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Microsoft SQL for Beginners (Udemy.com)

A comprehensive course to teach you how to complete SQL queries using Microsoft SQL Server and the T-SQL language.

4.7
35,875 reviews

Created by: Brewster Knowlton

Last updated December 2020

Our take

Based on the ratings of 35,875 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in December 2020. No course pays to be reviewed.

Brewster Knowlton's course is a short, focused start on T-SQL in Microsoft SQL Server. It runs about four hours across 39 lectures and seven sections, and it moves in a straight line: SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, joins, aggregate functions, GROUP BY, then HAVING. It assumes no database background at all. It also needs a Windows computer, so Mac users are out of luck. Over 133,000 students have taken it, and the audience list is aimed at office workers in marketing, finance, healthcare and similar fields rather than future developers.

Reviewers mostly praise clarity. Words that keep showing up are clean, easy to follow and well structured, and one person with zero SQL experience says it gave them a solid base for small tasks at work. About nine in ten of the 35,875 ratings are four or five stars. The complaints are specific. The setup instructions are outdated, and one reviewer got through it using hints in the Q&A and a newer version of the software. Another says difficulty jumps quickly when new topics arrive. One reviewer calls it a little dated, and the course data lists no quizzes or coding exercises, though the description mentions practice problems.

The last update was December 2020, so expect some install steps to feel dated. Students describe the instructor as knowledgeable and the lessons as easy to follow. As a short, paid first step, it works for anyone who needs to write basic queries soon. It stops at the HAVING clause, so plan on a second course for anything deeper. Pick it if you are on Windows and want the basics fast.

Best forOffice workers with zero SQL background who need T-SQL for a Microsoft shop and want a quick start.
Skip it ifYou use MySQL, Oracle, or a Mac, or you want a deep T-SQL course that goes well past the basics.

Pros

  • Clear step-by-step order from SELECT through joins to GROUP BY and HAVING
  • Assumes zero SQL; one reviewer with none says they now use it at work
  • Short at about four hours, so a beginner can finish it in a weekend
  • Joins get their own section covering inner, outer and full outer types

Cons

  • Setup instructions are outdated; one reviewer needed Q&A hints and newer software
  • Needs a Windows computer and teaches T-SQL only, not MySQL or Oracle
  • Difficulty jumps fast when new topics arrive, with no intermediate step, per one reviewer
Excellent course! Very well structured and ideal for anyone starting out with SQL.
Prateek Baunthiyal, a student

Truly beginner level. Suits office staff with no SQL or database background, as long as they have a Windows PC.

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What you will learn

  • Complete literal SELECT statements.
  • Complete basic SELECT statements querying against a single table
  • Filter data using the WHERE clause
  • Sort data using the ORDER BY clause
  • Learn about database design and normalization
  • Using joins, return columns from multiple tables in the same query
  • Understand the difference between the INNER JOIN, LEFT/RIGHT OUTER JOIN, and FULL OUTER JOIN
  • Complete SQL statements that use aggregate functions
  • Group data together using the GROUP BY clause
  • Filter groups of data using the HAVING clause

Course content

7 sections · 39 lectures · 4 hours of video

  1. 1Introduction to SELECT Statements 3 free previews12 lectures · 58 min
  2. 2Filtering Data with the WHERE Clause 1 free preview8 lectures · 49 min
  3. 3Sorting Data with the ORDER BY Clause3 lectures · 14 min
  4. 4Querying Multiple Tables with Joins7 lectures · 38 min
  5. 5Aggregate Functions3 lectures · 12 min
  6. 6Grouping Data with the GROUP BY Clause3 lectures · 15 min
  7. 7Filtering Groups with the HAVING Clause3 lectures · 14 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Anyone who works with data, tables, or databases!
  • Those who work in organizations where the company typically uses Microsoft databases. This course uses Microsoft SQL Server and T-SQL (Microsoft SQL) variant of the SQL language. Those who work with Oracle, DB2, or MySQL might not gain as much from this course.
  • If you work in: marketing, finance, accounting, operations, sales, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, or any other industry/function that collects information
  • Someone who wants to learn skills that give them the potential to earn near SIX figures!

What you need before you start

  • I assume you have absolutely NO SQL or database background before taking this course.
  • You will need to have a Windows-based computer to run Microsoft SQL Server.

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Course Description

Do you want to learn a skill that can help you earn nearly $100,000 per year? If so, then this course is for you!

SQL (Structured Query Language) is the language we use to interact with databases that store data. This allows us to retrieve data with ease and simplicity. As terms like business intelligence and big data become more familiar, businesses will need more people to learn the SQL language.

This course will teach you how to use the SQL language within Microsoft SQL Server, one of the most popular database engines in the world.

You will have plenty of video lessons to teach you the majority of the content. Each section includes practice problems or additional e-books to help reinforce what you learn in the video tutorials.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 4h

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Instructor Details

Brewster Knowlton

Brewster Knowlton has worked in all facets of the business intelligence industry. With significant experience writing SQL code, developing ETL processes, and architecting and designing data warehouse systems, his greatest strength is the ability to communicate difficult concepts in an easily understood way. Having completed business intelligence projects across a variety of industries, Brewster understands what BI skills organizations need and employers are seeking. His goal is to help you learn SQL and business intelligence skills so that you might find your dream career in the business intelligence field.

Read More

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Reviews

4.7

35,875 ratings on Udemy

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By Juan Jaramillo on 8/27/2026

I had 0 experience with SQL and they were requiring us to learn it for work. This course has helped me understand all the basics! I am doing some small coding with this at work and gave me a great foundation

By Abhishek Yadav on 7/1/2026

I left this rating because the course was beginner-friendly and helped me understand Microsoft SQL concepts like joins, functions, and clauses through clear table-based examples.

By Russell Wheeler on 6/17/2026

The course can jump in difficulty quite quickly. When new topics are introduced it would be nice to have an intermediate stage before going to the more advanced stage.

By Michael Palermo on 4/30/2026

This course is covering everything I will need to know so I can successfully run SQL queries and generate reports using the selected data.

By Chukwuemeka Mgbojikwe on 4/21/2026

Course content is easy to follow and understand. The concepts are clearly explained and the instructor is very knowledgeable.

By Anonymized User on 4/13/2026

The course was relevant and clearly explained, but adding more interactive and hands-on elements would improve the overall experience. Yes, it was a good match as the content aligned well with my role and learning needs.

By Anonymized User on 3/9/2026

This course was very useful for me. I learned a lot through the hands-on exerices and practical examples provided in the videos. the exercises helped me understand the concepts better and boosted my confidence in applying them. overall it was a great learning experience.

By Anonymized User on 2/15/2026

It's a great learning experience for sql learners and with practice questions it's even easy for writing query right after the question reading.

By Anonymized User on 1/27/2026

The course was very good; it makes us understand the concepts very clear. I would strongly recommend this course for beginners.

By Brandie Keyes on 1/22/2026

I have no experience with SQL but this course was very easy to follow and understand. I liked how he typed everything thing out to get practice and showed templates before each lesson and then examples.

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Quality Score

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Overall Score : 94 / 100

Microsoft SQL for Beginners
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  • Video Duration: icon 4h
  • Price: $149.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon December 2020
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
  • Lectures:39 in 7 sections
  • Students:133,100
  • Subtitles:27 languages
  • Udemy badge:Bestseller
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