Evolution
The structure of the course displays its history in that it is a conflation of what were previously two separate courses: a core course Information Systems and an elective course on Database Systems.
About ten years ago, a programme redesign decided that databases should be core to the course. This was achieved by creating a three part structure to the part of the programme: five weeks unassessed foundations, including Information Systems; eight weeks of core including databases; and then the post-Christmas electives.
Eventually, the separation of foundations core was removed, leaving Information Systems and Databases in its current form.