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Course Syllabus

CS 1520 Introduction to Databases

  • Division: Natural Science and Math
  • Department: Computer Science & Engineering
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
  • Semesters Offered: TBA
  • Semester Approved: Fall 2020
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2025
  • End Semester: Spring 2026
  • Optimum Class Size: 20
  • Maximum Class Size: 24

Course Description

This course is designed for those with interests in business and technology and will teach the application of database skills in business contexts. Students will learn the basics of the SQL language and how to put data into and out of a database. (Students with database, Excel or Access experience, may take this course at the same time as BUS-2010, otherwise it might be best to take BUS-2010 first.) *Successful mastery of this course and BUS-2010 will qualify you for the Snow College 'Foundations of Data Analysis' internal certificate.*

Justification

This course is a practical application of database and SQL skills. It (in connection with BUS-2010) qualifies students to perform novice data analysis employment. This course comprises three credits of the 6-credit Snow College internal certificate of "Foundations of Data Analysis". This course is also an agreed upon match for three hours of transfer credit from an online education partner.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Understand and apply the concepts of data normalization.
  2. Understand how to communicate database design using ERDs.
  3. Understand and demonstrate how Structured Query Language (SQL) works for DDL and DML
  4. Understand and demonstrate how common business tools Excel and Access can be used to answer business questions. For example: Invoices and line items, accounts payable and accounts receivable, invoice terms and discounts, ratios.
  5. Understand SQL Select and methods for creating data reports useful in business environments.

Course Content

The student will be able to apply these technology skills and use them to answer business questions based upon data. Skills are:
- Relational Database Principles (beginning data normalization)
- Structured Query Language (SQL) for data creation/edit/deletion
- SQL for creation of tables, indexes and constraints
- Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) for communication databases
- Excel for tables, pivot tables, charts and database functions
- Access for GUI interaction with databases
- Database Query Report Writing