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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "FIN 202-2"
COURSE NAME: "Managerial Accounting"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2015
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Barbara Sveva Magnanelli
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: FIN 201
OFFICE HOURS:

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:

The Managerial Accounting course presents the basic concepts of management accounting, explaining at first the differences with financial accounting, and then, going deeply into the tools used to analysis the cost process and determine the costs themselves. Cost behaviour, process costing, Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis, master budget, flexible budgets, standard costs, Activity-Based Costing and Balanced Scorecard will be the main topics studied in the course. An accounting a strategic analysis will be conducted on the tools presented in order to learn how to use them in the decision making process.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students who will successfully complete the course should be able to:

·      Understand the differences between financial accounting and management accounting

·      Read and interpret basic financial statements (balance sheet, income statement,  and cash flow statement)

·      Classify costs depending on the analysis to be conducted

·      Use cost-benefit analysis to take business decisions

·      Use cost-volume-profit analysis to calculate the BEPs and to conduct sensitivities analyses and decide which tools has to be used to increase the performance of the firm

·      Prepare operating and financial budgets

·      Analyse operating and financial budgets

·      Understand the flexible budget and prepare it, comparing it with the static budget

·      Understand the activity-based-costing process and apply it to make business decisions

Conduct an accounting and a strategic analysis of the tools presented in the course, understanding their impact and consequences on the performance of the firm.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
AccountingHorngrenPrentice Hall9780132620536     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Mid-term ExamThe Mid-Term Exam will take place half way through the course and it will concern all the topics covered up to that point. No make-up exams will be given. A missed exam will be calculated as zero. Exceptions are made if the student presents an official excuse for the absence from the Dean’s Office. Rules of the exams: no mobile phones are allowed, no computers tools are allowed. Calculators are strongly recommended for your personal use and they cannot be shared during the exam. There are no make-up or grade improvement projects in this course. If you have a bad exam, you will have to make up for it on future exams. 30%
Final ExamThe Final Exam is comprehensive, thus it will test students on all the topics presented during the course. No make-up exams will be given. A missed exam will be calculated as zero. Exceptions are made if the student presents an official excuse for the absence from the Dean’s Office. Rules of the exams: no mobile phones are allowed, no computers tools are allowed. Calculators are strongly recommended for your personal use and they cannot be shared during the exam. There are no make-up or grade improvement projects in this course. If you have a bad exam, you will have to make up for it on future exams. 40%
Group ProjectThe student will be asked on a group basis to solve a case study on the Balanced Scorecard topic, which will be handed at the end of the course. The written work must be typed and professionally presented. The work must be send through email within the assigned deadline. All projects coming later than the deadline will be evaluated as zero, unless prior arrangements are made with the professor. The work to be evaluated as A must demonstrate the analysing skills of the students, critical thinking, problem solving capacity and the effort made. The students themselves, with the help and the advices of the professor, will choose the groups at the beginning of the course. The guidelines and the instructions for the project will be handed to the students in advance. 20%
Class ParticipationThe maximum grade for class participation and attendance is 10% of total grade. It is strongly recommended that students attend all scheduled classes in order to successfully pass the exams. Many accounting concepts, in fact, tend to require the understanding of a previous concept and/or practical exercises that will be held in class. Class participation grades are determined by the attendance to the course classes (no more than 3 absences are allowed) and by the preparation required for the classes. Class preparation requires students to do the assigned homework and participate during classes. Practice Problems and Assigned Homework - The practice tasks will be assigned regularly and students must be able to solve them in order to understand the material and do well in the exam. Students will be asked to correct and solve the assigned homework in class in order to check the preparation and clarify the concepts. Homework will not be graded as it represents essential preparation for examinations. 10%

-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 course
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:

No more than three absences are allowed.

Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.

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

MAIN TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE SCHEDULE

Introduction to the managerial accounting

Differences between managerial accounting and financial accounting

Basic Financial Statements structures and contents: Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Statement of Cash Flows

Cost behaviour analysis

Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis

Traditional approaches to full costing and decision making problems

Activity-Based Costing

Master Budget

Flexible Budget and Standard Costs

Balanced Scorecard

An updated course schedule will be provided at the beginning of the course.