Database Management (Level 5)

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 5
• Convenor: Jerry Smallwood
• Assessment: problem-solving worksheets (20%) and a two-hour examination (80%)

In this module you will become familiar with the main concepts underlying database management, and in particular with the relational database model which is the dominant database system used in corporate IT departments.

The module has three main strands: fundamental concepts introduced using the entity-relationship model; querying a relational database; and relational database design.

Indicative syllabus

• Entity-Relationship Model
• Relational Model
• Querying relational databases using SQL
• Updates, views and transactions
• Integrity constraints in the Relational Model
• Relational database design
• Non-relational databases
• SQL programming and the web

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• explain advanced database concepts, with a focus on relational database technolog
• design and implement a relational database, including the formulation of complex operations within a corporate application
• develop an entity-relationship model from a real-world scenario, demonstrating abstraction skills
• evaluate different database designs, comparing them based on desirable properties such as normalisation, efficiency and scalability
• formulate accurate and efficient queries, emphasising the importance of precision in query formulation
• analyse problems involving the deployment and management of database applications within organisations.