Syllabus

Data analytics for professional accountants (accounting analytics) is a set of techniques that professional service firms can use to gain insight from their own, client, and other data to make better decisions. In combination with emerging technologies, the promise of data analytics has been described as the fourth industrial revolution. This means that data & analytics skills are becoming increasingly important and central for the provision of professional accounting services. In this course, students will benefit from the interest and promise of accounting analytics techniques by studying the analytical mindset. To further unlock the value of accounting analytics, students will design, perform, interpret, and communicate insight from raw data by developing a practical analytic skillset using multiple analytic software tools.
I am excited to undertake our accounting analytics journey together!
Asher

Advanced Cases in Assurance Services (ACCTG522) is a required course in the MPAcc and concentrates on the study of the analytical mindset through data-driven case studies in audit and assurance practices. Students will also enhance their adaptability and resilience mindset by examining different assurance settings and questions, using multiple software packages, and incorporating multiple data types and quality. Students will work in teams and communicate questions and conclusions drawn from data analytics, using verbal communication, written communication, and data visualization. Students will use the questioning and innovation mindsets when identifying the underlying purpose of assurance related services, areas for judgment, and areas of opportunity for integrating data analytics and other emerging technology. The skills and tools from Data Analytics for Professional Accountants (ACCTG522) will provide a foundation for data exercises in this class.

• Students will be able to design and perform Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) solutions:
• By cleaning raw data
• By merging multiple datasets together
• By automating data ingestion
• By extracting more complex data structures including XBRL and JSON

• Students will be able to design, perform, interpret, and communicate data analytics solutions:
• By computing visualizations for descriptive analysis
• By computing forecasts and predictive analytics
• By computing machine learning-based analytics
• By extracting more complex data structures including XBRL and JSON

• Students will become adaptable and resilient to changing data & analysis circumstances:
• By using multiple different software to solve problems
• By programming or using python code
• By working in diverse teams on unstructured problems
• By collecting ESG data from public sources to support a large project

• Students will be able to identify and compare opportunities for the use of data analytics innovative settings:
• By examining potential uses of drone technology
• By examining potential uses of satellite technology
• By examining the use of process mining

• Students are required to be enrolled in the MPAcc program. There are no other formal prerequisites for this course, however, students are encouraged to complete the Foster Microsoft Excel for Business online (or equivalent) course prior to starting, or during, the Autumn quarter.
• There is no required text for this course. If you wish to explore a topic in greater depth, please ask your instructor for recommendations.
• Materials outlining the required deliverables, templates, sample code/solutions, background readings and/or cases are accessed via Canvas.
• Students will be using specialized software in this course all of which will be made available on the Foster remote labs, an open-source or cloud-based setting, or from a subscription.

Assessment in this course is focused on providing you with feedback on how well you can undertake and communicate analysis in audit cases, with an increased weight on the use of data analytics. You will be assessed on both written and verbal communication as well as the ability to effectively work in your teams and as an individual. Deliverable submission portals and grades are all maintained on the ACCTG522 Canvas page. The deliverables page provides submission links. A summary of the components of the deliverables used to determine your grade are below, detail for each assessment follows:

Assessment	Assessment Type	Deliverables	Due Date	Grade Percentage
Professionalism	Individual	Polls; Verbal and Written Communication	All quarter	25%
Individual Case Submissions	Individual	Software and Written Memo	11/25	20%
Team Preliminary Proposals	Team	Memos and meeting	multiple (week 6)	15%
ACCTG 521/522 Joint Capstone Project	Team	Memos and meeting	materials due: 12/3 11:59PM with presentations on 12/4 or 12/5	ACCTG522 40% (ACCTG521 30%)

Professionalism An individual assessment of student professionalism throughout the quarter. Students are expected to maintain a professional approach to work and approach all classes as professional engagements. Part of this grade is determined via deliverables relating to a case, pollEverywhere engagement, written responses to cases and verbal communication in class.

Individual Case Submissions Individual written short-answer responses based on selected Cases Studies. Beginning in week 6 selected cases and requirements are typically heavily related to class materials and are often completed in class. Deliverables include a short-answer or class materials and/or software solutions for each selected case or challenge in Class 16. More details will be provided by Class 16.

