Students who are concerned about not meeting the prerequisite for this course are encouraged to contact the course coordinator before registering.
Overview
COMP 378 covers foundational concepts for database design and development and provides an introduction to database administration and data analytics. This course is developed along the database development life cycle that will allow students to easily relate topics to one another along a logical path. The structure of the course follows the development of the material in Modern Database Management (13th ed.). There are nine units in the Study Guide. Each unit begins with a goal, followed by one or more sections of learning. Each section contains a goal, objectives, and activities.
The theoretical material in this course is supplemented with lab, assignment, and project components. The labs provide hands-on training for students and link to commercial products. They are separate from the marked assessment.
Outline
Unit 1: Introduction to Database Systems
Unit 2: Conceptual Data Modeling using Entity-Relationship Diagrams
Unit 3: Logical Database Design using the Relational Model
Unit 4: SQL – A Standard Navigation Language for Relational Databases
Unit 5: Introduction to Three-Tier Architectures and Controlling Concurrent Access to Data
Unit 6: Physical Database Design and Fundamental DBA Activities
Unit 7: Introduction to Data Warehousing
Unit 8: Introduction to Big Data Analytics and NoSQL Database Management Systems
Unit 9: Data Quality and Database Administration
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to
analyze an organization’s needs regarding data, data organization, and data storage.
apply principles of relational database design to build data models.
develop and implement database solutions.
elaborate data storage and indexing options for optimal query processing.
perform basic database administration tasks.
analyze an organization’s needs regarding data analytics, and design solutions using the concepts of data warehousing and NoSQL.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 378, you must achieve an average grade of at least D (50 percent), an average grade of at least 50 percent on the combined marks of the assignments and the final project, and at least 50 percent on the invigilated final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1
15%
Assignment 2
15%
Assignment 3
15%
Final Project
20%
Final Examination
35%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Hoffer, J. A., Ramesh, V., & Topi, H. (2019). Modern database management (13th ed.). Pearson. (eText)
Software: To familiarize students with database techniques and languages being used in work environments, COMP 378 includes a set of hands-on practice labs and a final project that require installing a database system on their computer. The recommended database management system is PostgreSQL. Although the course covers many practical aspects of transactions processing in databases, the primary focus is on general concepts rather than details of a particular commercial system.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the COMP 378 challenge, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the project and 50 percent on the examination.
Activity
Weight
Project
50%
Examination
50%
Total
100%
The challenge examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.