ClassInfo

CSC 453 Principles of Database Management Systems

Alexander Rasin

Office: CDM 847
Winter 2012-2013
Class number: 24263
Section number: 801
Tu 5:45PM - 9:00PM
CDM 00206 Loop Campus

Summary

This is an introductory graduate course in database design and implementation. Specific topics to be covered include:

The Relational Model
Structured Query Language (SQL)
Database Design and Normalization
Database Programming
Storage and Indexes
Other Database Models (e.g., Object-Relational)



Texts

Required Text: Fundamentals of Database Systems (sixth edition), by Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe, ISBN 0136086209 or 978-0136086208.


Grading

There will be homework assignments given most weeks; assignments (with associated readings) will be posted on the course web site and will be due one week after the day they are posted, unless otherwise noted. Details of the submission process will be discussed in class; it is your responsibility to verify that your submitted files are readable and submitted in the correct locations. Late assignments will be accepted up to three days late with a 10% penalty for each day or fraction of a day that the assignment is late; these penalties will be assessed uniformly and in full to all assignments submitted at any point beyond the posted due date and time (including those submitted or re-submitted later the same day). No assignments will be accepted more than three days beyond the posted due date and time. These deadlines will be strictly enforced, but I will drop the lowest-grade homework when computing your final grade for the course. The homework assignments will be worth a total of 40% of the course grade. There will be a midterm exam given on Tuesday February 12th (2/12) that will be worth 30% of the course grade. There will be a cumulative final exam given on Monday March 19th (3/19) that will be worth 30% of the course grade. (I will contact Online Learning students by email regarding exam scheduling and procedures.) If you do not take both the midterm and final exams, you will automatically receive a grade of F for the course. Furthermore, everyone must take the midterm and final exams at the scheduled times - as a rule, no make-up exams will be given. If you wish to petition for a make-up exam in an emergency situation, you must contact me in advance and provide written documentation of the emergency.


Prerequisites

CSC 383 Data Structures and Algorithms in Java or CSC 393 Data Structures in C++. (Note: CSC 451 Database Design is not sufficient preparation for this course; if you have not taken CSC 383 or CSC 393, you should not take this course.)


Regarding Email Communication

Please begin the subject line of any email to me with "CSC 453", so that I can easily identify your messages. I will reply to email messages within one business day after the day I receive them; therefore questions that are only received by me on an assignment's due date (or late the night before) are not guaranteed replies before the assignment is due. Please plan accordingly and begin the assignments early enough to ask questions and receive answers. If you are having problems, send me a detailed description of the problems you are having; I will try to guide you in locating and solving your problems yourself, rather than simply solve your problems for you. Please do not use the comment field of the assignment submission system to send me questions.


School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296