Team Preliminary Proposals Teams will present their preliminary proposals for the joint ACCTG 521/522 Capstone Project in class 10/28. Teams will present only to the instructor, and are required to only attend their time slot.

ACCTG 521/522 Joint Capstone Project The ACCTG 521/522 Joint Capstone Project which is a team based presentation focusing on the use of real-time data to support analysis around the broad concept of "know your company" (KYC) for a chosen public company. KYC emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of a company’s structure, operations, financial health, culture, risks, and strategic goals. This concept is crucial for both internal stakeholders, like employees and managers, and external stakeholders, such as investors, auditors, or regulatory bodies. Teams select how they will narrow their analysis to an important aspect of KYC for their chosen company. Teams will present in the final classes of ACCTG522 on 12/4 or ACCTG521 on 12/5. All teams are required to attend all presentations on both days.

Instructor:	Asher Curtis, PhD. Herbert O. Whitten Endowed Associate Professor of Accounting. (abcurtis@uw.edu).
Class Times:	Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30AM to 12:20PM..
Location:	PACCAR 292..
Office Hours:	Monday and Wednesday 1:30PM to 2:00 PM in PACCAR 414 or by appointment; Zoom by appointment.

Religious Accommodations:

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.

MPAcc Policies and Further Questions:

Questions about the content of this course should first be directed to the instructor. Please see the MPAcc orientation materials for important administrative details regarding the program that apply to all courses in the MPAcc program and the UW https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/syllabi-guidelines/ for important university policy and guidelines. If you have any additional questions, please contact the MPAcc Office (mpacc@uw.edu).

This policy establishes the guidelines and expectations for the responsible and ethical use of generative AI, including Large Language Models (LLMs) in the graduate accounting programs. Generative AI can be a valuable tool for enhancing learning, productivity and creativity, but it must be used responsibly to maintain a productive and respectful learning environment. Generative AI should primarily be used for educational purposes, such as assisting with research, generating ideas, or editing documents. Students are responsible for the work that they submit, any errors introduced by the use of Generative AI will reduce the grades on individual or team submissions.

Class	Date	Day	Topic
Class 1	Wednesday, September 25, 2024	Wednesday	Introduction to the Analytics Mindset and Skillset
Class 2	Monday, September 30, 2024	Monday	Introduction to Extracting, Transforming and Loading Data
Class 3	Wednesday, October 2, 2024	Wednesday	EDGAR Explorer I
Class 4	Monday, October 7, 2024	Monday	EDGAR Explorer II
Class 5	Wednesday, October 9, 2024	Wednesday	ETL and Textual Analytics
Class 6	Monday, October 14, 2024	Monday	Advanced ETL and Textual Analytics 1
Class 7	Wednesday, October 16, 2024	Wednesday	Innovative Data Sources and Tools: Generative AI
Class 8	Monday, October 21, 2024	Monday	Advanced ETL and Textual Analytics 2
Class 9	Wednesday, October 23, 2024	Wednesday	Final Project Workshop
Class 10	Monday, October 28, 2024	Monday	Preliminary Proposal Meetings
Class 11	Wednesday, October 30, 2024	Wednesday	Post Proposals Project Workshop
Class 12	Monday, November 4, 2024	Monday	Project Review and Introduction to Individual Cases
Class 13	Wednesday, November 6, 2024	Wednesday	Accounting & Finance Function 1 (Alteryx SparkED)
Class 14	Monday, November 11, 2024	Monday	No Class in observance of Veterans Day
Class 15	Wednesday, November 13, 2024	Wednesday	Accounting & Finance Function 2 (Alteryx SparkED)
Class 16	Monday, November 18, 2024	Monday	The Alteryx Challenge, with guests from Alteryx.
Class 17	Wednesday, November 20, 2024	Wednesday	Advanced Analytics and Dashboards for Communication I
Class 18	Monday, November 25, 2024	Monday	Advanced Analytics and Dashboards for Communication II
Class 19	Wednesday, November 27, 2024	Wednesday	No Class for Thanksgiving Break
Class 20	Monday, December 2, 2024	Monday	Final Project Workshop
Class 21	Wednesday, December 4, 2024	Thursday	Final Group Project Presentations