AICPA Data Visualization & Communication Certificate | 11 CPE

AICPA Data Visualization and Communication Certificate

AICPA Data Visualization and Communication Certificate — Turn Insights into Influence with Data Storytelling

Your analysis is only as powerful as your ability to explain it. The best insight in the world is worthless if your audience doesn’t understand it.

A financial services firm lost $2.3 million on an investment approved by a risk committee — because a scatter plot with misleading axes made outlier risks look negligible. An e-commerce company cut inventory costs by 18% simply by switching from the wrong chart type to bar charts. Meanwhile, executives at companies with poor data visualization waste 6+ hours per week in meetings just clarifying what charts actually mean.

The gap between having data and using data effectively is communication. CPA Australia’s 2026 competency framework names data storytelling and communication as two of the six essential skills reshaping finance careers — stating that professionals who combine analytical rigour with narrative power become “indispensable to their organisations”.

The AICPA Data Visualization and Communication Certificate is an 11-CPE-credit, three-part program that teaches you to pair the right visuals with the right data, think critically about analytics, and tell stories that move decision-makers to action. It transforms you from someone who reports numbers into someone who shapes strategy.

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Why Data Visualization and Communication Are Career-Defining Skills

The boardroom demands it

• LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) ranks “Storytelling with Data” as the #1 skill for finance professionals in 2026 — above macroeconomic fluency, AI skills, and technical analysis.
• The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) has released a dedicated FP&A Guide to Communication Skills, calling data storytelling the tool that “transforms insights into impact”.
• Gartner projected that by 2025, data stories would become the most widespread way people consume analytics— and that 75% of data stories would be automatically generated through augmented analytics.

Bad visualization actively destroys value

• 58% of business leaders report making key decisions based on inaccurate or inconsistent data because of misleading charts.
• Poor data visualization reduces audience comprehension by up to 40%, according to research by Nielsen Norman Group.
• Color and design overload violate cognitive load principles — humans can process only 7±2 chunks of information at once, so overly complex dashboards lead to misinterpretation.

Communication completes the analytics equation

CPA Australia’s Andrew Ord puts it plainly: “The ability to translate complex financial insights into clear actions is what turns data into strategy. Those who combine strong analytical skills with persuasive communication are invaluable”. You can be the best data analyst in the room — but if you can’t communicate your findings, someone who can will get the budget, the promotion, and the client.

The Three-Part Curriculum 

This certificate is structured as three progressive courses that build from visual design through storytelling to critical evaluation:

Part 1: Data Visualization (4 CPE Credits)

• How to pair the right graphics with the right data types
• Best practices for chart selection — when to use bar charts vs. line charts vs. scatter plots vs. heat maps
• Design principles that enhance clarity rather than create cognitive overload
• How to avoid the common visualization mistakes that cost organizations millions

NASBA Field of Study: Information Technology

Part 2: Data Communication and Storytelling (4.5 CPE Credits)

• The foundations of data communication — basic principles and effective factors
• The difference between communication and influence within a business context
• How to communicate data in a variety of business contexts — from board presentations to team standups
• The role of storytelling in turning numbers into narratives that drive action

Authors: Joyce J. Shen and Sean Purcell
NASBA Field of Study: Communications and Marketing

Part 3: Critical Thinking in Data Analytics (2.5 CPE Credits)

• The definition and application of critical thinking across the entire data analytics process
• How to apply critical thinking from identifying objectives to evaluating end results
• Why critical thinking becomes more important — not less — in the age of AI, because AI currently lacks the ability to interpret and distil information into actionable insights
• How to challenge assumptions and identify where analytics might mislead

Authors: AICPA and CIMA staff
NASBA Field of Study: Personal Development

Learning Outcomes

1. Recall data visualization best practices for clear and effective communication
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used data visualization tools
3. Recognize how to use critical thinking to add value to a data analytics project
4. Recall best practices when communicating in different formats and to different audiences
5. Recognize the importance of storytelling in communication
6. Apply critical thinking skills throughout a data analytics project to meet organizational needs
7. Identify how to use critical thinking to analyze data and deliver insights

Who Should Enroll

• Chartered Accountants (CAs) transitioning from compliance-heavy roles into advisory, FP&A, or management consulting — where presenting data persuasively is the core deliverable
• CPAs and CPA candidates who need to present financial data to non-finance stakeholders, clients, or boards
• Finance directors, controllers, and CFOs who present to C-suite and board members and need their data to drive immediate action, not confusion
• ACCA, CMA, and CIMA members looking to build the communication competency that CPA Australia identifies as career-defining for 2026
• Audit and risk professionals who need to present findings in a way that stakeholders take seriously — not dismiss as “just another report”
• Any finance professional who has ever thought: “I had the right answer, but I couldn’t get buy-in”

Where This Course Sits — AICPA Data Analytics Learning Pathway

Why This Course Is the Career Multiplier

The first two certificates in the pathway teach you how to think about data and how to work with data. This certificate teaches you how to make data matter to other people. It’s the difference between being a back-office analyst and a front-room advisor. CPA Australia explicitly states that “data only becomes valuable when it is translated into compelling narratives that inform decision-making”. This course is where that translation happens.

Real-World Impact — From Numbers Reporter to Strategy Architect

The Expert Team Behind This Certificate

Joyce J. Shen — VC Investor, Technologist, Data Expert

A venture capital/private equity investor with deep expertise in big data, analytics, ML, AI, and cybersecurity. Shen holds bachelor’s degrees in Statistics and Economics from the University of Chicago and an MBA from Chicago Booth (quantitative finance, entrepreneurship, strategy). She is a published author on technology and a patent holder in the field of critical infrastructure security.

Sean Purcell — Global Finance Business Partnering Expert

Founding partner of Wise Up Now and Visiting Executive MBA Professor at the London School of Commerce. Purcell is the author of CPD programs on Finance Business Partnering for ACCA, CGMA, and AICPA — three of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies. He has worked with over 1,000 global finance business partners since 2010.

AICPA and CIMA Staff

Additional content authored by the in-house team of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, ensuring alignment with the latest professional standards and competency frameworks. 

Earn 11 NASBA-Recognized CPE Credits

This certificate covers three distinct NASBA fields of study in a single program — giving you diversified CPE credits rather than loading all hours into one category. Combined with the full AICPA Data Analytics pathway (37 total CPE credits), you can cover nearly a full year’s CPE requirement while building the communication and critical thinking skills that set you apart.

Course Details at a Glance

Your AICPA Digital Badge

• Can be added directly to your LinkedIn profile — proving you can visualize, communicate, and critically evaluate data
• Is downloadable as a PDF certificate
• Contains verifiable metadata — anyone clicking can confirm issuer, skills, and completion date
• Demonstrates the communication competency that CPA Australia identifies as one of six skills reshaping finance careers in 2026

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