Data analytics curriculum for the classroom

University of Illinois-Deloitte Foundation Center for Business Analytics

The University of Illinois-Deloitte Foundation Center for Business Analytics (“The Center”) was launched through a grant from the Deloitte Foundation to advance business analytics education by helping provide students with the data knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to become highly-trained business leaders. With curriculum designed by faculty at University of Illinois, Gies College of Business, The Center is a collaborative effort that brings together representatives from all of Deloitte’s businesses and the Deloitte Foundation to provide guidance through a practice lens and strengthen the connection between academia and the profession.

The modern world of accounting and business is changing rapidly. Data is everywhere, and that data is constantly changing. Accounting and business professionals use business analytics to answer complex questions. The data analytics curriculum can help prepare students to use data effectively today, but also help prepare them for a dynamic future.

Case Studies

Data Analytics Case Studies
The Center offers three case studies developed by faculty at the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business which are designed to identify and address applications of data analytics in today’s business environment. The cases can be inserted directly into data analytics curriculum and offer students the opportunity to use data in important and practical ways.

Topics covered in the case studies include customer segmentation, introduction to databases for accountants, data analysis, and web scraping using robot process automation.

Mini-Case Studies
The Center has also released five mini-case studies, which are designed to build up students’ understanding of a management control system (MCS) and their data analytics skills in investigating MCS-related issues. The five mini-case studies focus on the following areas:

Control Tools

1. Holding people accountable for results – “Results control”
2. Identifying, selecting, hiring, promoting the right employees – “Personnel control”
3. Promoting the right type of cultures and norms – “Cultural control”

Data Analytics Skills

1. Operationalizing a big control issue and disaggregating into specific data questions
2. Properly asking managers or employees to answer these specific questions
3. Designing a data structure to collect archival records to answer specific questions
4. Critically evaluating the meaning of the data pattern
5. Clearly communicating your results to decision makers in the organization

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