Instructor: Marek J. Druzdzel
INFSCI 1022 is an introductory course in database management systems (DBMSs), one of the earliest and most successfully applied concepts in computer science. The course will provide you with an opportunity to learn the basic elements of design, implementation, and utilization of databases. You will also practice your programming skills at the level of a structural programming language like C, at the level of a database query language like SQL and QBE, and at a level that combines both. Another useful experience that this course will provide you with is group work, something that is a fact of life in most environments that you will be immersed in after graduation.
This is an applied course. The intended participants are students who want to learn applied skills that may prove useful in their future endeavors and want to practice their knowledge of programming and data structures. The course will build on the knowledge that you gained when studying data structures and file processing techniques. If you disliked those classes or do not feel comfortable with what you have learned there, you might want to consider dropping this class.
As you might have already experienced by now, being an engineer requires independence, creativity, but most of all commitment to hard working. In this class, there will be readings, homework assignments, and a term project, involving implementation of a simple database. (I expect that you know the C programming language or are willing to learn it before the semester starts.) The work load will be heavy, but I believe that you will find the class satisfying. I will require your commitment, keeping up with the readings and the assignments, coming to classes, and being their active participant. In return, I will do my best to ensure that you have fun and learn useful skills.
Marek Druzdzel's teaching page
Marek Druzdzel's home page