CS4354 Concepts of Database Systems 

Course information:

Semester year: Spring 2026

Time/Location: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 2:00-3:00., T Fuller Petr Eng Research 110

Class material will be posted here and on Canvas

Syllabus

Piazza link is now alive. Please ask all questions/discussions via Piazza

Staff information:

Instructor: Tara Salman email: tsalman@ttu.edu Office: EC211D

TA: Rukayat Olapojoye, email:  rolapojo@ttu.edu 

Instructor office hours: Monday/Wednesday 12:00–2:00 p.m., EC211D or by appointment. 

TA office hours: Tuesday 10am- 12 pm and Thursday  10-11 am. It will probably be in room 204A. 

Description

This course overviews a database system and its components, physical organization of data, data models, relational databases, and query processing.

It has several objectives, including 1) an understanding of data modeling concepts, 2) a relational model for storage and retrieval of information, 3) formal query languages, and 4) current database technologies such as SQL. 

Key topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Relational Model

 2. Relational Algebra

3. Data Definition and Manipulation with SQL;

4. Formal query languages

5. Normalization

6. Database Design Methodology

Textbook: 

The textbook for the course is Fundamentals of Database Systems 7th edition, Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe, Pearson, 2015, ISBN: 9780133970777

Learning Outcomes & Assessment Methods

Students who have completed this course should have the ability to:

1.     Understand the fundamental principles of the relational data model 

2.     Formulate an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram as conceptual design of database requirements 

3.     Map ER diagrams to relational schemas 

4.     Formulate a correct relational algebra expression to answer a query using a query language such as SQL that involves select-project-join, negation, union, intersection, minimum/ maximum, and a limited form of counting

5. Apply database theory to practice by creating a database application using a commercial database product 

Prerequisites

Course Prerequisites: CS 3364 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Expected Prior Knowledge and Skills: logic, some programming knowledge, teamwork proficiency 

Grading Policy

Your course grade shall be based on the following weights.

Assignments: 15%

Quizzes: 5%

Class contributions: 5%

Course project: 40%

Midterm 1: 20%

Midterm 2: 20%

See the syllabus for details. 

Assignments and Project Descriptions

Syllabus Quiz is on Canvas. It is due Jan 31st

Quiz 1 is on Canvas. Solution Key 

HW1 is On Canvas. Due Feb 27th.  

The project proposal is on Canvas. Due March 6th. 

HW2 is on Canvas. Due on March 27th. 

Lectures 

Note: Please access the passcode for the video from Canvas 

Lecture 1 (Introduction to the course)

• Date: Jan 14th. 

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Your Syllabus

  • Chapter 1 (up till 1.3) 

Lecture 2 (Intro continued)

• Date: Jan 16th

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapters 1.3-1.7

Lecture 3 (DB concepts and architectures)

• Date: Jan 28th

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapters 2 (up till the end of 2.3)

Lecture 4 (DB concepts and architectures and early ER design concepts)

• Date: Jan 30th

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapters 2 &Chapter 3 (3.1-3,3 (not all)) 

Lecture 5 (ER design concepts)

• Date: Feb 2nd

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary inclass_Meterial

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 3

Lecture 6 (ER design concepts)

• Date: Feb 4th

• Lecture material: 1PP 4PP video summary inclass_Meterial

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 3

Lectures 7 and 8 

•  Date: Feb 6th and 9th

• Lecture material: in_Class_without_solution, In_classwithSolution. 

• Note: Recording is accessible through Canvas only. 

• Reading Resources: Chapter 3

Lecture 9 (EER design concepts-recorded lecture)

• Date: Feb 11th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 4

Lecture 10 (EER design concepts)

• Date: Feb 13th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, InClass_WithoutSolution, InClassWithSolution

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 4

Lecture 11 (EER final examples and start of relational mapping)

• Date: Feb 16th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, InClass_WithoutSolution, InClassWithSolution

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 9

Lecture 12 (relational mapping)

• Date: Feb 18th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, Summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 9

Lecture 13 (relational mapping part 2)

• Date: Feb 20th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, Summary, InClass_WithoutSolution

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 9

Lecture 14 (relational mapping part 4)

• Date: Feb 23rd

• Lecture material: InClass_WithoutSolution, InClass_WithSolution

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 9

Lecture 15 (Normalization)

• Date: Feb 25th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, Summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 14

Lecture 16 (Normalization part 2)

• Date: Feb 27th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, Summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 14

Lecture 17 and 18 (Normalization part 3 and 4)

• Date: March 2nd and 4th

• Lecture material: in-class-excercises, solution, video for 17, video for 18. 

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapter 14

 The next two Lectures where exam prep on March 6th and 9th 

Exam on March 11th. 

Lecture 20 

• Date: March 13th

• Lecture material: 1PP, video, Summary

• Reading Resources:

  • Chapters 6 to 8