Students

COMP6350 – Database Systems

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer
Shan Chen
Contact via email
4 RPD 356
TBA
Lecturer
Rohit Gupta
Contact via email
TBA
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
with COMP2350
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides an in-depth study of modern database technology and its dominant role in developing and maintaining enterprise information systems. The aim is to teach students how to program database applications. The emphasis is placed on business applications, using Structured Query Language (SQL) as an interactive and a programmatic language, on principles of the relational-database model, and on fundamental components of a client-server database-management system. Practical work involves the use of a commercial database-management system together with programming tools.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie modern database management systems.
  • ULO2: Design and develop small, functional database applications using modern database design methods.
  • ULO3: Develop skills in using a industrial-strength database tools and interactive development environments for building databases.
  • ULO4: Complete different database programming tasks to specification using SQL

General Assessment Information

Release Dates:

  • Database Modeling, Design and Implementation - to be released no later than week 4 Monday

  • Database Enhancement Project - to be released no later than week 8

Requirements to Pass this Unit:

To pass the unit you need to obtain a grade of 50% or above overall. There are no hurdle assessments.

Late Submission Policy

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.

    • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.

    • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.

  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.

  • Extensions:

    • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.

    • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted:

  • Database Modeling, Design and Implementation - YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

  • Database Enhancement Project - NO, unless Special Consideration is granted

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

AI Approach

Any use of AI for assessment must in be compliance with Macquarie's Approach to AI and Assessment

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Database Modeling, Design and Implementation 30% No 11/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Database Enhancement Project 40% No 23/10/2026 Individual and Group No Open
Final Exam 30% No Exam Period Individual No Observed

Database Modeling, Design and Implementation

Assessment Type 1: Experiential task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 11/09/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

In this individual assignment students will design and implement a database for data manipulation in a specified domain.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie modern database management systems.
  • Design and develop small, functional database applications using modern database design methods.
  • Develop skills in using a industrial-strength database tools and interactive development environments for building databases.
  • Complete different database programming tasks to specification using SQL

Database Enhancement Project

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 23/10/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

This group project will enhance a database design and implementation. 
 

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie modern database management systems.
  • Design and develop small, functional database applications using modern database design methods.
  • Develop skills in using a industrial-strength database tools and interactive development environments for building databases.
  • Complete different database programming tasks to specification using SQL

Final Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Exam Period
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

You will undertake a final examination during the formal examination period.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie modern database management systems.
  • Design and develop small, functional database applications using modern database design methods.
  • Complete different database programming tasks to specification using SQL

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Classes

Each week during the semester you should set aside two hours for lectures and two hours for a workshop session (these may appear in the timetable as practicals). More specific information will be announced via the unit webpage on iLearn. Students are urged to actively participate in the workshops as this will help to engage students in problems, concepts, and help with clarification.

Note that workshop classes and lectures for this unit commence in week 1. You should attend the sessions you are enrolled in.   

Computing Drop-in Centre

The computing drop-in centre is also available for extra sessions on concepts and catchups as part of a Faculty of Science and Engineering initiative. The timetable and unit coverage across sessions can be found here: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/faculties/science-and-engineering/drop-in-centre.

Textbook

The textbook listed below cover much of the required material  that will be used in preparation of lectures and/or assignments and/or practicals.

For some parts of learning, other necessary material will be made available on the unit iLearn site.

Leganto Resources

Unit reading details and breakdowns are available through the Leganto Block in the unit iLearn page.

Unit Webpage and Technology Used and Required

Digital recordings of lectures will be available on iLearn via tools such as Echo360.

Websites

The web page for this unit can be found at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Technology

In this unit you will be exposed to the following technology and tools

  • MySQL - Database Management System (Community Server)
  • MySQL Workbench - Data Modeling Software Tool

Methods of Communication and Discussion Boards

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to teaching staff can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit email address from your university email address.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.

Student feedback from the previous offering of this unit was positive overall, with students pleased with the clarity around assessment requirements and the level of support from teaching staff. As such, no change to the delivery of the unit is planned, however we will continue to strive to improve the level of support and the level of student engagement.


Unit information based on version 2026.03 of the Handbook