What is Database Administration?
New Hampshire’s housing industry is one of the top industries in the state; the real estate, rental, and leasing industries brought in $12.2 billion in a recent year.
Professional and business services; educational services, healthcare, and social assistance; along with the finance and insurance industries all handle the personal information of clients or customers, as does the real estate industry. This is why these industries, as well as so many others in the state, need well-educated database administrators.
Database administrators (DBAs) oversee an organization’s data retention, ensuring the data is stored in a way that authorized personnel can get access to as needed, but also keeping out those who shouldn’t be accessing this information. A DBA also makes sure the data is not disorganized so that it can be used to draw conclusions about customers, the company as a whole, profits, and more.
A database administrator (DBA) creates and maintains databases which work with the needs of their organization. These are information technology (IT) professionals who use a variety of analytical tools, focusing on troubleshooting, database updates, security, and storage. A DBA may also write draft management reports, identify clients’ needs, create mailing lists, and ensure the database has enough processing power to sort, match, aggregate, link, calculate, skip fields, and arrange data as needed.
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Online Database Administration Education in New Hampshire
In their daily work, a DBA carries out database administration duties by organizing sensitive datasets, which may include purchase histories, financial records, and other, private customer details. They make this data available to other professionals but also maintain information security and privacy settings.
They also back up datasets, restore when necessary, and troubleshoot them. They do the same for system access, taking care to update and bring together older programs so they are able to implement the newest technology.
The database administrator benefits organizations in several ways, such as those above. But one of the most relevant benefits they offer today, with so many cyber-attacks taking place in the U.S. and around the world, is protection from intrusion.
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Organizations benefit from the skilled work of a DBA in a variety of ways:
- Decision-making is faster
- Collaboration in the organization is enhanced
- Data integrity and security are boosted
- The organization may increase their sales via prediction of customer behavior
Online Associates (AS)
New Hampshire students interested in an Associate of Science in either computer science, data analytics, or any other field in which they may gain the database administration skills they need for a rewarding career should look into the many associate degree programs in the field.
There are certainly New Hampshire colleges and universities that award associate degrees to their students. Depending on the school and their transfer agreements throughout the state, students may be able to apply every credit they earn toward a bachelor’s degree in the field. Those who start with an associate degree from a community college can transfer many credits toward another degree at a later date.
Associate degrees offer enough knowledge to help their students get into this field. Students take foundation courses and gain the skills they need to start new careers and start gaining on the job experience. While students may earn a general associate degree in computer science or information technology, they may also find programs with a focus in software development, cyber security, or another related field.
Online Bachelors (BS)
Students looking to earn a bachelor’s in database administration can start with a more general degree in computer science or information technology, but degrees at this level have even more options than associate degrees to gain a specialized education, even in database administration. And computer science related degrees lend themselves especially well to earning online bachelor or associate degrees.
Once enrolled, students will increase their foundational knowledge of information technology (IT) by taking courses in database development, information systems, programming, operating systems, computer networking, and more.
Considering that the employment of computer and information technology occupations has been projected to grow by 13% between 2016 and 2026, students may benefit by finding an internship for a pertinent position. They may also take courses in subjects such as programming languages, introduction to the Linux/Unix operating system, website development, computer networking, E-commerce, database management, and more.
Online Masters (MS)
Students who graduate with master’s degrees or MBA’s in information technology or database administration are likely to find that they are in more demand as database administrators (DBAs) than they were before. With their knowledge and skills, they may work in healthcare administration, health management and policy or hospitality management.
These degrees will teach students not only advanced skills in computing, but also skills for management.
If you choose to earn an MBA degree, you’ll likely be able to find them in all three formats: part-time, full-time, and online. In any one of these formats, they will learn what they need so they have the opportunity to move into management. Earning an MBA allows students to work on management skills development and to focus on their chosen specialization, which can be in healthcare administration, database administration, data analytics, and many more options.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
PhD programs are less common than every other degree level, and so you might need to expand your search outside your state if you can’t find the specialization you were hoping for. While database administration degrees at this level are uncommon, you can find PhDs focusing on data science, management, and other pertinent fields. These interdisciplinary programs go beyond the more traditional knowledge taught in every other level program – they focus on research and more academic knowledge and theories.
Doctorate programs may enable candidates to capture huge amounts of data, analyze it, search and share it, and publish research either on the data itself or in the processes they used to do this work. Students may also learn how to use predictive analytics so they can identify cyber-threats or use big data analytics to improve healthcare outcomes for patients. Through these forms of learning and a focus on research, students ready themselves for advanced practice in this profession, either in research or academia.
