Data is everywhere around you. Whether you are shopping at a grocery store, working in an office, conducting experiments in a laboratory, studying in a classroom, or enjoying entertainment at a ballpark, you are continuously exposed to vast amounts of data: prices, schedules, performance measures, laboratory results, recipes, contact information, quality metrics, market indices, grades, and statistical information.
Nearly every modern job role involves some aspect of data management. For data specialists, this may be the primary responsibility. For researchers, scientists, and accountants, data management constitutes a significant portion of daily work. For others, such as retail employees or skilled tradespeople, managing data may represent an occasional but important task, like time reporting or recording transactions. Regardless of industry or position, virtually everyone is affected by the need to manage data effectively.
Microsoft Office Access is a powerful relational database application that helps you and your organization collect, organize, and manage large volumes of data. Access serves as a versatile tool for personal data management or as a platform to develop sophisticated applications for departments and entire organizations. In this course, you will learn to use Access for comprehensive data management, including creating new databases, constructing data tables, designing forms and reports, and creating queries to combine, filter, and organize data.
This course also prepares you for the Microsoft Office Specialist Certification exam for Microsoft Access.
Target Audience:
This course is designed for students who want to develop a strong foundational understanding of Microsoft Office Access, including the essential skills needed to create databases, build data tables, design user interfaces with forms and reports, and create powerful queries for data analysis.
Version Information:
This course covers Access 2016, 2013, and 2010 software, with instruction using Access 2016. While there are minimal differences between these versions from a user perspective, instructors have experience with all three and can quickly highlight any interface variations. Students using any of these three versions will find the Access 2016 environment straightforward to learn.
Prerequisites:
To succeed in this course, you should have basic computer skills with current Windows versions, including the ability to start and switch between programs, locate and open saved files, close applications, and use a web browser to access websites.
You can develop these foundational skills through logical operations courses in general Microsoft Windows, or comparable courses covering similar material.
Comprehensive Course Outline:
Lesson 1: Getting Started with Access
- Topic A: Orientation to Microsoft Access Interface and Terminology
- Topic B: Create a Simple Access Database from Scratch
- Topic C: Get Help and Configure Options in Microsoft Access
Lesson 2: Working with Table Data
- Topic A: Modify Table Data and Manage Records
- Topic B: Sort and Filter Records for Easy Access
Lesson 3: Querying a Database
- Topic A: Create Basic Queries for Data Retrieval
- Topic B: Sort and Filter Data in a Query
- Topic C: Perform Calculations in a Query
Lesson 4: Using Forms
- Topic A: Create Basic Access Forms for Data Entry
- Topic B: Work with Data on Access Forms
Lesson 5: Generating Reports
- Topic A: Create a Report for Data Analysis
- Topic B: Add Controls to a Report
- Topic C: Enhance the Appearance of a Report
- Topic D: Prepare a Report for Print
- Topic E: Organize Report Information Logically
- Topic F: Format Reports Professionally
Lesson 6: Designing a Relational Database
- Topic A: Relational Database Design Principles
- Topic B: Create a Table with Proper Structure
- Topic C: Create Table Relationships and Enforce Integrity
Lesson 7: Sharing Data Across Applications
- Topic A: Import Data into Access from External Sources
- Topic B: Export Data to Text File Formats
- Topic C: Export Access Data to Excel Spreadsheets
- Topic D: Create a Mail Merge with Access Data
