
Inspect representative queries and compare the effect of a justified index against unnecessary indexing overhead.
Practical output: A measured query-performance comparison.
Session 12 Migrations, backups and recovery
Plan a schema change and practise a recoverable workflow using test data and documented restoration steps.
Practical output: A migration and recovery runbook.
Session 13 Cloud-backed service project
Integrate the schema, queries, application access and operating configuration into a coherent small service.
Practical output: A working database-backed application.
Session 14 Data-design review and handover
Demonstrate the main workflow, explain permissions and performance choices, and show how the data can be recovered.
Practical output: A final design review and support pack.
Apply the learning
A cloud-backed service-management database
Build a small system for storing contacts, enquiries and follow-up activities. The design must preserve relationships, support useful reporting and restrict access through the application. Include a documented schema change and a tested recovery exercise so the project demonstrates maintainability as well as correct query results.
Your project evidence can include
- An entity-relationship diagram, schema and data dictionary.
- SQL reports and a controlled application connection.
- Permission tests, performance evidence and a recovery guide.
Use anonymised, public or suitable synthetic material where workplace information is confidential. The issued assessment brief confirms the required evidence.
Assessment, feedback and certification.
- Practical exercises assess schema integrity, SQL correctness and interpretation of query results.
- The project is reviewed against realistic data-entry, reporting and access scenarios.
- A technical discussion examines cloud responsibilities, indexing choices and recovery evidence.
Teaching and the relevant course certificate are provided through Kent Business College in the UK. Completion requirements are set out in the module information; attendance alone should not be assumed to meet every assessment requirement.
Questions worth asking.
Is this suitable for SQL beginners?
Yes. SQL is introduced progressively through a consistent business case. Familiarity with spreadsheet-style records will help you get started.
Will I become a cloud administrator?
The module develops application-focused cloud and database foundations. Advanced infrastructure administration and large-scale operations require further specialist study.
Does cloud hosting automatically secure my data?
No. The application still needs correct configuration, permission checks and operational ownership. These responsibilities are included in the practical design exercises.