SQL for Business Analysts: Practical SQL for Data Analysis

Target Audience

Business analysts working with reports and data
Aspiring business analysts and career switchers
Professionals using Excel who want to move into SQL-based analysis
Reporting and operations analysts
Sales, marketing, and finance professionals analyzing data
Product owners and project coordinators
Non-technical professionals supporting data-driven decisions
Teams adopting SQL for business reporting and analytics

Highlights

Learn SQL fundamentals tailored for business analysis and reporting
Instructor-led training with hands-on assignments and guided practice
Write SQL queries to analyze business data and KPIs
Join and aggregate data for real-world reporting scenarios
Apply SQL to support dashboards and decision-making
Understand business analysis fundamentals and SDLC concepts
Validate and test data accuracy using SQL
Build confidence using SQL in day-to-day analyst roles

Overview

SQL for Business Analysts: Practical SQL for Data Analysis is a business-focused, beginner-level course designed to help analysts and non-technical professionals use SQL confidently for reporting, analysis, and data-driven decision-making. The course emphasizes practical SQL skills that business analysts need in real-world projects, without requiring prior programming or database experience.

Learners begin by understanding relational database concepts and SQL fundamentals, using SQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) as the learning environment. The training then focuses on writing SQL queries to retrieve, filter, join, and summarize data for common business scenarios such as sales analysis, financial reporting, and operational metrics.

As the course progresses, learners apply SQL to support business decision-making by generating KPIs, analytical queries, and reports that feed dashboards and insights. The course also introduces core business analysis concepts, including the role of a business analyst, SDLC fundamentals, and requirements gathering and documentation.

To round out real-world readiness, the training includes an introduction to manual QA and data validation concepts, showing how SQL is used to verify data accuracy and support testing efforts. By the end of the course, learners will be able to use SQL as a practical tool to analyze data, support business decisions, and collaborate effectively with technical teams.

Prerequisite

To successfully complete SQL for Business Analysts: Practical SQL for Data Analysis, learners should have:

Basic computer literacy and familiarity with using a PC or laptop
Comfort working with spreadsheets or reports
Basic understanding of business concepts and KPIs (helpful but not required)
Interest in data analysis, reporting, and decision-making
No prior SQL, database, or programming experience is required

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Understand relational database concepts and SQL fundamentals
Write SQL queries to retrieve, filter, and join data for business analysis
Use aggregate functions to generate summaries, KPIs, and metrics
Analyze data to support sales, finance, and operational decisions
Create reports and analytical queries for dashboards and insights
Apply SQL to validate data accuracy and support testing efforts
Understand the role of a business analyst within data-driven projects
Communicate data requirements and insights effectively with technical teams

Job Roles

This course prepares learners for roles that require using SQL for analysis, reporting, and business decision-making. After completing the training, learners will be better prepared for positions such as:

Business Analyst
Data Analyst
Reporting Analyst
Operations Analyst
Sales Operations Analyst
Marketing Analyst
Financial Analyst (SQL-Focused)
Product or Program Analyst

Curriculum

Module 1: Introduction to Databases and SQL

Understanding relational databases and their structure
Overview of SQL and how it is used in business analysis
Installing SQL Server and working with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

Module 2: Querying and Managing Data with SQL

Creating tables and understanding data types
Writing SELECT queries to retrieve business data
Filtering data using WHERE and sorting results with ORDER BY
Joining multiple tables for business reporting

Module 3: Aggregations, Subqueries, and Data Analysis

Using aggregate functions and GROUP BY for summaries
Writing subqueries and aggregate queries
Applying SQL for deeper business data analysis

Module 4: Data Modification and Integrity

Using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements
Managing data integrity using constraints
Creating and using views for simplified analysis

Module 5: SQL for Business Decision-Making

Using SQL to calculate business metrics and KPIs
Generating reports for sales, finance, and operations
Writing analytical queries to support dashboards and insights

Module 6: Business Analysis Fundamentals

Role of a business analyst in data-driven projects
Overview of SDLC and project lifecycle
Requirements gathering, analysis, and documentation

Module 7: Introduction to Manual QA and Data Validation

Basics of software testing and QA processes
Validating data accuracy using SQL queries
Supporting testing and reporting with SQL

Module 8: Practical Case Studies and Review

End-to-end SQL exercises for business scenarios
Applying SQL to real-world analysis problems
Course review and best practices

Demand for This Course

As organizations increasingly rely on data to guide business decisions, there is strong demand for business analysts who can directly access, analyze, and interpret data using SQL. While dashboards and BI tools provide summarized views, analysts are often required to write SQL queries to explore data, validate results, and answer ad-hoc business questions.

Across industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, marketing, operations, and technology, SQL has become a foundational skill for business analysts, reporting analysts, and operations teams. Professionals who can query databases independently are better equipped to generate insights, identify trends, and support faster, more accurate decision-making.

This course directly addresses the growing need for:

Business analysts who work with data but lack formal SQL training
Professionals transitioning from Excel-based analysis to database-driven reporting
Teams responsible for generating KPIs, metrics, and operational reports
Organizations seeking to improve data literacy across business functions
Analysts who need to validate data and support testing efforts
Enterprises adopting SQL-based analytics and reporting tools

By equipping learners with practical SQL skills tailored for business analysis, this course helps close the gap between raw data and actionable insights. Learners gain the confidence to work directly with databases, collaborate effectively with technical teams, and make informed, data-driven business decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This course is ideal for business analysts, aspiring analysts, reporting professionals, and non-technical users who want to use SQL for data analysis and decision-making.

This is a Beginner level course. No prior SQL or programming experience is required.

The course duration is 32 hours, delivered through instructor-led training with hands-on assignments and guided practice.

No. The course starts from the basics and is designed for learners with no prior experience in SQL or databases.

The course primarily uses SQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to teach SQL concepts applicable across most database platforms.

No. This course focuses on practical SQL for business analysis, reporting, and data validation—not advanced database programming.

Yes. The course includes guided demonstrations, hands-on assignments, and real-world business scenarios to reinforce learning.

Yes. You will learn how to write SQL queries to generate KPIs, summaries, and analytical reports for business decision-making.

Yes. Learners who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion from Ohio Computer Academy (OCA).

Yes. The course is delivered as Instructor-led live online training. In-class delivery is also available.

Yes. Group and corporate training options are available. Please contact us to discuss customized schedules, delivery formats, and pricing based on your team’s needs.

You can register through the Ohio Computer Academy website or contact our team using the Contact Us or Get Quote options on the course page.

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Course Category

Target Audience

Highlights

Overview

Prerequisite

Outcomes

Job Roles

Curriculum

Demand for This Course

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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