Introductory Management Accounting

Overview

Management Accounting has the purpose of identifying, measuring and communicating information to allow management and employees to make informed judgements and decisions. It is concerned with the provision of both financial and non-financial information to decision-makers. The module provides an introduction to Management Accounting and reviews: the purposes of Management Accounting; cost terms; cost behaviours and estimation; cost accumulation/assignment techniques; job and process costing; joint and by-products costing; income effects of alternative cost accumulation systems; use of information for decision making (CVP analysis); short-term vs. long-term decision making; and a brief introduction to budgeting.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the module students should be able to:
1. Discuss the context in which management accounting exists and how it is influenced by ethical issues, as well as internal and external factors;
2. Evaluate the role of management accounting in the provision of information for organisational planning, control and decision-making;
3. Describe the importance of cost information and costing systems to the successful strategic management of organisations; and
4. Compare information and apply appropriate techniques for organisational planning and decision making.

Skills

Students will build skills in: gathering and interpreting both qualitative and quantitative information; knowledge of the tools and techniques for the provision of timely, accurate and relevant information internally. At the end of this module students should have also gained experience in working in small groups and making presentations.

Assessment

Students must achieve an overall mark of 40% in the module to pass