ACCTING 2500 - Cost and Management Accounting

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2024

This course aims to give an understanding of how management accountants provide information to facilitate decision-making in an organisation. On completion of this course, students should be able to determine product costs, formulate budgets and standards for planning and control, understand the role of responsibility accounting and performance measurement, and explain contemporary thinking in management accounting.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ACCTING 2500
    Course Cost and Management Accounting
    Coordinating Unit Accounting
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites ACCTING 1002 or ACCTING 1002OUA or ACCTING 1004
    Assumed Knowledge Basic computer literacy using MS Office software
    Assessment Exam/assignments/tests/tutorial work as prescribed at first lecture
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Mr David Joy

    Course Co-ordinator and Lecturer:
    Mr David Joy

    Course instructors
    1. Nurmalisa Che Ali 
    2. Sabiha Shaikh
    3. Tony Trimboli

    The contact details of the tutors will be available after the commencement of the tutorial classes.

    Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

    1 Describe the three fundamental purposes of cost and management accounting.  As part of this learning, students will be able to appreciate the use of different costs for different purposes.
    2 Explain traditional and contemporary approaches to cost allocation.
    3 Describe different product costing scenarios in job-order and process environments.
    4 Identify relevant information for decision making purposes in order to produce financial analyses for a range of decisions such as product-mix, pricing, outsourcing and special orders.
    5 Use standard costs to prepare budgets for planning and control purposes.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1,2,3,4

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    3,4

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    .

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    .

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    1,2,3,4,5

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    .

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    .

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    .
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbook:

    The required textbook for this course is Horgren's Cost Accounting a Managerial Emphasis by Datar and Rajan, Pearson Publishers 17th Edition.  Several options exist to purchase this book:
    1.  Print version with the MyAccounting Lab electronic resource; 2. E-book with the MyAccounting La resource.
    The only purchase option at this stage is on-line. URL information:

    https://www.pearson.com.au/9781292363165
    Recommended Resources
    Please see the relevant information on acquiring the textbook from the previous title on "Required Resources".  Note that the textbook is actually mandatory because we will be using several exercises and work through several solutions as part of practice exercises in the class.




  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    This course is taught through a dual-mode. Face to Face and online class options are available for Offshore / Interstate students in this course. Refer to Course Planner and the location of each activity to identify online and face to face classes.

    1) Lectures – will ALL BE ONLINE.
    They will become available to students each week through the Echo360 module on MyUni. Lectures are designed to provide an
    outline of various concepts that are useful in applying in real-world problems.

    2) Tutorials – Are designed to give an opportunity for reflection on and the application of materials covered in lectures and to discuss issues relating to course matter. Please check your student email and MyUni as course-related announcements are communicated via email. Consultation hours of the tutors will be advised on MyUni Course homepage.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    This course is provided in internal mode and contains:
    · 2 hours lecture per week for 12 weeks
    · 1 hours tutorial per week for 11 weeks (tutorial begins in Week 2)

    The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course or 13 hours for a four-unit course, of private study outside of your regular classes.

    Students in this course are expected to attend all lectures throughout the semester plus one tutorial class each week.

    Please refer to Access Adelaide for your timetable and enrolment details:
    www.adelaide.edu.au/access/

    Tutorial classes will be held weekly commencing Monday Week 2. Membership of tutorial classes is to be finalised by the end of the second week of semester. Students wishing to swap between tutorial classes after this time are required to present their case to the Lecturer-in-Charge, but should be aware that such a request may not be approved.

