Teaching Advanced Data Analytics, Robotic Process Automation, and Artificial Intelligence in a Graduate Accounting Program

Technological advances in data analytics, robotic process automation (RPA), and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming businesses and redefining what skill sets are needed in the accounting profession. To prepare students, academic accounting departments must develop strategies to integrate data analytics and emerging technologies into the curriculum. This paper discusses the design process used in a graduate-level advanced data analytics course that incorporates RPA and AI at a public university in the northeastern region of the United States. The paper concludes with a statistical analysis of precourse/postcourse student reflections and feedback surveys as part of a quality assurance initiative. The results suggest strong evidence of student learning related to the course learning objectives.