ACC 5213 Cost and Management Accounting

STAFFING:

REQUISITES:

SYNOPSIS:

This course focuses on the provision and use of management accounting information for planning, control and decision making. The course encourages an understanding of the management accounting function within an organisation by taking a business value chain perspective. The process of budgeting (operational and financial) and standards as an aid to management in planning and controlling business activities is explored. Also included is an analysis of cost behaviour, absorption and variable costing, a study of the principles of job and process costing systems, the application of activity based costing, as well as other facets of management accounting which support decision making.

OBJECTIVES:

Completion of this course should enable students to:

1. understand the role of management accounting in the management process;
2. analyse cost behaviour and cost-volume-profit relationships;
3. understand the issues and techniques associated with cost allocation generally and activity based costing principles and techniques in particular;
4. accumulate costs for (and determine the costs of) products/services in job and process cost environments;
5. prepare operating and financial budgets and appreciate behavioural factors associated with budgeting;
6. guide the development of standard costs and compute variances for management control reports;
7. understand variable and absorption costing principles, and prepare income statements in accordance with those principles; and
8. determine and analyse relevant information for management decision making.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

NB Computer Hardware/Software requirements are set out in the Resources Section.

ACC5213 study package available from the USQ Bookshop.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete the assignment/s satisfactorily, students must attempt all assignment questions. To complete the examination satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available for the examination.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 20% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must submit all of the summative assessment items, achieve at least 50% in the examination and at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment items.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   This is a restricted examination. Candidates are allowed access to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination); calculators which cannot hold textual information (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during the examination). Students are not permitted to take mobile telephones, pagers or other electronic means of communication into the examination room.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm. Students should also read the Faculty of Business Guide to Policies and Procedures of the Faculty which can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/current/buspolproc.html.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Learning Resources: Prescribed texts and materials (see above); recommended reference materials (see above); printed Introductory Book*, Study Book/s* and Computer Managed Assessment Book*; and course Website accessible via USQConnect. *part of the study package available from the USQ Bookshop
2. Computer/software requirements are outlined in the Introductory Book for external students or will be outlined in the initial lecture for on-campus students.