CBMC Accounting and Financial Analytics

The Credit-Bearing Micro-Credential (CBMC) in Accounting and Financial Analytics is a 12-credit, graduate-level program designed to develop advanced capabilities in the use of data for accounting, finance, and business decision-making. The program combines accounting analytics, financial analytics, data management, business intelligence, and applied analytical tools to prepare learners to access, interpret, analyze, and communicate financial and business data.

The CBMC is designed for graduates and working professionals seeking focused postgraduate study in an increasingly data-intensive business environment. Through four graduate courses, learners develop practical experience with financial and accounting datasets, statistical and analytical methods, data visualization, programming, and database technologies. The program also provides an academic progression route within the wider RIT graduate portfolio for qualified students who subsequently seek admission to related master’s programs.

Mission Statement

The mission of the CBMC in Accounting and Financial Analytics is to prepare graduates and professionals to apply advanced analytical, technological, and quantitative capabilities to accounting and financial decision-making. The program seeks to connect disciplinary knowledge in accounting and finance with applied analytics, data management, and business intelligence while maintaining the academic standards and graduate-level expectations of Rochester Institute of Technology of Dubai.

Program Goals

The CBMC in Accounting and Financial Analytics is intended to provide learners with advanced postgraduate study at the intersection of accounting, finance, data analytics, and business intelligence. Its goals are to strengthen analytical capability in accounting and financial contexts, develop applied competence with contemporary data and digital tools, and prepare learners to interpret and communicate analytical findings for professional decision-making.

The CBMC is also designed as a stackable graduate credential within the wider RIT academic portfolio. Depending on the learner’s academic background, career interests, and subsequent admission to an appropriate graduate program, completion of the CBMC may provide a pathway into further study in areas such as Finance, Business Analytics and AI, or Accounting and Analytics. Accordingly, the longer-term academic direction of each learner may differ, while the CBMC itself provides a shared foundation in accounting, finance, analytics, and data-informed decision-making.

• PG 1: Develop advanced analytical competence in accounting and finance through the application of quantitative methods, data analysis, and evidence-based decision-making.
• PG 2: Build practical proficiency in contemporary digital, programming, visualization, and data-management tools used in accounting, finance, and analytics.
• PG 3: Prepare learners for further postgraduate study within related RIT disciplines, including Finance, Business Analytics and AI, and Accounting and Analytics, depending on individual academic and career direction.

If CBMC is a component of an accredited full degree: admission to CBMC should follow the entry requirements for the original program. A CBMC should be offered to learners who have satisfied any prerequisites of the course(s) constituting the CBMC.

If CBMC is stand-alone: HEIs should formulate proper admission requirements to the CBMC based on the requirement of its course(s). A CBMC should be offered to learners who have satisfied any prerequisites of the course(s) constituting the CBMC.

For the credit-bearing microcredential in Accounting and Financial Analytics, the required documents for admission are the following:

• Passport Copy
• Emirates ID (only for UAE residents)
• Bachelor’s Degree Diploma and Transcript
• English Languages test (IELTS=6.0 Overall score or TOEFL IBT 79 or TOEFL PBT 550)
• One letter of recommendation
• CV

GPA Requirements

Cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent) in the applicant’s BS degree program. In addition, the CBMC may consider conditional admission (see sections below on Conditional Admission and Mature Entry Admissions).

English Proficiency Requirements

Students must achieve the minimum scores in standardized English exams. A minimum IELTS academic score of 6.0 or the equivalent of another standardized test is required of all students admitted to the CBMC program. The program may consider on a case-by-case-basis conditional admission (see section below on Conditional Admission). Students who have completed their undergraduate education in an English-medium institution might be allowed admission into a graduate program at RIT Dubai without providing an IELTS academic score of 6.0 or equivalent. This exemption applies only to the students who have completed their schooling (K-12) and bachelor degree in English medium from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Conditional Admission

A student with a CGPA of 2.5 or higher and/or an IELTS academic score of 5.5 or equivalent (using a standardized test approved by the Ministry of Higher Education) may be conditionally admitted to a CBMC program.

For any conditionally admitted students, the following conditions apply:

• May take a maximum of three credit hours in the first semester of study, not including intensive English courses.
• The student must achieve a B cumulative average grade in the first 3 credits.
• The student achieves an IELTS score of 6.0 or equivalent by the end of the student’s first semester of study.
• If either (B.) or (C.) are not met, the student will not be allowed to continue in the program.

Mature Entry Admissions

RIT Dubai may in some programs conditionally admit mature students who do not meet the minimum conditional admission CGPA requirement of 2.5 (but do have an above 2.0 CGPA) provided he/she passes the admission committee interview and the standard English test requirements. Related work experience can support a student's application. These students must also be aware that extra remedial courses may be required if they eventually intend to stack their micro-credential towards the full Master’s program.

• PLO 1: Apply advanced data analytics techniques to accounting and financial datasets to support strategic decision-making and performance evaluation.
• PLO 2: Design and implement quantitative models for financial reporting, forecasting, valuation, and risk analysis.
• PLO 3: Interpret and communicate analytical results for smart accounting and financial decision-making.