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Become a Database Administrator in New Hampshire
There are no particular requirements by any state for a database administration professional to earn licensure or certificate, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan to earn some kind of certification in the field. A database administrator whose goal is to rise to a managerial role should certainly plan to earn some kind of professional certifications. If they earned their associate or bachelor’s degrees in either IT or computer science, certifications specific to database administration may help boost their career in the field.
Online certification programs are offered through Oracle (MySQL and database); Microsoft (SQL server certifications: entry-level, associate, and advanced); and IBM offers DBA certification at the intermediate level (Windows, Linux, and Unix). Here are just some options for those DBA professionals who are looking to earn some kind of certification.
- Oracle University:
DBA professionals receive training and certification in Oracle products and software. Topics they may study include cloud infrastructure, database, SaaS, Java, applications, and PaaS. - Microsoft Learn:
This platform, found online, offers more than 75 role-based certification programs. these include administrator associate, security administration associate, and Azure administrator associate. - Linux Foundation Training:
This organization has dedicated itself to spreading high-quality education all around the world. They make certification programs and courses available for DBA professionals. - ASIS&T Webinars:
These webinars offer professional topics which are timely; participates receive valuable insights from science and business leaders from countries around the world. - Enterprise Data Management Council eLearning:
The EDM council offers training in data management, as well as certification programs covering data integration, stewardship, quality, and governance. - Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T):
This interdisciplinary association of professionals, encourages workers to build their skills and offers career development, which is related to information sciences and technologies. Professionals benefit from continuing education, publications, and information they may find valuable. - Microsoft Certifications:
This organization offers several programs for database professionals. Topics include data management and analytics, data platforms, core infrastructure, and business intelligence. - International Web Association (IWA) Certifications:
This organization administers certified web professional certification programs at several levels: associate, specialist, and master’s levels. Security analyst, server administrator, and database specialist certifications are available at the specialist level.
Careers for Database Administration Graduates
- Information Technology Specialist & Manager
The IT manager supervises and maintains the organization’s computing needs. They verify that systems are secure and operating effectively, along with every related application, software and hardware the organization uses. - Database Administrator (DBA)
A database administrator verifies that every database (financial or customer information) remains up to date with both procedures and policies to guard against data loss. If something happens at the organization’s office, the DBA uses their skills in computer science to find and correct any problems. - Data Analyst
A data analyst gathers data and stores it for the organization. This data may focus on market research, sales numbers, linguistics, or other information. The analyst offers their technical expertise, ensuring the quality and accuracy of the organization’s data. They may also process, design, and present it to help managers and organizations make better decisions. - Database Engineer
A database engineer designs and maintains databases; they can add to data storage capacity and troubleshoot the functionality of the database if issues develop. They may also review the performance of the database and user reports.
This specialist needs knowledge of best practices in the management of databases and they should have experience in a closely related role. Database optimization skills should result in the efficient flow of information through the organization.
- Quality Manager
This specialist implements and carries out various inspections, testing, and evaluations, ensuring that the organization’s products come close to company standards. They write reports by gathering data on inspections (such as production line cleanliness), which are then closely analyzed. They must meet deadlines as they deliver outstanding service according to the industry’s needs. - Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer
This professional locates and fixes bugs in a program or product before it is made available for sale; they collaborate with developers on fixes needed. They review quality specifications and technical design materials so they can provide current and needed feedback. The QA engineer is vital in many industries (medical devices, automotive, food, beverage, and others). - Information Security Analyst
An information security analyst or cybersecurity analyst works on the design of security systems. They put these systems into action to protect an organization’s computer networks from cyber-attacks. They also establish and maintain security standards.
- Cybersecurity Specialist
Cybersecurity specialists investigate cyber security incidents and security breaches, install security measures, and use software to protect computer systems and information infrastructure. This software may include data encryption programs and firewalls.
- Marketing Manager
This manager focuses on promoting services, businesses, brands, or products. They create marketing and pricing strategies, generate new business leads, and oversee the staff of the marketing department. They are also responsible for the marketing budgets and analyzing trends. This professional may also prepare forecasts for their organization. - Cyber Security Manager
This professional faces challenges posed by the hybrid environments which are in increasing use. Their team must work on coordinated security management in a variety of tasks—such as making sure each user has just the access to data and applications that they need and that sensitive data is not overexposed. The data security manager uses several processes, techniques, and practices to keep data safe and impossible to access by people who don’t have the authority to the information.
Sources:
- https://stacker.com/stories/2571/top-industries-every-state
- https://www.theprovatogroup.com/role-database-administration-dba-business/
- https://calbizjournal.com/the-importance-of-hiring-a-skilled-dba/
- https://online.maryville.edu/blog/information-security-analyst-vs-database-administrator/
- https://resources.workable.com/qa-engineer-job-description
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