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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "FIN 202-3"
COURSE NAME: "Managerial Accounting"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2018
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Silvia Pulino
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 8:30-9:45 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: FIN 201
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the role of accounting in the management process and where accounting can provide critical support to management decision making. Cost-volume relations are introduced, along with identification of costs relevant to management decisions. Process costing and job costing systems, the development of a master plan, preparation of flexible budgets and responsibility accounting are covered, and the influences of quantitative techniques on managerial accounting are introduced.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Review of Financial Accounting (Recording Business Transactions, The Adjusting Process, Completing the Accounting Cycle, Merchandising Operations, Merchandise Inventory, The Balance Sheet). The Statement of Cash Flows. Financial Statement Analysis. Job Costing. Process Costing. Activity-Based Costing and Other Cost Management Tools. Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis. The Master Budget and Responsibility Accounting. Flexible Budgets and Standard Costs. Short-Term  Business Decisions. Capital Investment Decisions and Time Value of Money.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students having successfully completed the course should be able to:

  • Prepare and interpret simple financial statements (income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows)
  • Distinguish financial accounting from managerial accounting
  • Identify trends in the business environment and use cost-benefit analysis to make business decisions
  • Identify ethical issues in managerial accounting decisions
  • Distinguish between job costing and process costing and use each method as appropriate to determine cost of goods sold
  • Use cost-volume-profit analysis to compute breakeven points and to perform sensitivity analyses
  • Prepare operating and financial budgets and use sensitivity analysis in budgeting
  • Prepare a flexible budget and use it to show why actual results differ from the static budget
  • Use activity-based management (ABM) to make business decisions
  • Appropriately use payback, accounting rate of return and discounted cash flow models to make short- and long-term capital budgeting decisions
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
AccountingMichael C. Erhardt, Eugene F. BrighamSouth-Western Cengage Learning9781439078112.     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Class preparation and participation The class participation grade will reflect preparation, attendance and quality and frequency of participation. Class preparation will require students to read all the assigned material and, at the end of each unit, to practice problems at home for further discussion in class. Class participation will help students understand the material better and build confidence in public speaking. In each class, I will ask a student to make a brief presentation of the material s/he prepared, but all students are encouraged to participate in almost every class at least once and if possible more than once, actively engaging in the debate. The instructor may also indicate university open lectures that are relevant to the course; students are expected to attend such lectures (unless there is a scheduling clash with another course) as part of their class participation activities. Assignments and deadlines will be posted on Moodle. Students are required to sign up and keep up to date with all Moodle postings for the course.10%
Two Mid-Term ExamsThe tests will consist of 4-5 problems and/or concept questions. This portion of the grade will consist of the simple average of the two tests; there will be no make-ups for missed tests, regardless of the justification. However, students who maintain a good attendance record (see Absences and Tardiness below for details) will see the mid-term grade substituted by the final exam grade if higher. 60%
Comprehensive Final ExaminationThe final examination is comprehensive and will test students on all the topics covered throughout the course. The exam will require the use of a financial calculator.30%
   

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cou
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are expected to come to class and to arrive on time.

Absences: Students are encouraged to attend and participate in class as part of their learning.  As the final is comprehensive, students who miss 3 classes or less will have the option of dropping TWO of the grades obtained in the Topic Tests (i.e. only the top seven grades will be averaged for that portion of the grade).

Tardiness: students arriving more than 5 minutes late for class will be marked as absence (though they may stay and follow the lesson).

Persistent absence or tardiness usually precludes satisfactory performance in the course, and will result in a lower class participation grade. In any case, students are responsible for all material covered by the syllabus and/or discussed in class, whether or not they are actually present.  

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS

The following schedule is tentative and subject to change.  The up-to-date schedule and assignments will be posted on Moodle.

 

Class

 

Date

Topic

Activities

 

Assignments

 

PART I – REVIEW OF FUNDAMENTALS

1

 

 

Introduction. Review of Financial Accounting

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

Statement of Cash Flows

 

 

 

 

4

 

 

Financial Statement Analysis

 

 

 

 

5

 

 

Financial Statement Analysis

 

 

 

 

PART II – COSTING METHODS

6

 

 

Mid-Term I

Statement of Cash Flows. Financial Statement Analysis

 

 

 

7

 

 

Job Costing

 

 

 

 

8

 

 

Job Costing

 

 

 

 

9

 

 

Process Costing

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

Process Costing

 

 

 

 

11

 

 

Activity Based Costing

 

 

 

 

12

 

 

Activity Based Costing

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

Cost-volume-profit analysis

 

 

 

 

14

 

 

Mid-Term II

Job Costing. Process costing. Activity-Based Costing. CVP Analysis.

 

 

 

PART III – FINANCIAL PLANNING

15

 

 

The Master Budget

 

 

 

 

16

 

 

The Master Budget

 

 

 

 

17

 

 

Flexible Budgets

 

 

 

 

18

 

 

Flexible Budgets

Master Budget Spreadsheet due

 

 

 

19

 

 

Flexible Budgets

 

 

 

 

20

 

 

Short-term business decisions

 

 

 

 

PART VI – OTHER STRATEGIC ISSUES

21

 

 

Short-term business decisions

 

 

 

 

22

 

 

Short-term business decisions

 

 

 

 

23

 

 

Time Value of Money

 

 

 

 

24

 

 

Time Value of Money

 

 

 

 

25

 

 

Capital Budgeting

 

 

 

 

26

 

 

Capital Budgeting

 

 

 

 

 

27

 

 

Mid-Term III

Flexible Budgets. Short-term Business Decisions. Time Value of Money. Capital Budgeting.

 

 

 

28

 

 

Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

TBD

FINAL EXAM