Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Based on these responsibilities and communication channels, we designed the data-
base track to produce students prepared for these multifaceted jobs. During the first two years
of our program, all students gain a broad overview of the Information Technology field, taking
introductory courses in programming, Internet technologies, architectures, telecommunica-
tions, database, and systems analysis and design:
•
Introduction to Application Development
: Introduction to system development using
MS Access
•
Introduction to Computer Programming
: Application development using Visual
Basic
•
Internet Foundations and Technologies
: Web page development using XHTML
•
Information Technology Architectures
: Exploration of the history, architecture, and
development of the Internet and the World Wide Web
•
Systems Software and Networking
: Introduction to data communications and network
operating systems
•
Programming for the Internet
: Internet application development using scripting
languages
•
Database Fundamentals
: Normalization, SQL, and application interfaces to databases
•
Systems Analysis and Design Methods
: Introduction to information systems develop-
ment
Courses in the Database Track
Students specializing in the database area must complete an additional 25 credit hours
of technical courses focused on getting the database student prepared for one of the three
roles described above. First, we will follow the progression of the database courses in our
program and then show how they, in combination with other courses, prepare our students
for future jobs.
Figure 2 shows the progression of database courses for a database-track student.
A brief description of these database courses follows:
•
Introduction to Application Development (all students)
:
This course introduces the
development of information systems through the use of a database. Topics include
business information systems, system and application development, database man-
agement systems, problem solving, logic, data types, and programming using database
technology. Given a database design and application requirements, students design,
construct, and test a personal computer information system.
•
Database Fundamentals (all students)
: In this course, relational database concepts,
including data design, modeling and normalization, are discussed. Students use SQL
to query, define, populate, and test a database. This course expands on previous
courses by accessing databases from programs and the Web and discusses practical
issues that database developers must handle.
•
Database Development
: In this course, some of the programmatic extensions to SQL
supported by leading Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) vendors
are explored. Topics include stored procedure and trigger design and implementation,
query optimization to enhance performance, and data transformation to enhance
interoperability of data.
