Bentley Collaborates with KPMG to Transform Accounting with More Analytics
Once rooted in manual tasks and repetitive processes, accounting today is defined by innovation. AI-powered audits, predictive modeling and data-driven advisory services have replaced much of the rote work of decades past.
Bentley’s STEM-designated Master’s in Accounting program — developed in close collaboration with KPMG — reflects that reality. With analytics integrated throughout the curriculum and training in industry-standard tools, graduates are equipped to meet the high-tech challenges shaping the industry’s future.
An Academic Program Shaped by Industry Expertise
A global leader in audit, tax and advisory services, KPMG was an early advocate of the transformative capabilities of emerging technologies.
Beyond integrating digital tools in its operations and services, the firm works with leading U.S. business schools in to educate the next generation of accounting professionals. In 2017, KPMG introduced its Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics (MADA) program, which offers resources for developing graduate curricula focused on analytics and technology. Bentley is proud to be KPMG’s only program partner in New England.
“KPMG is a terrific partner,” says Senior Lecturer in Accounting Len Pepe, MSA ’79, director of Bentley’s Master’s in Accounting program. “They’re very much integrated into our classroom, providing guest speakers, case studies and hands-on data training.”
Beyond Crunching Numbers: Delivering Data-Driven Insights
Bentley’s graduate program offers four specialized, STEM-designated concentrations — Assurance, Advisory, Corporate Financial Reporting and Analytics — that emphasize data science and emerging technologies. (A fifth concentration, Tax, is also available).
Students in the Master’s in Accounting program gain hands-on experience with a variety of cloud-based and AI-powered programs, including:
- Advanced Excel
- Alteryx
- Microsoft Power BI
- MindBridge
- Python
- SQL databases
- Tableau
Through these platforms, students learn how to automate routine tasks, such as data extraction, preparation and reconciliation. They also learn how to generate and interpret custom queries that yield strategic insights. These include:
- Data visualization
- Financial modeling and forecasting
- Fraud detection
- Real-time data processing
- Risk assessment
- Variance and trend analysis
In addition to developing technical proficiency, Bentley students gain something even more valuable: the ability to not just produce data but analyze their findings in ways that improve decision-making and generate long-term corporate value.
“To succeed in accounting, having strong data analytics skills is no longer optional; it’s a must-have,” says Associate Professor of Accounting Ahmet Kurt. “Bentley’s Master’s in Accounting program equips students with the analytical skills, critical thinking and professional judgement required for success and growth in a rapidly changing, technology-enabled discipline.”