SQL Boot Camp: Building and Querying Databases

June 11-13, 2025 | Hybrid training

Registration is open! Join us for the next SQL Boot Camp on June 11-13, 2025.

The SQL Boot Camp is a three-day intensive boot camp of seminars and hands-on programming sessions to provide an overview on the design of relational databases and querying data from existing data sources using the SQL programming language.

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SQL Boot Camp Overview

Summer 2025 dates: Hybrid training (In-person training and simultaneous livestream for remote attendees) June 11-13, 2025; 10:00am - ~5:00pm EDT

This three-day intensive boot camp covers the fundamentals of relational databases, including database design, and writing queries using the SQL language. The boot camp will integrate seminar lectures with extensive hands-on sessions using the commonly available database software program MySQL. The first half of the boot camp will cover building databases with proper design to maintain data integrity, while the second half will focus on retrieval and manipulation using SQL (Structured Query Language).

During this workshop, participants will:

Learn the pitfalls of using Excel for data storage
Build small relational databases in MySQL
Formulate SQL queries to 1) create and modify database objects, and 2) populate and retrieve data from database tables
Optimize SQL queries for best performance

Audience and Requirements

Investigators from any institution and any career stage are welcome to attend. This workshop will particularly benefit those who will be actively involved in research data management.

There are two requirements to attend this training:

Basic experience working with data (e.g., data cleaning or analysis) is beneficial, but not required.
Each participant must have a laptop with Zoom installed. To get the most out of breakout groups, we also recommend a working microphone and webcam. Participants may also wish to share their screen with instructors during one-on-one questions.

Instructors

Summer 2025 instructing team is being finalized, but will be comparable to the 2024 lineup below.

Debra D'Angelo, Assistant Director, Biostatistics Services, Weill Cornell Medicine.

Evan Sholle, Assistant Director, Research Informatics Data Science Services, Weill Cornell Medicine

Scholarships

Training scholarships are available for the SQL Boot Camp.

Locations

The SQL Boot Camp will be a hybrid setup with an in-person training at the Columbia University Irving Medical Campus in NYC and simultaneously livestreamed for remote attendees on June 11-13, 2025 from 10am EDT - ~5pm EDT.

More information on travel, lodging, and getting around NYC.

Testimonials

"Really kind and knowledgeable faculty and TAs. The atmosphere in class is friendly. I particulaly enjoyed the lecture on why you shouldn't use excel in research. Wish I had learned this on my day 1 in graduate school." - Faculty Member at University of Georgia, 2024

"The SQL Boot Camp covered the basics on how to get started in designing and querying databases. The amount of information covered is right for the time allocated to the training." - Faculty Member at National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2024

Additional Testimonials

"Intense learning experience - they pack everything beautifully in such a short amount of time. Debby and the TAs were so helpful, receptive to questions, and created an all around wonderful learning environment." - Staff member at Columbia University, 2023

"It was very informative and demonstrated the power of SQL in decision making, specifically by health professionals/practitioners." - Senior lecturer at University of Nairobi, 2023

"I thought it was a good introduction to the basics of the SQL programming language and how to apply it to make queries to assist clinical research." - Faculty member at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 2023

"The three day SQL BootCamp was filled with many interesting topics in SQL starting from pitfalls of excel to query optimization with real world application putting light on the spectrum of possibilities. The provision of materials and other supporting resources in addition to the availability of resourceful experts to deliver the topics is commendable."- Assistant Professor at Addis Ababa University, 2022

"This is a helpful session for people with no experience in SQL programming, teaches the basics of writing SQL queries."- Assistant Professor at Eastern Virgina Medical School, 2022

"A very enriching experience." - Lecturer at University of Nairobi, 2022

"The SQL Boot Camp is an excellent workshop to provide a great overview of managing datasets." - Research Assistant at Columbia University, 2022

"I appreciated the training moving from basics to advanced topics which successfully brought experienced and new trainees on the same page." - Assistant Professor Addis Ababa University, 2022

Registration Fees

This is a hybrid training, meaning attendees can choose to attend the live training either 1) in-person in NYC or 2) virtually livestream via Zoom. Fees in the table below are in-person costs. Virtual registration fees are $200 less.

	Early-Bird Rate (through 5/08/25)*	Regular Rate (5/09/25 - 6/4/25)*	Columbia Discount**
Student/Postdoc/Trainee	$1,395	$1,595	10%
Faculty/Academic Staff/Non-Profit Organizations/Government Agencies	$1,595	$1,795	10%
Corporate/For-Profit Organizations	$1,795	$1,995	NA

*Virtual Livestream Fee: Fees in the table above are in-person costs. Those attending virtually livestream via zoom instead of in-person on campus will pay a reduced registration fee by $200 for each category. Pricing will be reflected during the registration process based on category and time of registration

**Columbia Discount: This discount is valid for any active student, postdoc, staff, or faculty at Columbia University. If paying by credit card, use your Columbia email address during the registration process to automatically have the discount applied. If paying by internal transfer within Columbia, submit this Columbia Internal Transfer Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

*Mailman Alumni Discount: This discount is valid for any individual who graduated from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. To access the Mailman Alumni discount and receive a registration code, please email sharp_program@cumc.columbia.edu your graduation year and degree.

Invoice Payment: If you would prefer to pay by invoice/check, please submit this Invoice Request form to receive further instructions. Please note: filling out this form is not the same as registering for a training and does not guarantee a training seat.

Registration Fee: This is a hybrid training, meaning attendees can choose to attend the live training either 1) in-person in NYC or 2) virtually livestream via Zoom. The in-person registration fee includes course material, breakfast, and lunch on training days. Course material will be available to all attendees during and after the workshop. Lodging and transportation are not included. The virtual registration fee includes course material, which will be made available to all participants both during and after the conclusion of the training.

Cancellations: Cancellation notices must be received via email at least 30 days prior to the training start date in order to receive a full refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Cancellation notices received via email 14-29 days prior to the training will receive a 75% refund, minus a $75 administrative fee. Please email your cancellation notice to ColumbiaSHARP.SQL@gmail.com. Due to workshop capacity and preparation, we regret that we are unable to refund registration fees for cancellations <14 days prior to the training.

If you are unable to attend the training, we encourage you to send a substitute within the same registration category. Please inform us of the substitute via email at least one week prior to the training to include them on attendee communications, updated registration forms, and materials. Should the substitute fall within a different registration category your credit card will be credited/charged respectively. Please email substitute inquiries to ColumbiaSHARP.SQL@gmail.com. In the event Columbia must cancel the event, your registration fee will be fully refunded.

Additional Information

The SQL Boot Camp is hosted by Columbia University's SHARP Program in the Mailman School of Public Health.