CIS250 - Database and Query
Curriculum changes noted for Fall 2025
3 Credit hours - 2 Lecture, 2 Lab
Prerequisite(s): CSC 140 or CIS 150 or CIS 170 or concurrent enrollment
Fall 2025: Prerequisite(s): CSC 140 or CIS 150 or CIS 170 or CSC 160 or concurrent enrollment
Course Rationale:
To provide students with a strong background in the relational model of database design, normalization and Structured Query Language.
Fall 2025: To provide students with a strong background in the relational model of database design, normalization and Structured Query Language as well as an understanding of NoSQL databases and their structure.
Catalog Description:
Introductory database theory with an emphasis on relational database management. Hands-on Structured Query Language database programming. The course also covers design, normalization, implementation and query of a relational database, and uses an enterprise level database management system
Fall 2025: This is an introductory course that provides database theory with an emphasis on relational database management. Hands-on Structured Query Language (SQL) database programming is included. The course also covers design, normalization, implementation and query of a relational database and uses an enterprise level database management system. In addition, students will learn the basics of NoSQL database schemas and how to interact with a non-relational model.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Describe database technologies.
Apply problem solving methods to accomplish business tasks using Structured Query Language.
Identify the role and value of database administration in organizations.
List major issues regarding human interaction with information systems.
Implement Structured Query Language based database applications on an enterprise level database management system.
Describe the significance of professionalism and ethical behavior.
Demonstrate competency (modify computer programs as a result of information gained) in using documentation and other resources for answers to implementation issues.
Fall 2025:
Understand the foundational operations of database technologies, and their applications for different data structures.
Design a database using entity-relationship diagrams and normalization principles, and create accompanying documentation.
Make use of SQL Database Design Language (DDL) to construct, manage, and alter database objects.
Utilize SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) to perform insert, update, and delete operations within a database.
Create SQL scripts to retrieve data from a database.
Diagnose and resolve database errors using documentation and external resources.
Demonstrate understanding of the role of a database administrator and the tools they use.
Develop NoSQL databases and apply basic DDL and DML concepts to NoSQL environments.
All course assignments and exams are closely aligned to, and assess, the student's mastery of these core objectives.
Core Outcomes
In this course, students are introduced to key concepts of relational databases using Microsoft SQL Server. Course assumes no prior knowledge in database design or SQL.
Understanding core database concepts
Understand how data is stored in tables - understand what a table is and how it relates to the data that will be stored in the database; columns/fields, rows/records
Understand relational database concepts - understand what a relational database is, the need for relational database management systems (RDBMS), and how relations are established
Understand data manipulation language (DML) - understand what DML is and its role in databases
Understand data definition language (DDL) - understand how T-SQL can be used to create database objects, such as tables and views
Create database objects
Choose data types - understand what data types are, why they are important, and how they affect storage requirements
Understand tables and how to create them - purpose of tables; create tables in a database by using proper ANSI SQL syntax
Create views - understand when to use views and how to create a view by using T-SQL or a graphical designer
Create stored procedures and functions - select, insert, update, or delete data
Manipulate data
Select data - utilize SELECT queries to extract data from one table, extract data by using joins, combine result sets by using UNION and INTERSECT
Insert data - understand how data is inserted into a database, how to use INSERT statements
Update data - understand how data is updated in a database and how to write the updated data to the database by using the appropriate UPDATE statements, update by using a table
Delete data - delete data from single or multiple tables, ensure data and referential integrity by using transactions
Understand data storage
Understand normalization - understand the reasons for normalization, the five most common levels of normalization, how to normalize a database to third normal form
Understand primary, foreign, and composite keys - understand the reason for keys in a database, choose appropriate primary keys, select appropriate data type for keys, select appropriate fields for composite keys, understand the relationship between foreign and primary keys
Understand indexes - understand clustered and non-clustered indexes and their purpose in a database
Administer a database
Understand database security concepts - understand the need to secure a database, what objects can be secured, what objects should be secured, user accounts, and roles
Understand database backups and restore - understand various backup types, such as full and incremental, importance of backups, how to restore a database
Test Out Requirements
Students who wish to demonstrate proficiency in this course will need to complete a Departmental proficiency exam. Departmental proficiency examinations are created by appropriate college faculty to allow students to demonstrate their mastery of course content in designated subjects. These examinations will be equivalent to the cumulative final assessment used in the course. Faculty will determine the minimum score required to earn credit by exam for these courses.
The college’s test out policy is outlined in policy 2.12 - Credit by Exam (Test Out)
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