ACCTING 2500 - Cost and Management Accounting

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019

This course seeks to give an understanding of the ways in which management accountants can provide relevant information for a variety of decisions to be made in managing any organisation. On completion of this course, students should be able to identify, use and interpret the results of costing techniques appropriate to different activities and decisions; formulate and use standards and budgets for planning and control purposes; understand the role of responsibility accounting and performance measurement; understand the behavioural implications of performance measurement and transfer pricing systems in divisionalised businesses; appreciate the need to relate management accounting systems to contemporary thinking about organisational planning and control.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code ACCTING 2500
    Course Cost and Management Accounting
    Coordinating Unit Adelaide Business School
    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
    Assumed Knowledge Basic computer literacy using MS Office software
    Course Description This course seeks to give an understanding of the ways in which management accountants can provide relevant information for a variety of decisions to be made in managing any organisation. On completion of this course, students should be able to identify, use and interpret the results of costing techniques appropriate to different activities and decisions; formulate and use standards and budgets for planning and control purposes; understand the role of responsibility accounting and performance measurement; understand the behavioural implications of performance measurement and transfer pricing systems in divisionalised businesses; appreciate the need to relate management accounting systems to contemporary thinking about organisational planning and control.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Tony McMurtrie

    LECTURER-IN-CHARGE Name: Associate Professor VG Sridharan
    Location: Room 13.07, 10 Pulteney Street
    Telephone: 8313 0730

    Email: vg.sridharan@adelaide.edu.au
    Course Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au

    List of Tutors

    1. Rob Maloney  
    2. Sabiha shaikh
    3. Nurmalisa Che Ali

    The contact details of the tutors will be available after the commencement of the tutorial classes.
    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)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1-4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    3&4
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    5
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    5
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    5
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbook:

    The required textbook for this course is Management and Cost Accounting by Colin Drury, Cengage Publishers 10th Edition.  Several options exist to purchase this book:

    1. Print version; 2. E-book; 3. Print version with the MindTap electronic resource; 4. E-book with the Mind-tap resource.

    More information on the different pathways to acquire the textbook can be discussed with the University bookshop manager, whose details are as follows.

    Mr Jake Kempf
    Store Manager
    University Coop Bookshop
    Hub Central
    Level 4, Hughes Building
    North Terrace, Adelaide 5000

    Email: sm5100@coop.com.au






    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:
    · Lectures – to provide an outline of work to be covered.
    · Tutorials – to give 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 12 weeks (tutorial begins in Week 1)

    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 1. 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
    Lecture Schedule for semester 2


    Week

    Topic

    Reading

    1

    Introduction to MA and Cost Terms

    Chaps 1 & 2

    2

    Cost Assignment

    Chap 3

    3

    Accounting for Job Costing

    Chap 4

    4

    Process Costing

    Chap 5

    5

    Activity Base Costing

    Chap 11

    6

    Joint and By-product Costing

    Chap 6

    7

    Absorption and Variable Costing

    Chap 7

    8

    Mid Semester Test

     

    9

    CVP Analysis

    Chap 8

    10

    Relevant Costs for Decisions, Cost Estimation, Inventory Management

    Chap 9

    Chap 24 (646-657)

    Chap 25 (671-676)

    11

    Budgeting Process

    Chap 15

    12

    Standard Cost

    Variance Analysis

    Revision and Exam Prep

    Chap 17 (432-450)

  • 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
    The assessment details will be available on MyUni and explained in Lecture 1


    Assessment items

    Due Date

    Weight (%)

    Individual Assignment

    Friday, Week 10

    10

    Mid-semester test

    Week 8

    15

    Class Participation and Presentation

    Various

    15

    Final exam

     

    60





    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 invigilated assessement (mid semester test and final exam).

    2. Any written assignment must be presented using the appropriate Microsoft program, i.e., MSWord, Excel, etc.

    3. 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 because of poor hand-writing.

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

    5. The use of a non-programmable calculator incapable of storing text in the examination is permitted in this course.
    Assessment Detail

    The individual assignment will be published and submitted on line through the course Canvas page. It will be based on material presented prior to the mid-semester break.

    There will be a mid-semester test during normal lecture time in week 8. The test will be paper-based. It will cover the first six weeks of the course (up to and including chapters 1-6 and chapter 11). It may be a combination of both MCQ and practical questions.

    Tutorial marks will be based on students’ preparation and participation during tutorials as well a group presentation made during class time. Tutors will divided the class into groups during the first weeks of the tutorials. Each week an unseen question will be given to the class to solve. A group will be allocated to provide a response to the question to the class. Marks will be allocated to the group based on their solutions and other members of the class will be assessed on their contribution to the overall discussion. The group marks will be presented for the quality of the answer, NOT THE PRESENTSATION SKILLS.

    The final exam will be a two hour exam and all lectures, tutorials and set readings are examinable.

    In order to pass the course students must achieve an overall mark of 50% and also at least 50% in the invigilated assessment (Mid-semester test and Final exam combined).

     

    Submission
    Presentation of Assignments

    · Please must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
    · All individual assignments must be attached to an ‘Assignment Cover Sheet’, which is signed and dated by the student before submission. Lecturers will withhold student’s results until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet.
    · All group assignments must be attached to a ‘Group Assignment Cover Sheet’, which must be signed and dated by all group members before submission. All team members are expected to contribute approximately equally to a group assignment.

    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 Postgraduate Programs: Communication Skills Guide will have been given to you at the beginning of your program. This guide will assist you structure your assignments. A copy of the guide can also be downloaded from 
    http://www.adelaide.edu.au/professions/hub/downloads/Communications-Skills-Guide.pdf

    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. The contact details are provided on page 6 of the Communication Skills Guide.


    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.


    Return of Assignments

    Lecturer’s aim to mark and return assignments to students within two (2) weeks of the due date with written feedback. Students are responsible for collecting their marked assignments from either their tutorials or lectures. If assignments aren’t collected after two (2) weeks, the assignments will be available at the Student Hub for two (2) weeks. The remaining assignments will only be posted out to the students, if the correct mailing addresses are on the assignments.
    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.