New Study on Data Analytics in Accounting Education

The role of data analytics in accounting education has been a topic of significant interest among educators, professionals, and accrediting agencies. In a new study in the Journal of Business and Accounting, the University of La Verne’s Dr. Anwar Salimi delves into the applications and software used to incorporate data analytics into the accounting curriculum.

The study, titled “Applications and Software being Used to Include Data Analytics in the Accounting Curriculum: An Exploratory Survey,” is the second part of a larger survey investigating the integration of data analytics in accounting education. 214 accounting instructors in the United States completed the survey.

The study covered nine common accounting courses: Financial, Managerial, Cost Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Tax, Auditing, Accounting Information Systems, Accounting Analytics, and Other. In every type of course, the top-ranked software used to incorporate data analytics was Microsoft Excel, which most accounting professors and students already own and use. Less commonly used software included Python, Tableau, Microsoft BI, and Alteryx.

Dr. Salimi hopes the findings will inspire accounting educators to embrace the use of data analytics in their courses so that accounting graduates are equipped with the skills they need.

“Data analytics plays a critical role in modern accounting and there is a need for accounting education to reflect this reality,” says Dr. Salimi. “The results of this survey show that accounting professors are incorporating data analytics using familiar software they already have at hand.”

Salimi, A. Y. 2022. Applications and Software being Used to Include Data Analytics in the Accounting Curriculum: An Exploratory Survey. Journal of Business and Accounting 15 (1) 50-66