The Management Information System (MIS) Club is a college-level, project-based program designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of SQL, relational databases, and data-driven decision-making through real-world business scenarios. This club simulates an entry-level MIS course in a university business or computer science curriculum and provides students with practical tools to manage, query, and analyze structured data with precision and clarity.

In today’s digital economy, data is the backbone of every modern organization, from tech startups to global enterprises. The MIS Club equips students with the technical and analytical skills necessary to understand how data is stored, accessed, and utilized across business functions such as operations, marketing, finance, human resources, and logistics.

What Students Will Learn This intensive course focuses on teaching Structured Query Language (SQL), the global standard for interacting with relational databases, through hands-on coding sessions and realistic case studies. Students will explore:

Foundations of Database Systems • What is a database? Overview of relational vs. non-relational systems • Understanding entities, attributes, and relationships • Primary keys, foreign keys, data types, and constraints • Database design and normalization principles (1NF, 2NF, 3NF) to prevent data redundancy

SQL Programming Essentials • SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY, and HAVING clauses • JOIN operations (INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL) to combine data across multiple tables • Aggregate functions like COUNT, AVG, SUM, MAX, MIN • Subqueries, nested queries, and set operations (UNION, INTERSECT) • Data manipulation commands: INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE • Intro to views, stored procedures, and transaction management

Real-World Applications & Case Studies The MIS Club is grounded in solving problems drawn from actual business environments. Students will be presented with datasets that mimic real systems—sales data, customer records, inventory tracking, employee databases, and more—and will be tasked with answering analytical questions that mimic real stakeholder needs.

Sample case studies include: • Designing a multi-table database to track student records and grades • Querying a retail store’s database to identify top-selling products and customer trends • Building a basic HR information system to track employee performance and payroll • Analyzing order fulfillment rates and delays for a logistics company • Creating dashboards with query outputs for managerial decision-making

Students will also engage in mini-projects where they act as data analysts or database administrators, simulating the roles they may encounter in future internships or professional roles.

Skill Development & Professional Relevance By the end of the program, students will be able to: • Design and understand the structure of relational databases • Write efficient and scalable SQL queries to extract actionable insights • Apply data normalization techniques to improve system performance • Use SQL to support business intelligence and decision-making

These skills are highly transferable and relevant to careers in data analytics, business intelligence, information systems, computer science, operations, and consulting. Students will also gain a valuable head start for AP-level Computer Science Principles or college MIS coursework.

Course Expectations This is a rigorous academic program intended for students serious about exploring data and information systems: • Weekly readings and SQL exercises will be assigned • Students are expected to dedicate 1–2 hours outside of class per week for practice and review • Final projects will involve designing a database and presenting it with real queries and business logic

No prior SQL experience is required, but students should be comfortable with basic logic, spreadsheets, and structured problem-solving.