Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Accounting Data Analytics (Online)

ACCT 3510-30I

Course: ACCT 3510-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ACFN
CRN: 30100

Course Description

The primary goal of this course is to help you develop an analytics mindset - The ability to recognize when and how data analytics can help answer business questions and support business decisions. Throughout the course we will build upon accounting fundamentals learned in prior accounting classes as we apply data analytics techniques to accounting specific settings and questions. To help students develop an analytics mindset, this course will focus on the following skills:
  1. Asking the right question - Develop critical thinking skills by thinking about data requirements for answering a given question, or thinking about specific questions that could be answered with a given set of data.
  2. Mastering the data - Understand different types and sources as well as data integrity issues, including its completeness, reliability or validity, and ability to address the business question.
  3. Performing the analysis - Learn about different types of analysis and analytics techniques using multiple technology tools.
  4. Sharing the result - Report results to various decision makers based on their specific needs, including the creation of data visualizations and dashboards

Required Texts

This course involves the textbook Introductory Data Analytics for Accounting by Richardson, Terrell, and Teeter (2nd edition). You also need access to McGraw-Hill Connect, which will be used for homework and quizzes. Access to this content is included as part of Inclusive Access. 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
  1. Develop critical thinking skills.
  2. Develop technical and analytical skills.
  3. Develop communication skills.
  4. Analyze ethics issues.
  5. Prepare for an accounting career.
  6. Demonstrate proficiency in accounting-specific technology.  

Course Requirements

Accepted into the School of Business OR permission from a School of Business advisor OR have approved accounting minor.

Course Outline

Note: All homework, quizzes, exams, and other assignments are due on Saturday at 11:59 pm.


Exams
There will be one exam - a comprehensive final - that will cover all of the content introduced in the class. While this may seem overwhelming, much of what we cover builds on itself, in that later chapter draw heavily from topics and content covered in earlier chapters. The exam will be taken online, through Canvas, and is worth 150 points, roughly 17% of your final grade.

Final Project
For the Final Project, you will identify an accounting or business-related dataset, ask questions that can be addressed with the dataset, and then address those questions using Tableau (and other software tools). The Project consists of a written portion and a live presentation. You are allowed to work in groups of two (or alone, if you would prefer). For the presentation, you will create a roughly ten-page document that outlines: 
Your research question(s).
  1. The dataset you are using.
  2. Your analysis.
  3. Your findings, including any limitations or extensions you believe could be helpful.
You will be required to submit a short (1-2 paragraph) document outlining your dataset, the questions you anticipate addressing, and the planned analyses for those questions. This will be due on November 1st, 2025, at 11:59 pm. I will provide you feedback to help identify potential issues before you complete the entire project.
The presentation part of the assignment will involve a video upload, to Google Drive, YouTube, or any other site, where you will share the link with me. Zoom is a free and easy software that can be used to record an online presentation of this sort. The presentation should present abbreviated findings, as well as a discussion of what worked (or did not work).
The project, in total, is worth 150 points, roughly 17% of your grade.

Chapter Quizzes
Each chapter will involve a quiz, which will cover topics discussed in the lecture and text. These will be completed in Canvas, and you will have one attempt per quiz. The quizzes are closed book and each quiz is worth 10 points. You have one attempt for each quiz, so make it count! You will have twelve quizzes. These will be worth a total of 120 points, roughly 14% of your final grade.

Lab Assignments
The majority of your learning in this class will come as you complete hands-on labs, many of which will build upon concepts covered throughout the semester. Each lab will require you to answer objective and open-ended questions on Connect and upload a lab report that consists of required screenshots for the lab. You are welcome - and, in fact, encouraged - to work together as well as to use any resources you can find. However, each student should complete and submit their own work. You are allowed multiple attempts on each lab assignment, but your final attempt must be completed before the due date. Each lab assignment is worth 8 points, for a grand total of 320 points (37% of your grade).

Chapter Lectures
Each chapter will have a series of lecture videos, accompanied by questions taken from the lecture. These function as "participation points" and are open note and open book, designed to accompany the lecture videos they are associated with. You may attempt each lecture an infinite number of times. They are worth a collective total of 130 points, roughly 15% of your final grade.   

Extra Credit
There may be opportunities for extra credit throughout the semester. Please note, I will never offer an individual student extra credit without extending that same opportunity to the rest of the class. As such, please do not ask "what can I do to raise my grade" at the end of the semester. 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

No late work will be accepted unless arranged with me in advance. You are responsible for letting me know that you will miss an assignment or other due date. You are also responsible for completing work before the due date. Only missed work due to university-sponsored absences will be allowed to be made up. 

Attendance Policy

This is an asynchronous online course. As such, attendance is not recorded nor measured. That said, it is anticipated that you spend a similar amount of time in course materials as you would if this were an in-person course. 

Course Fees

This course involves a $67.50 course fee ($22.50 per credit hour | 3 credit hours). 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.