IMA® Launches New Data Analytics & Visualization Fundamentals Certificate

IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants), the association of accountants and financial professionals in business, has announced a new IMA Data Analytics & Visualization Fundamentals Certificate course, as part of an ongoing campaign to integrate knowledge and expertise in data analytics into the core skillset of the management accountant.

The course allows professionals and students to learn from industry experts who share their proficiency in and perspectives on emerging technologies, data analytics, and data visualization. Those who successfully complete the course will:

·Recognize the impact of technology and analytics on the accounting profession

·Demonstrate how data analytics can influence organizational strategy

·Identify ways data visualizations effectively enables appropriate business decisions

“The foundational knowledge and tools this course provides are critical to finance professionals and will better equip them in an environment where technology continues to disrupt and transform entire industries,” said Debbie Warner, CAE, CPLP, Vice President, Education and Career Services at IMA.

The course’s four modules will take learners from understanding the impact of technology and analytics on business processes to being able to apply skills in their careers. The modules include:

1.      Becoming Data Driven: Introduces the changes impacting the accounting and finance profession due to emerging technology

2.      Visualizing the Present and Predicting the Future: Discusses the various data visualization tools and the importance of choosing the right visualization based on one’s audience

3.      Applying Data Analytics and Visualization: Provides video-based tutorials for performing the required analytics, and then learners are asked to apply these techniques to answer in-depth, scenario-based exercises on data analytics and data visualization

4.      Conclusion and Final Assessment: Reviews all lessons learned and culminates in a final assessment

With the most important business decisions increasingly driven by data, IMA’s Data Analytics & Visualization Fundamentals Certificate is a pathway to acquiring data analytics skills and demonstrating an in-demand competency to employers.