Home
About the Course¶
This database systems course is for junior and senior undergraduates in computer science. Databases are essential to nearly every business today, and you likely have dozens of databases on your phone! CS 374 will show you how data is stored and used in real-world contexts and provide hands-on experience with fundamental data management techniques.
We will focus mainly on the relational model and the use of SQL, a declarative programming language for writing queries. You will learn how to use standard database systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and Oracle. We will also explore NoSQL systems like MongoDB and Neo4j near the end of the semester.
The course will focus on data modeling and database design with some application development. The knowledge and skills you acquire in CS 374 will open the door to solving interesting and challenging problems. Database programming and administration is an exciting and growing job sector.
About the Instructors¶
Chris Mayfield is a Professor of Computer Science at James Madison University. His research focuses on CS education and faculty development at the undergraduate and high school levels. He currently has two NSF-funded projects: one that studies student engagement in CS1 (2216454) and one that supports high school CTE teachers (2219770). He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University and bachelor’s degrees in CS and German from the University of Utah.
Mona Rizvi is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at James Madison University. She received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Old Dominion University. Before entering academia, she worked for nearly 20 years as a software engineer and technical manager. She designed large, complex databases (e.g. USAF Combat Operations database) and designed and developed numerous deployed applications. Her Ph.D. research was in wireless networking, and her later research is in computer science education.
Creative Commons¶
Unless otherwise noted, the materials on this website are freely available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.