MSc Data Science (Earth and Environmental Analytics) / Course details
Year of entry: 2025
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Course unit details:
Understanding Databases
Unit code | DATA70141 |
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Credit rating | 15 |
Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The unit aims to address the theory and the role of databases in organisations and help students to gain practical experience in:
- designing and implementing databases to solve practical problems according to the relational principles
- designing and implementing databases in non-relational formats
- using a contemporary Database Management System, MySQL, Python and PHP for database programming
- designing and implementing distributed databases for data intensive systems.
Aims
The unit aims to address the theory and the role of databases in organisations and help students to gain practical experience in:
- designing and implementing databases to solve practical problems according to the relational principles
- designing and implementing databases in non-relational formats
- using a contemporary Database Management System, MySQL, Python and PHP for database programming
- designing and implementing distributed databases for data intensive systems.
Learning outcomes
Students should be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the role and importance of data and information in organisations;
- Demonstrate understanding of the principles and objectives of data modelling;
- Demonstrate understanding of the principles of the relational model;
- Demonstrate competence in relational database design and implementation using a contemporary database management system and MySQL;
- Demonstrate understanding of the principles of non-relational data models;
- Demonstrate competence in non-relational database design and implementation;
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and classify data quality requirements, and approaches to their resolution;
- Apply data modelling for a specific business problem;
- Demonstrate competence in distributed database design and implementation;
- Demonstrate competence in database programming using Python and PHP;
- Demonstrate competence in designing and implementing distributed databases for data intensive systems like Twitter and Uber.
Teaching and learning methods
Each session will include a practical component where students will be asked to demonstrate an understanding of the topics covered in the asynchronous e-learning materials; each set of asynchronous materials will consist of about an hour of video content, coupled with quizzes and activities, examples and practice exercises to ensure knowledge and understanding.
Assessment methods
Assessment Task | Length | How and when feedback is provided | Weighting |
Weekly self-assessment quizzes on Blackboard (formative) | MCQ quizzes | Auto-online | 0% |
Coursework 1 (Individual work) has 3 components: | Parts 1&2 (annotated diagrams) Part 3: report (1000 words) + screenshots | Written and/or verbal | 30% |
Coursework 2 (group work) has 2 components | Part 1 1500-200 words Part 2 1000 - 1500 words | Written and/or verbal | 30% |
Online exam | 2 hours | 40% |
Feedback methods
Students will receive the following feedback:
- Automated feedback from quizzes
- Feedback reports from staff following their coursework submissions
- In-person feedback during the synchronous practical sessions (if requested)
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Thomas Carroll | Unit coordinator |
Rotimi Ogunsakin | Unit coordinator |