Curriculum/Data and Databases

Learning Track

Data and Databases

The database and API skills every backend and data engineer needs.

A parent track for data and database work. It opens with the data-roles landscape (data engineer vs data scientist vs data analyst vs DBA), then draws on three professional sub-tracks shared with Programming Languages: SQL, MongoDB, and REST API design. Complete all three for the Data and Databases certification.

Sub-Tracks

SQL

Postgres from SELECT to window functions, indexes, ACID, app integration.

Relational basics, SELECT/JOIN/aggregations, subqueries + CTEs, window functions, indexes + EXPLAIN, transactions + ACID, schema design, PostgreSQL features, SQL from Node/Python/Prisma. Ends with a schema + query gallery passion project.

15 lessons·Beginner → Advanced·~14h

First lesson: Relational Database Basics

MongoDB

Documents, aggregation pipelines, Atlas — when (and when not) to pick Mongo.

Document vs relational, fundamentals, CRUD, query operators, aggregation pipeline, indexing, schema design (embed vs reference), Mongoose, Atlas. Ends with a Mongo-backed web app passion project.

11 lessons·Beginner → Intermediate·~12h

First lesson: Document vs Relational Databases

REST APIs

Design + ship production-grade APIs with docs, auth, validation, rate limiting, tests.

REST basics, HTTP in depth, API design, auth (JWT/OAuth), validation + error envelopes, OpenAPI docs, versioning, rate limiting, testing, GraphQL alternative. Ends with a production-grade REST API passion project.

12 lessons·Beginner → Intermediate·~13h

First lesson: What an API is and What REST Means