    Tutorials are an important component of your learning in this course. The communication skills developed in tutorials by regularly and actively participating in discussions are considered to be most important by the School and are highly regarded by employers and professional bodies.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Readings are the chapters form the prescribed text book
    (Horgren's Cost Accounting a Managerial Emphasis by Datar and Rajan, Pearson Publishers 17th Edition)
    Lecture Schedule for Semester
     Week                                 Topic      Reading
    Week 1 Introduction to Cost and Management Accounting. Chapter 1 
    Week 2 Cost Terms, Flow of Costs, Cost Behaviours  Chapter 2 & 10
    Week 3 Job Costing and Process Costing  Chapter 4 & 18
    Week 4 Cost Volume Profit (CVP)
    Decision making and Relevant information 
    Chapter 3 & 12
    Week 5 Activity-Based Costing (ABC)  Chapter 5
    Week 6 Support Department Costs and Joint Cost  Chapter 16 & 17
    Week 7 Master Budgets and Responsibility Accounting Chapter 6
    Week 8 Pricing Decisions and Customer Profitability Analysis  Chapter 14 & 15
    Week 9 Inventory and Capacity analysis
    Inventory Management 
    Chapter 9 & 21
    Week 10 Standard Cost and Variance Analysis Chapter 7 & 8
    Week 11 Transfer Price and Data Analytics Chapter 11 & 23
    Week 12 Revision Lecture ALL Chapters
    Week 13
    Week 14
    Final Exam period
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment items Due Date Task type Weight (%) Learning Outcome
    Class Participation   Ongoing Formative and summative 1-5
    Mid-semester test – online   Week 7 Summative 20 1-3
    Individual Assignment   Week 10 Summative 25 2-3
    Final exam Exam Period Summative 50 1-5
    Assessment Related Requirements
    NOTES ON ASSESSMENT

    1. In order to pass this course students must achieve an overall minimum grade of 50% as well as at least 50% in the final exam.

    2. Legible hand-writing and the quality of English expression are considered to be integral parts of the assessment process. Marks may be deducted in the final examination if markers are unable to read / understand answers because of poor hand-writing.

    3. Students in this course are NOT permitted to take a DICTIONARY (English or English-Foreign) into the examination.

    4. The use of a non-programmable calculator incapable of storing text in the examination is permitted in this course.
    Assessment Detail
    Class participation (5%)
    Tutorial marks will be based on students’ preparation and participation (including activity during online tutorials). Marks will be allocated to students based on their contribution to the overall discussion.

    Mid-semester test (20%)
    The test will be online. It will cover the first five weeks of the course (Topic 1 - 5). It may be a combination of both MCQ and practical questions.

    Individual assignment (25%)
    The individual assignment will be a technical problem with a small theory component attached due in Week 10. It will become available in the assignment section of the MyUni course website. Students will need to complete the assignment as a word document and then upload their file to the MyUni site. Late submissions will be penalised 10% for each day late. Submissions submitted after October 15 without prior approval will not be marked.

    Final exam (50%)
    The Primary Final Exam will be a three-hour exam and all lectures, tutorials and set readings are examinable.
    Submission
    Presentation of Assignments
    · Please retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
    · All individual assignments must include an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’. Lecturers will withhold student’s results until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet.

    Lecturers can refuse to accept assignments, which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the University’s policy on plagiarism.

    Assignment Guidelines including Referencing Details
    A copy of the Communication Skills Guide ia available from the University website. This guide will assist you to structure your assignments. This publication also provides guidelines on a range of other important communication skills including writing essays and management reports, making oral presentations etc.

    In preparing any written piece of assessment for postgraduate studies it is important to draw on the relevant ‘literature’ to support critical analysis. Also essential is to reference the literature used. Correct referencing is important because it identifies the source of the ideas and arguments that you present, and sometimes the source of the actual words you use, and helps to avoid the problem of plagiarism. (Further information on plagiarism is provided later in this course outline.)

    The Harvard system is widely used in the Business School. Guidelines for the use of this style of referencing can be found in the Communication Skills Guide.

    Further assistance with referencing is available from the Faculty’s Learning Support Advisors.

    Late Assignment Submission
    Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be emailed to the lecturer in charge of the course before the due date. Each request will be assessed on its merits. A late assignment (without prior arrangement) will be penalised by a 5% of the available marks for each day that it is late.

    Grading of Assignments
    Lecturers aim to mark and return assignments to students within two (2) weeks of the due date with written feedback.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.