UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND MIS
Accounting 424
Introduction to Accounting for Management Decision Making Syllabus
FALL 2010
Instructor: Patricia (Trish) Stringer, CMA, CA Classes
Office: Bus 1-27B A3: MW 2:00 pm-3:20 pm (BUS 1-10)
Office Hours: MW 1:00 pm to 1:50 pm or by appointment A4: MW 3:30 pm-4:50 pm (BUS 2-9) E-mail: [email protected]
1. Course Description and Objectives
Accounting 424 builds on the foundation laid in Accounting 322 to study the preparation and use of cost accounting information for management decision-making and control purposes. Together, these two courses provide students with the tools needed to understand and address the important problems facing management accountants today.
We will promote the use of quantitative techniques and stress the importance of considering qualitative factors. Most management decisions are made with less than perfect information. Accordingly, we will also discuss analysis of information under uncertainty, an essential characteristic facing modern business practitioners. Prerequisite: Accounting 322.
The broad objectives of this course are:
• to enable you to prepare, use and to evaluate critically management accounting data for tactical decision making, strategic decision making, and performance evaluation and control.
• to sharpen your problem-solving skills, including the application of quantitative techniques in both the short- and long-run decision-making framework.
• to increase your understanding of the organisational context of management accounting, including some exposure to behavioural and ethical aspects.
2. Evaluation
Your grade in this course will be based on the marks you obtain on three (3) in-class assignments, seven (7) quizzes, one eighty (80) minute midterm exam, and a (2) two-hour comprehensive final
examination. These marks will be weighted as follows to determine your percentage mark in the course:
In Class Assignments 6%
Quizzes 14%
Midterm Exam (Wednesday, October 20th at 5:00 pm) 35%
Final Exam (Saturday, December 18th at 9:00 am) 45%
Total 100 %
Letter grades will be assigned to the percentage marks in accordance with University Regulations [Section 23.4(5) of the University Calendar]. Grades in this course will be based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance.
2.1. Examinations
All exams in this course will be closed book. You may use a non-programmable calculator. You will have eighty (80) minutes to write the midterm exam and two (2) hours to write the final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive.
• Midterm Exam – Wednesday, October 20 at 5:00 pm (locations to be announced)
• Final Exam – Friday, December 18 at 9:00 am (location to be announced)
Accounting 424 Syllabus – Fall 2010 2 Note that the midterm exams will not be held in class; rather, students in all sections of the course will write each exam at a common time, 5:00-6:20 p.m. The specific locations where students will write the exams will be announced in class and listed on Blackboard well in advance. It is important that you go to your assigned location. A student who has an unavoidable commitment that conflicts with a midterm exam should advise his or her instructor of the conflict, in writing, at least one week prior to the exam date.
Section 23.5.1 of the Calendar provides the University Regulations for the conduct of exams. At an exam, students must be able to present their student ID cards or other acceptable photo identification.
Cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices must be turned off and put away prior to the exam (the only permitted electronic devices are non-programmable calculators).
2.1.1. Absence from Exams
If a student is absent from the midterm exam for a legitimate and adequately documented reason, tell your instructor in writing as soon as possible. The weight of the missed exam will be reallocated to the final exam. There will be no deferred midterm exam in this course.
Section 23.5.6 (2) of the Calendar provides the University Regulations regarding procedures in the case of a missed final examination.
2.1.2. Quizzes, Assignments and Exam Re-marking Policy
After marked quizzes, assignments and midterm exam papers have been returned, the answer key will be posted on Blackboard. Students should review the marking carefully and bring to his or her instructor’s attention any questions about their marks as soon as possible. No remarking requests will be accepted more than one week after the results have been made available. All appeals must be in writing and the original copy of the quiz, assignment or exam must be attached.
2.1.3. Final Exam Viewing and Reappraisals
For information regarding applying for a reappraisal of your final exam please see Section 23.5.4 (2) of the Calendar.
2.2. Quizzes
Seven (7) scheduled quizzes will be administered in this course via Blackboard. Please see the tentative class schedule for due dates. More information will be posted in the quiz section on Blackboard.
Online quizzes are available Wednesday afternoon at 5:00pm until 8:59am on the following Monday afternoon.
For each quiz, you will have 2 attempts, and only the better will count; 15 minutes maximum for each attempt. If you go over the 15 minutes your score will be reduced to zero.
Each quiz may cover material from the previous lecture(s) and chapter recommended questions assigned. There will be no opportunity to make up a quiz.
2.3. In-Class Assignments
Three (3) in-class assignments will be administered in this course. These in-class assignments will be assigned, completed and collected in class. They will take the form of a short problem. You will receive a grade of 0 if not completed or for minimal effort and a grade of 2 marks for a reasonable attempt.
Accounting 424 Syllabus – Fall 2010 3 Each in-class assignment will cover material from the previous lecture(s) and chapter recommended questions assigned. There will be no opportunity to make up an in-class assignment.
