Integrating AI in the SMU Curriculum
TESTIMONIAL
“SMU offers its students maximum flexibility in charting their own degree progression. With a curriculum that allows for graduation in as short as three years or up to five years for a double-degree programme, students benefit from the opportunity to manage our own learning experience and maximise what we want most out of our education.”
Ng Jiunn Yeong
Crude Trader, Shell
SMU is equipping accounting students with AI proficiency by integrating key AI techniques into its curriculum, ensuring graduates can adapt to varying AI adoption approaches in firms.
Since 2018, the School of Accountancy has been offering courses that incorporate Non-Generative Machine Learning, Optimisation, and Simulation—AI techniques widely used in accounting. These courses develop skills in forecasting, anomaly detection, and knowledge discovery, preparing students to leverage AI for data analytics and problem-solving. (Find out more about the Accounting Analytics Capstone projects by our students which tap on digital technology and AI tools to solve real world problems.)
By embedding these competencies into the curriculum, SMU ensures that its graduates are not only proficient in AI tools but also agile in adapting to diverse AI implementations across the accounting profession.
Aside from proficiency in the use of AI, SMU also aims to guide our students in the responsible use of AI.
Adoption of AI tools, like any other digital technology, would come with its unique set of risks. At SMU, students are continuously reminded to validate AI outputs and are advised not to accept AI outputs wholesale but instead test and verify the outputs as far as possible. They are also taught to use GenAI tools responsibly, and are advised not to to upload any confidential or sensitive data into GenAI tools.
Professor Zhang Liandong, Dean of School of Accountancy, SMU
'AI should not replace core accounting education but complement it. Our goal is to train accountants who understand how AI works, can interpret its outputs, and can use it responsibly. We teach AI as a tool, but it’s human intelligence, ethics, and critical thinking that will always define the profession.”
(Source: Research@SMU, “Educating the AI-ccountant for impact”, Nov 25)
EVOLVING WITH AI
With the rapid development of new AI technology, SOA and SMU is constantly reviewing its curriculum offerings to bring the most relevant and applicable content for its students. In January 2026, we launched the new course "AI Literacy for Accounting Professionals", which was developed in consultation with AI Singapore and AWS Academy.
The above course is offered as an Accounting Elective. To explore more Accounting Electives visit Programme Structure.