Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Database Applications

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ISYS3479

City Campus

Postgraduate

175H Computing Technologies

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Dr. Santha Sumanasekara

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 9673

Course Coordinator Email: santha.sumanasekara@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 14.9.9

Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment, by email


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Enforced Pre-requisite courses

Successful completion of the following course/s:

AND

Note: it is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite/s and agree to concurrently enrol in co-requisite courses before enrolling in a course.

For your information go to RMIT Course Requisites webpage.

 

If you have completed prior studies at RMIT or another institution that developed the skills and knowledge covered in the above course/s you may be eligible to apply for credit transfer.

Alternatively, if you have prior relevant work experience that developed the skills and knowledge covered in the above course/s you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.

Please follow the link for further information on how to apply for credit for prior study or experience.


Course Description

Databases and the database technology are having a major impact on the growing use of computers. They play a critical role in almost all areas where computers are used.

This course introduces you to advanced database design and implementation concepts, database design techniques, and efficient data management. It will extend the database concepts and design skills developed in database concepts course and introduces you to database indexing, database security, query optimisation, concurrency control and transaction management, stored procedures and triggers, database backup strategies, and non-relational databases.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

This course is an option course so it is not required to contribute to the development of program learning outcomes (PLOs) though it may assist your achievement of several PLOs.

For more information on the program learning outcomes for your program, please see the program guide.


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Apply advanced data analysis and modelling concepts, physical design, integrity, security and transaction management;
  2. Create triggers, stored procedures and functions to enhance the usability of a database;
  3. Apply techniques for efficient storing, accessing, securing, and recovering of data;
  4. Build an efficient database application with an emphasis on storage management, indexing and query optimisation;
  5. Use MongoDB for store and retrieve non-relational data;
  6. Develop a simple web-based interface for a database.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities such as lectorials, tutelabs, project work, class discussion, individual and group activities. Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both. Specifically, the learning activities included in this course are:

  • Lectorials: In general, lectures will be based upon the weekly reading pack and lecture notes. Where other material is used, explicit references will be given, with preference going to material that is widely available (e.g. freely available on the internet or in the library). Because this course has an emphasis on database application development in practice, there will be collaborative coding activities and demonstrations during the lecture. So, you will be required to bring in a laptop to lectorials. More details about the nature of activities will be discussed in the first lectorial.
  • TuteLabs: In general tutelab exercises are practical in nature and mostly relate to the assignment work so that students incrementally gain the skills required to develop a database application rather than having to apply a broad range of knowledge and combine a number of different skills and capabilities in a single large effort.

You are encouraged to be proactive and self-directed in your learning, asking questions of your lecturer and/or peers and seeking out information as required, especially from the numerous sources available through the RMIT library, and through links and material specific to this course that is available through myRMIT Studies Course.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through myRMIT Studies Course.

This course requires students to have their own laptop. 

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.

Students will make extensive use of computer laboratories and relevant software provided by the School. 


Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment tasks

Assessment 1: Take-home assignment on building an efficient database application with an emphasis on storage management, indexing and query optimisation
Weight: 25%
This assessment supports CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4.

Assessment 2: Take-home assignment on NoSQL and MongoDB
Weight: 25%
This assessment supports CLOs 1, 4, 5.

Assessment 3: Mid-semester Test
Weight: 15%
This assessment supports CLOs  1, 2, 3, 5.

Assessment 4: Database Optimisation Summative Assessment
Weight: 35%
This assessment supports CLOs 1 – 5.

If you have a long-term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.