3. Course Materials and Activities 3.1. Textbook
Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, Fifth Canadian Edition, by Horngren, Foster, Datar, Teall, and Gowing. Pearson Education Canada Inc., 2010.
This textbook is also available in eTextbook format.
Students who purchase a new copy of the textbook will have access to MyAccountingLab (Access Code is provided with your textbook). This on-line resource is provided and supported by the publisher. It contains an e-version of the textbook and solutions to problems that are listed in red.
3.2. Blackboard
You will be able to obtain the lecture notes and related items from Blackboard at
https://ulearn.ualberta.ca/. Blackboard also provides a web forum (Discussion Board) for posting questions.
3.3. In-class Activities
Our classes will be a combination of lectures and discussions of problems. Most of the concepts and techniques taught in this course are best illustrated and learned through problem solving. Therefore, we will analyze many problems in class. In addition to attending the classes, it is expected that you will read the relevant chapter of the textbook before coming to class. When specific questions have been assigned for the class, you should be prepared to analyze and discuss them. The attached class schedule identifies the specific questions for each class. Solutions to problems done in class will not be released on Blackboard.
3.4. Out-of-class Activities
Following the lectures on a particular topic, you should work on the recommended questions from the textbook. The recommended questions for each chapter are identified in the attached class schedule.
You can check your answers against the solutions posted on Blackboard.
4. Academic Integrity
Absolute and complete academic honesty is expected of you in this course. It is important for you as a student to behave in an ethical manner. The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/governance/StudentAppealsRegulations.cfm) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
5. Other
Recording of a lecture is permitted only with the prior written consent of the professor or if recording is part of an approved accommodation plan.
Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar.
Accounting 424 Syllabus – Fall 2010 4
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Class# Dates Quizzes Topics Readings In Class Problems Recommended Questions
1 W Sep 8 Introduction to the course Chapter 1 1-33 1-20, 1-32
2 M Sep 13 Cost Terminology Chapter 2 2-21, 2-24, 2-34,
2-35 2-20, 2-22, 2-31, 2-38
3 W Sep 15 Job Order Costing Chapter 4 4-24, 4-29, 4-41 4-22, 4-30, 4-33, 4-34
4 M Sep 20 Quiz 1 due
Activity-Based Costing Chapter 5 5-17, 5-22, 5-26,
5-32 5-16, 5-28, 5-29, 5-30, 5-33 5 W Sep 22
6 M Sep 27 Quiz 2 due
Process Costing Chapter 17 17-22, 17-23, 17-24,
17-25, 17-45
17-18, 17-35, 17-36, 17-37, 17-38, 17-39, 17-50
7 W Sep 29
8 M Oct 4 Quiz 3 due
Spoilage, Re-work and Scrap Chapter 18 18-16, 18-23, 18-24, 18-38, 18-39
18-17, 18-18, 18-19, 18-20, 18-27, 18-40, 18-41, 18-42 9 W Oct 6
M Oct 11 Thanksgiving Holiday – No Classes 10 W Oct 13
Supply Chain Strategies Chapter 20 20-16, 20-17, 20-23,
20-24, 20-29 20-18, 20-26, 20-31, 20-32 11 M Oct 18
W Oct 20 Midterm Exam @ 5:00 pm (Location to be announced) (No class at regular time)
12 M Oct 25 Cost Allocation Methods Chapter 14 14-17, 14-20, 14-21,
14-31 14-18, 14-19, 14-28, 14-30 13 W Oct 27
Joint Costs and By-Products Chapter 15 15-18, 15-28, 15-39,
15-40, 15-41, 15-16, 15-17, 15-24, 15-29 14 M Nov 1
15 W Nov 3
Flexible Budgets and Variance Analysis Chapter 7 7-34, 7-35, 7-39, 7-44
7-20, 7-21, 7-29, 7-30, 7-31, 7-40
16 M Nov 8 Quiz 4 due
17 W Nov 10 Variances – Drilling Down Chapter 16* 16-25 16-24, 16-32
18 M Nov 15 Quiz 5 due
Overhead variances Chapter 8 8-24, 8-28, 8-29,
8-43 8-16, 8-17, 8-23, 8-30, 8-41 19 W Nov 17
20 M Nov 22 Quiz 6 due Relevant Cost Analysis Chapter 11* 11-40, 11-42 11-38 21 W Nov 24
Capital Budgeting Chapter 21 21-26,21-32, 21-38,
21-42, 21-43 21-31, 21-33, 21-34, 21-40 22 M Nov 29 Quiz 7 due
23 W Dec 1
Capital Budgeting: Further Aspects Chapter 22 22-17, 22-20, 22-21,
22-25, 22-28, 22-31 22-18, 22-26, 22-32, 22-33 24 M Dec 6
25 W Dec 8 Review of key concepts
S Dec 18 Tentative Final exam date– 9:00 am
* for these chapters we are only covering select pages.