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Learn about data warehouses with online courses

Enroll in online data warehouse courses and learn how to store and manage critical files. edX can help prepare you for a promising career in data storage and management.

What is a data warehouse?

As a core component of business intelligence, a data warehouse is a system that houses data from a range of sources. Across industries and around the world, tech professionals can use this data to inform strategic business decisions that propel their companies forward. 

A data warehouse often includes a relational database management system and analytical capabilities. It will also include a data integration solution, such as “extract, load, transform” (ELT). ELT is a data pre-processing stage which moves raw data to its destination: the data warehouse.Footnote 1

As big data becomes more available for business intelligence, organizations must house their data in a way that's logical and searchable, which makes smart data warehousing more important than ever. Organizations that understand how to manage data effectively can aggregate information from the cloud, APIs, customer relationship management software, transactional systems, and more. Ultimately, business leaders use this data to generate reports, forecast trends, feed into business intelligence tools, or train machine learning algorithms.

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MicroStrategyData Lakesrelational databases SQLInformation TechnologyGPartedYAMLBigQuery

Data warehouse course curriculum

If careers in data intrigue you, edX offers courses that introduce you to basic data warehouse concepts, as well as advanced data warehouse best practices. 

You can learn essentials of database management, such as:

  • How to leverage different amounts of data

  • Which tools build systems for easier data visualization and analysis

  • How to query relational databases using Structured Query Language (SQL)

  • How to use data governance to tell stories and answer important business questions

Each data warehouse tutorial or course offers specific use cases and trains learners to operate relevant data management systems. You can also learn enterprise database management, which covers how data warehouses aid corporate decision making and business intelligence.

Data warehouse jobs

Data warehousing jobs and job titles vary from company to company. Positions in this field can include:

  • Data warehouse administrator: Take charge of the day-to-day activities involved in running a data warehouse. Archive information, track changes, migrate data, and monitor system performance. 

  • Data warehouse architect: Design data warehouse solutions to support an organization’s needs. Determine which technologies and tools are best suited to solve modern business challenges.

  • Data warehouse analyst: Find ways to improve data storage, generate high-quality reports, or ensure data security. Evaluate and test data warehouse systems to validate their integrity. 

  • Data warehouse developer/engineer: Design and implement data warehouses using programming languages. Extract, transform, and load data into databases, test and debug code, and provide troubleshooting support. 

  • Data warehouse manager: Manage the teams responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of data warehouse systems and projects. Ensure all data-related goals, milestones, and projects are completed smoothly and on time. 

  • Data warehouse tester: Develop and evaluate testing scenarios to gauge the reliability, accuracy, and integrity of the information stored in a data warehouse. Check the operational environment, backup capabilities, feature functionality, and security on a routine basis to ensure peak performance.

Learning how to manage a data warehouse can also be useful for other tech positions, such as data scientist, data miner, data analyst, data engineer, or business intelligence analyst. To learn more about the skills that these jobs require, you may wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or an online boot camp.

How to become a data warehousing professional online

Learning enterprise data management can lead to exciting career opportunities. Businesses need data to gain critical insights and stay competitive. They must be able to catalog their data and house it in a way that facilitates easy searching, logical queries, and better data analysis. As data sources expand and machine learning improves, you can be at the forefront of leveraging all that data has to offer.

Prepare for that future with courses from edX and learn how to build a data warehouse that provides real business value. There is no set educational path to get into the field, as every company’s hiring requirements are different. Training to work in this field can include a data analytics boot camp, computer programming courses, and a bachelor’s or master’s degree in data science, computer science, information systems, computer engineering, or business analytics.

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Data warehouse FAQ

The main advantage of a data warehouse is that it centralizes all key business data in one place to maintain full control over how it’s stored and queried. By replacing outdated spreadsheets and legacy databases with agile cloud warehouses, executive teams can access accurate, real-time information immediately.

Most data warehouses are built as transactional databases using structured data, which is more organized for strategic analysis. Data lakes house all data, raw, structured, and unstructured. They can be useful for data mining, predictive analysis, and building machine learning systems. In some cases, data lakes are preferable to data warehouses due to their ease of management and relatively low storage costs.Footnote 2

When learning these technical skills, you’ll need to be able to engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. Learners will also need to be able to stay organized and communicate complex information.

Java, Python, R, and Scala are popular programming languages in data warehousing. Java is known for its versatility and community support. Python has large libraries that can perform multi-level tasks, ideal for machine learning and visualization. Data miners and scientists rely on R’s object-oriented programming and static plotting to produce mathematical symbols and graphs. Scala works hand in hand with Apache Spark and is used in the financial industry.Footnote 3

It depends on your background and the amount of time you commit to learning. A new learner with no formal IT background can take months to learn Azure, while someone with experience may be able to pick up Azure in a matter of weeks. The vast nature of Microsoft Azure can be overwhelming at first, which is why it’s important to find online data warehouse training courses to meet your needs.Footnote 4

The three types of data warehousing are: enterprise data warehouse (EDW), operational data store (ODS), and data mart. An EDW is a collection of databases that organizes and classifies data, offering support for tactical and strategic decision making. An ODS is a central database used for routine tasks that require real-time operational controls and reporting. A data mart is specific and subject-oriented to provide targeted teams (like sales or finance) with critical insights.

After completing a data warehouse course or data warehouse certification, you’ll be able to work with large data sets, create dashboards, and generate visual analytics. You have valuable experience using multiple programming languages and working with tools that are critical to business intelligence. Whether you’re looking to make a lateral career move or switch gears in a technical career, learning about data warehousing can help you gain in-demand skills.

Last updated February 2023

Last updated