IS 331-101
Database Design, Management and Applications
Course Syllabus, V_0.9
(This is a preliminary version of the course syllabus; a final version will be available on the first
meeting of the class. Note that we always reserve the right to subsequently make changes to the
syllabus for the benefit of the class, and these will be announced in class.)
Fall, 2011
Instructor: Dr. J. M. Scher
Office: Room 4105 GITC (Office Hours (preferably by prior appointment) - Mondays, 5:00PM –
5:45PM, Tuesday, 4:00PM -5:00PM, Friday, 2:30PM – 3:30PM)
Phone: (724) IS331NJ , (which is 724-473-3165), and is Dr. Scher’s Google Voice phone number); ( If
urgent, you can also leave a msg. for Dr. Scher at the IS Secretary (973) 596-3368 )
E-Mail: IS331NJIT@GMAIL.COM – use only this email address to contact Dr. Scher, and please do
NOT send IS431 email to Dr. Scher's NJIT ADM account, and DO NOT message him through
Moodle!)
Textbook: D. Kroenke and D. Auer, DATABASE PROCESSING: FUNDAMENTALS, DESIGN
& IMPLEMENTATION, TWELFTH Edition, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2012. ISBN:
10:0132145375 or 13:9780132145374 (Earlier editions of this text will NOT satisfy the course
requirements - only purchase and use the current edition, which has a copyright date of 2012).
Course Overview: IS331 introduces the student to database design, exemplary database applications,
and the need for databases and their utilization as a strategic corporate resource. Topics include (1) data
modeling (primarily E-R data modeling), (2) relational database design (including database integrity
issues), (3) professional and ethical responsibilities of database professionals, (4)\ query design
(including the Relational Algebra), (4) functional/multivalued dependencies, (5) relational
decomposition and normalization (through 3NF, BCNF, 4NF and DKNF), (6) Denormalization and
read-only/non-updateable databases, including data warehouses, and (7) Structured Query Language
(SQL) and Oracle.
Course Description (modified and adapted from Catalog): Businesses use databases extensively for
analysis and decision-making because they provide efficient, large-scale information storage and rapid
retrieval. Databases support the “back end functionality” of most large web systems. This course gives
students extensive, pragmatic experience in designing, building, querying, updating, maintaining and
managing relational databases, using the Structured Query Language (SQL). Proper database design
principles are emphasized throughout the course, beginning with high level descriptions of relational
databases using data modeling tools (such as ER (Entity Relationship) diagrams) and progressing to
relational database design principles based on higher order normalizations. We will examine some
poorly designed databases and show how these can be transformed into well designed databases. SQL
will be extensively covered, and students will design and implement sophisticated SQL queries invoking
self-joins, outer joins, correlated subqueries and related concepts. Students will explore and utilize
design methodologies for input data validation and maintaining database integrity, and study related
issues of database privacy and security. Advanced topics to be discussed include the role of the Database
Administrator (DBA), database life cycle activities, database denormalizations, read-only databases and
data warehouses. Hands-on experience will be gained by working with actual databases using industrystandard database management systems such as Oracle.
Prerequisite: Completion of a 100-level GUR course in computing, such as IS118 or CS101 or
CS104 or CS113. (It is also assumed that students have some familiarity with Microsoft Office (2007 or
2010), including Microsoft Access.)
Exogenous Class Communication Space/Learning Management System: We will be using Moodle,
an open source Learning Management System at NJIT, for the posting of projects and class resources.
Students are obligated to log into Moodle on a near-daily basis, and to keep current.
Course Goals: To understand the design and development issues regarding databases. Students will
obtain a strong conceptual foundation of the underpinnings of database design, as well as gain
experience with some commercial database management products, ranging such as Oracle. IS331 seeks
to provide the student with the conceptual and pragmatic aspects and issues related to designing,
implementing, managing, deploying and utilizing database applications, with the emphasis on the
student’s comprehension of key concepts in database design (as opposed to programming or algorithms).
The student will utilizes various DBMS products and software tools, such as Oracle, to put into practice
the database concepts presented.
Lecture Notes: Slides will be downloadable each week
Course Grade Components:



Midterm Exam (closed book) 33%
Final Exam (open book) 34%
Weekly Database conceptual assignments and DBMS projects 33%
Policy on Collaboration/Cheating: Every assignment/project is a 'home-mini-exam.' The NJIT Honor
Code will be strictly upheld. Students found cheating/collaborating/plagiarizing will be immediately
referred to the Dean of Students and the NJIT Committee on Professional Conduct and subject to
possible Disciplinary Probation, a permanent marking on the record, possible dismissal and a grade of
'F' in the course. All submitted assignments are carefully checked for similarities, and plagiarism
and guilty students will be identified and referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.
Policy on Lateness of Submission: Every assignment will have a due date, and all submissions must be
done in class by this due date. Assignments submitted after the due date will NOT be accepted. NO
EXCEPTIONS.
Below are the TOPICs covered in the course and the related TEXTBOOK readings. Remember
one of the keys to success in IS331 is your own self-discipline - your goal should be to maintain
currency each week, and NEVER fall behind! (Note: this is a tentative schedule, and we reserve the
privilege to modify and edit all attributes of this table (topics, dates, etc.) for the benefit of the
course.)
Class
Meeting
TOPICS
PRESENTATIONS.
TEXTBOOK
READINGS,
SOFTWARE
ACTIVITY,
SAMPLE
DATABASES,
PROJECTS
9/12
Welcome, Introduction to Database Concepts and
Database Design, Database Properties, File
Processing Systems, Database Examples, Flat File
Databases, Relational Databases
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
9/19
High-Level Descriptions of Relational Databases,
Using Entity Relationship Data Modeling and E-R
Diagrams (both Chen and Crow’s Foot Notational
Schemes)
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
9/26
Querying a Database. The Relational Algebra for
Query Design, RA Operators and Querying a
Database (using GQBE), Responsibilities of the
database professional, including database integrity
and ethical obligations involving privacy/security of
data, relational database design, designing validation
rules for database integrity
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
10/3
Introduction to the syntax of Structured Query
Language (SQL)
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
10/10
Continued discussion of using SQL in the design of
database queries
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
10/17
An Object-Oriented Approach to Database
Modeling: Semantic Object Data Modeling, Using
Cool Strategy.com's Table Designer 1.0a
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
10/24
Midterm Exam (precise details to be announced)
10/31
11/7
11/14
11/21
Examining some poorly designed databases, and the
conceptual tools we have for optimal database design,
(as discussed in
including concepts of functional dependencies,
class, and presented
Armstrong’s axioms, relational decompositions and
in Moodle)
lossless joins, and inferring new functional
dependencies from existing functional dependencies
Ramifications of poorly designed databases, and
optimal database design using Database
Normalization (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, 4NF).
Multivalued Dependencies
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
(as discussed in
The highest order normal form (Domain Key Normal
class, and presented
Form) and issues in proper Relational Database
in Moodle)
Design
Database Design Using Normalization & Denormalization,
(as discussed in
Updatable vs. Read-Only Databases, Data
class, and presented
Warehousing
in Moodle)
11/28
(as discussed in
Aqua Data Studio and Oracle, and SQL for Database
class, and presented
Construction and Application Processing
in Moodle)
12/28
Advanced SQL, including sophisticated SQL queries
involving self-joins and inner and outer joins.
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
12/5
Database Redesign, SQL Correlated Subqueries, and
the SQL EXISTS and NOT EXISTS;
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
12/12
Database Security
(as discussed in
class, and presented
in Moodle)
12/19-12/20
Comprehensive Final Examination