Overview
COMP 378 covers foundational concepts for database design and development and provides an introduction to database administration and data analytics. This course is structured to follow the database development life cycle, which will allow you to easily relate topics to one another along a logical path. COMP 378 focuses on relational databases and entity-relationship modeling, and NoSQL databases are introduced in units covering data analytics.
The theoretical material in this course is supplemented with lab, assignment, and project components. The labs provide hands-on training and link to commercial products. They are separate from the marked assessments.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you 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 a course composite 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 requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Hoffer, J. A., Ramesh, V., & Topi, H. (2019). Modern database management (13th ed.). Pearson.
Other Materials
Software: To familiarize you 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 your 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% |
Challenge for credit course registration form