Advanced Data Management Certificate Program
Take your career to the next level
The skill requirements for accountants are changing. Expectations for mid-level staff now include advanced model creation and analytical skills to help create relevant and clear data for decision makers. CPAs are becoming required to understand how to utilize software and systems in a more advanced manner, to ensure long-term sustainability of the profession.
The Advanced Data Management Certificate Program (ADMCP) will teach skills that benefit those in finance and accounting roles, from analysts to senior managers, or those who want to take on the responsibilities of working with and analyzing data. The ADMCP can also act as a pathway for professionals wishing to explore data analyst roles.
Honing the critical skills learned in this program, such as data-driven decision making and critical thinking, is key to advancing your career to more senior levels such as director and CFO. According to the most recent Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum, these skills are among the top 5 emerging skills employers identified as being in high demand in Canada.
Why take this program?
This program is the only one of its kind specifically targeted to CPAs and other financial professionals.
- Build the skills needed to evaluate complex information, create persuasive visualizations, and support best practices in digital security.
- Gain proficiency in advanced data manipulation to create improved financial models for high-impact results, while learning how to protect digital assets and develop effective dashboards.
- Understand the power of tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Python, R, and SQL, and data governance topics associated with tools and technology that are becoming increasingly important.
- Learn from our reputable partners featuring instructors from Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business (Executive Education) and KPMG.
- Participate in a cohort model with other students in the program, allowing for networking opportunities and collaboration with peers and subject matter experts.
- Benefit from receiving university credit.
Lead with data
Future-focused organizations need business leaders who can make confident, data-informed decisions. It’s an imperative for long-term sustainability of the profession as CPAs drive new forms of value creation in the marketplace.
Build the knowledge and skills you need to evaluate complex information, create persuasive visualizations and support best practices in digital security with the ADMCP.
This comprehensive curriculum will help you will learn how to manage data for high-impact results, including what it takes to protect digital assets and develop the most effective dashboards.
The ADMCP is a facilitated program. Students are to complete each course during the respective timeframe.
What’s next? Book your free consultation with our learning advisors!
For a free consultation, contact our CPA Canada Learning Advisors. They are here to understand your learning goals and help you meet them.
Facilitated Timelines
The ADMCP is a facilitated program. Each course is designed to be completed in six consecutive weeks, with one module per week, and students are to complete each course during the respective timeframe. To support your successful completion in the courses, a facilitator will be available each week during the designated six-week time frame to answer questions during a live Q&A or provide additional support in completing the weekly activities. Completion of course work and access to facilitators will only be available during the specified timeframes. Facilitators will not be available outside of these timeframes. The certificate of completion will be awarded once all module quizzes have been passed.
2023/2024 program:
- Introduction to a Data Analytic Framework: June 19, 2023 – July 30, 2023
- Visual Storytelling with Data: August 14, 2023 – October 1, 2023*
- Data Governance: Risk Strategy and Data Privacy: October 16, 2023 – November 26, 2023
- Business Intelligence, Automation and AI: December 4, 2023 – January 28, 2024**
- Applied Accounting Analytics: March 4, 2024 – April 14, 2024
*No facilitation the week of August 28.
**No facilitation the weeks of December 18 and December 25.
Registration for each course or program closes 10 days prior to the start date of the full program or each course.
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The Data Management Foundations Certificate is an introduction to Data Management, the skills learned in this program are a recommended foundation for the more in-depth Advanced Data Management Certificate Program (ADMCP)
Eligible for 33 CPD hours, the Data Management Foundations Certificate consists of five courses that combine theory and practice and is designed for CPAs with at least five years of post-qualification experience covering:
- Data preparation: Cleansing, modelling and dashboards
- Introduction to Power BI or Tableau Desktop
- Introduction to data analytics
- Decision making and critical thinking
- Decision Making and Critical Thinking in a Data-Driven World
This program is for CPAs and non-CPAs looking to build their knowledge in data analytics, data governance, systems, coding, modelling and dashboarding. Targeted toward analysts to senior manager roles in accounting and finance, this course allows you to become more proficient, build upon technology capabilities to stay competitive, and develop skills to advance or shift your career focus to data analyst roles and responsibilities, or even build the skills needed to achieve more senior positions like director and CFO. Building this foundation will sharpen skills in complex problem solving and analytical thinking that are increasing in demand among employers today. Building these critical skills is key to advancing your career to more senior levels in your organization, having honed data-driven decisions making and critical thinking.
3. How long does it take to complete the full program?
The program is designed to enable students to complete all five courses within one year. Individual courses are designed to be completed within six weeks following the format of one module per week through the facilitated sessions.
4. What are the prerequisite requirements for the program?
Previous data cleansing knowledge is required. We recommend the Data Management Foundations Certificate. Additional prerequisites may include other data cleansing courses, programs or equivalent real-world data cleansing experience.
Students should already be comfortable using a data analytic tool (such as Power Query or Power BI) to perform the following:
- text, numerical and date manipulations, data type changes
- append, join, union and aggregate operations
- data filtering and splitting, grouping and ranking
- pivoting and unpivoting data, data calculations
- troubleshooting and problem solving
In addition, a well-prepared learner will have:
- basic statistics knowledge (able to calculate the mean, median, standard deviation; understanding of distributions)
- basic visualization building (create basic visualizations: bar, column, map, pie, treemap)
- basic data model and dashboarding (build basic models based on cleansed data set, create simple interactive dashboards which allow for filtering and drill downs)
While the focus is on the Microsoft suite of products, this program is designed to be tool agnostic, meaning, you can use your preferred tool, software and/or method to complete the activities. This is not a software tutorial program. It is expected that you have a good command of at least one tool.
5. What are the technology requirements for the program?
The ADMCP is delivered by a platform called Canvas, an online learning management system used by Simon Fraser University. Access to Canvas requires a personal computer and internet. Further, to complete activities, it is recommended for students to have access to Microsoft Office. While the program is designed to be tool agnostic, the following lists the recommended programs and those required for some modules:
- Word and Excel: Can be used for all Courses. Power Query within Excel can be used to solve some activities in Course 1, 2, and 4.
- Power BI: Recommended for visualizations and data analysis in all courses
- Tableau (optional): Alternative program introduced for visualizations
- SQLite (online) or equivalent: Required for Course 4 – Module 2
- R and R studio or equivalent: Required for Course 4 – Module 3
- Python: Required for Course 4 – Module 6
As many work laptops prevent employees from installing non-work-related programs for security purposes, we recommend using your personal computer or getting approval ahead of time to be ready for each course. Where available, cloud versions of the software are posed as an alternative tool.
6. Are the ADMCP courses credit or non-credit?
ADMCP courses are non-credit but may have the opportunity to be applied toward credit in a graduate certificate program at SFUs Beedie School of Business. To be eligible, you must first be accepted into the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics at SFU.
7. Is there any financial assistance or grants available?
Additional options and pricing may be available. Grants and financial assistance may also be available. For a free consultation, contact our CPA Canada Learning Advisors.