Foundations of Data and Databases

This unit introduces the origins, types, and business value of data and positions data engineering within an engineering workflow. Students learn core database concepts, compare relational and NoSQL models, and gain hands-on experience installing SQL Server and writing basic, efficient SQL queries to prepare for downstream topics such as ETL, data pipelines, and scalable storage.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the historical development, types, and roles of data to distinguish data from information and articulate the importance of data for engineering and business decision-making.
• Evaluate the data engineering life cycle and stakeholder requirements—using an oil refinery analogy—to map project phases, identify deliverables, and prioritize business value.
• Apply criteria to compare relational and NoSQL database models and select the most appropriate database type for given engineering use cases.
• Demonstrate foundational SQL skills by installing SQL Server, executing SELECT queries that use comparison operators and joins, and applying best practices to write efficient queries.