Accounting Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
In this for-credit program, you’ll learn how to synthesize and communicate data-intensive information, findings and conclusions, and develop the job-ready skills to solve accounting and business challenges.
Applications open January 6, 2025.
Start classes next Summer.
8-24 months
Minimum time to complete. May vary depending on course load and start date.
$6,176 - $10,200
Approximate depending on choice of electives.
100% online
Faculty teach live classes and offer weekly office hours.
The accounting program at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business is consistently ranked among the top two in the United States by US News & World Report.
Curated, stackable content
Knowledge and skills are aligned with real-world demands and opportunities. The certificate stacks directly into the full Master of Business Administration (iMBA), Master of Science in Accountancy (iMSA), and Master of Science in Management (iMSM) from the University of Illinois. Upon completion of the certificate program, you can take 12 credit hours of completed work and apply that toward one of those degrees.
Hands-on practice
Through projects, exercises, and case studies, you’ll build the experience and confidence to apply what you learn on the job.
Top faculty
The University of Illinois’ accounting faculty are ranked as the #3 accounting faculty in the United States (BYU Accounting Faculty Research Rankings). Faculty teach live classes and offer weekly office hours, and teaching staff are available to provide support as needed.
Program description
Overview
In this program, you’ll gain essential applied knowledge and develop the skills to evaluate and solve real-world business challenges. You’ll learn how to effectively present and communicate analysis and solutions—critical for turning findings into actionable insights—and build the in-demand skill set to prepare for career success in roles involving increasingly complex scenarios and large data sets. These roles include auditors, finance managers, management accountants, business analysts, and tax accountants and advisors.
You’ll benefit from access to rich on-demand content and live interactive sessions with faculty. As you work through in-depth exercises and case studies, you’ll receive actionable feedback from teaching staff and fellow learners.
Earning your certificate qualifies as continuing professional education for CPAs, and the curriculum also meets the needs of non-accounting professionals. Upon successful completion of the program, you may apply up to 12 credits towards the CPA educational requirements for licensure.
The certificate stacks directly into the full Master of Science in Accountancy (iMSA), Master of Business Administration (iMBA), and Master of Science in Management (iMSM) from the University of Illinois.
Required background
A bachelor's degree is required and professional experience, skills, or knowledge related to analytics is preferred.
Upcoming Events
Skills you will gain
- accounting
- data preparation
- accounting analytics
- business data modeling
- predictive analytics
- data analytics
- infonomics
- data-driven decision making
- communicating with data
Complete 2 required courses and 8 hours of elective coursework.
Course 1 of 7
ACCY 569: Data Driven Decisions in Accounting (Required)
Overview
In this course, you’ll learn to use analytic software to explore, visualize, and statistically analyze accounting data. (2 credit hours)
Course 2 of 7
ACCY 576: Data Preparation for Accounting (Required)
Overview
In this course, you’ll focus on developing Python skills for assembling business data, within the context of multiple accounting settings, including financial statement data, stock data, loan data, point-of-sale data, and more. (2 credit hours)
Course 3 of 7
ACCY 577: Machine Learning for Accounting
Overview
In this course, you’ll explore machine learning algorithms and their applications in accounting problems. Topics covered include classification, regression, clustering, text analysis, and time series analysis. Feature importance and model optimization will also be discussed. (2 credit hours)
Course 4 of 7
ACCY 578: Accounting Analytics Applications
Overview
In this course, you can develop your knowledge regarding the roles, methods, and implications of business and data analytics in accounting via real-world applications of fundamental and advanced analytics principles. Application opportunities span multiple areas of accounting, including audit, fraud identification and detection, financial accounting, and managerial accounting. After engaging in this course, you’ll possess a foundational understanding of the role of business and data analytics in accounting and be able to apply this knowledge to real-world business use cases. (1 credit hour)
Course 5 of 7
MBA 563: Data Toolkit: Business Data Modeling & Predictive Analytics
Overview
In this course, you’ll learn to use several tools for processing business data and producing actionable insights. You’ll perform tasks including extracting, transforming, and loading data (ETL) to conducting exploratory data analytics (EDA). You’ll also gain experience finding patterns in data by using machine learning (ML) algorithms. You’ll develop a conceptual foundation for why ML algorithms are useful and explore how the resulting models from those algorithms are used to uncover actionable insights related to business problems. Ultimately, you’ll possess the skill set to evaluate when an algorithm should be used, have the ability to run these algorithms with R and RStudio, and communicate the results using notebooks. (4 credit hours)
Course 6 of 7
MBA 564: Data Analytics Applications in Business
Overview
In this course, you’ll develop your knowledge regarding the roles, methods, and implications of business and data analytics. Application opportunities span multiple business areas, including marketing, finance, supply chain, and accounting. Topics covered may include forecasting using time series models, modern portfolio theory, measurement and scaling, A/B testing, ANOVA, conjoint analysis, and more. (2 credit hours)
Course 7 of 7
MBA 565: Infonomics
Overview
In this course, you’ll explore methods for monetizing, managing, and measuring information from a non-technical perspective—as if it were any other kind of corporate asset. You’ll also cover topics such as information’s unique economic characteristics and legal status, the importance of alternative data sources, new and emerging information-related roles, and concerns surrounding information ownership, sovereignty, privacy, and ethics. (4 credit hours)
The certificate stacks directly into the full Master of Science in Accountancy (iMSA) from the University of Illinois.
Take the next step in your education to boost your career. This Graduate Certificate is a building block that offers you a pathway to a degree while also providing job-relevant skills today.
Certificate
Accounting Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
Accounting Data Analytics Graduate Certificate Certificate allows you to earn credit directly towards the:
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
Coursera does not grant academic credit; the decision to grant, accept, or recognize academic credit, and the process for awarding such credit, is at the sole discretion of the academic institutions offering the Graduate Certificate program and/or other institutions that have determined that completion of the program may be worthy of academic credit. Completion of a Graduate Certificate program does not guarantee admission into the full Master’s program referenced herein, or any other degree program.