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BUS 112-Introduction to Database Management Systems

Prerequisites : Completion of Business 92, Business 93 and Business 110 with a grade of C of better.

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Catalog Description: Introduction to database management, stressing the design and development of efficient business information systems. Emphasis on user's requirements, evaluation of performance characteristics, and DBMS trade-offs. 3 credits.

Detailed Course Description:

This course is an introduction to the database design and implementation of Information Systems Applications. The goal of the course is to provide students with a clear understanding of Database Management Systems (DBMS) and how they can be used in industry. Emphases will be given to both the theoretical concepts of database design and practical database implementation. At the end of this course the student should have an appreciation of database software products, types of DBMS's, types of data models, the SQL language; and enough information to understand many of the issues in planning, implementing and managing a DBMS.

The students will be working in a team to design, develop and implement a database application for a realistic business case study.

Prerequisite Concepts and Skills: Successful completion of this course requires that students possess the following knowledge and skills:

1. Competency in written and oral communication.
2. Understanding of the organizational structure and fundamental business processes (e.g. completion of Business 10, 20 & 21).
3. Understanding of the fundamental concepts and implementation of structured programming using a higher-level programming language (e.g. completion of Business 92, programming languages such as COBOL and Visual Basic).
4. Understanding of the concepts of Structured Systems Analysis and Design (e.g. completion of Business 93).

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Describe the major components of a computerized Data Base Management System.
2. Understand the DBMS environment from stand-alone systems to client/server architecture to distributed database systems.
3. Create Entity-Relational (E-R) models from a given set of business objectives.
4. Develop a fully normalized Relational Database from both an E-R diagram and a set of business documentation.
5. Understand and be able to construct and retrieve data from a relational database utilizing both SQL and Query by Example.
6. Understand and be able to implement the concepts of data integrity, namely, domain, entity and referential integrity.
7. Implement a relational database in a functional application utilizing a PC-based DBMS such as Microsoft Access. The application should include functions such as Add, Change, Delete, Browse, Reports, Queries, etc. These functions should be implemented with the DBMS's companion language such as Visual Basic.
8. Prepare a complete set of user documentation of a working database application system.
9. Orally present a completed database application system to the users and management responsible for the application.

Methods of Instruction:

Instructional materials will be drawn from the textbook and workbook as well as handouts developed by the instructor. The class will be conducted with lectures and lab sessions where the students work on their DBMS assignments and projects with the instructor and their own project teams.

Instructional Materials:

1. Textbook - will vary by instructor.
2. PC DBMS such as Microsoft Access
3. PC DBMS Workbook based on 2.
   1. CASE and prototyping tools (e.g., SilverRun, System Architect) capable of drawing Entity-Relationship and Relational diagrams.