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2024/2025  BA-BIBAO3011U  Managerial Accounting

English Title
Managerial Accounting

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory (also offered as elective)
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business, Asian Language and Culture
Course coordinator
  • Christian Huber - Department of Operations Management (OM)
Main academic disciplines
  • Accounting
  • Economics
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 22-05-2024

Relevant links
Learning objectives
At the exam the student should demonstrate the following learning objectives:
  • Describe and understand the notion of opportunity cost and organizational architecture and explain how they together constitute a framework for analyzing Management Accounting systems in a decision making and a control perspective
  • Describe and understand different Management Accounting theories and discuss their strengths and limitations from a decision making as well as a control perspective
  • The ability to properly apply the theories and concepts learned in the course to case examples
  • Provide a reflected analysis of the pros and cons of the different theories, concepts, and systems discussed in the course
  • Reflect on and assess the value and relevance of specific Management Accounting systems in a particular organizational setting
  • Present thoughts and analysis in a well-structured and clear manner
Examination
Managerial Accounting:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Written sit-in exam on CBS' computers
Individual or group exam Individual exam
Assignment type Written assignment
Duration 2 hours
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Winter
Aids Limited aids, see the list below:
The student is allowed to bring
  • An approved calculator. Only the models HP10bll+ or Texas BA ll Plus are allowed (both models are non-programmable, financial calculators).
  • Language dictionaries in paper format
The student will have access to
  • Advanced IT application package
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The number of registered candidates for the make-up examination/re-take examination may warrant that it most appropriately be held as an oral examination. The programme office will inform the students if the make-up examination/re-take examination instead is held as an oral examination including a second examiner or external examiner.
Description of the exam procedure

The exam date will be announced on Digital Exam

 
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Aim of the course
The overall purpose of this course is to learn how to understand, implement and discuss Management Accounting concepts and tools used to manage organizational operations in the short and long run as well as at the local and global level.

 

Management Accounting aims to give students knowledge about how companies are using Management Accounting as a strategic technology for control. In this context control is about using information about costs, prices, benefits, resources etc. to make decisions on a local or central level in a way to secure the best possible result for the company. 

 

More specifically, Management Accounting will address the planning and organizing of a company, with a focus on calculations, design, and implementation of performance goals, measuring and reporting, and interpretation of the achieved results. This gives the opportunity to handle practical tasks in the operation (e.g. budgeting) and to view every single task in a more overall perspective.

 

During the course, the following central issues will be presented and discussed:

 

  • The nature of costs and cost allocation
  • Opportunity cost
  • Organizational architecture
  • Transfer pricing
  • Center types
  • Budgets
  • Absorption cost and standard cost
  • Variances 


Contents
The course relies on lectures, exercises, and case-discussions of different issues in the field of Management Accounting. More specifically, the topics include the analysis of costs and cost behavior, standard and activity based-costing, break-even analysis, planning, and budget preparation, divisional performance measurements but also some basic financial statement analysis.
Description of the teaching methods
A high degree of activity from the students is required in order to achieve the best result. The lectures will not necessarily cover all aspects of the curriculum, but the main topics will be discussed and supported by a number of exercises and questions that the students are expected to solve before the lectures. The purpose of these exercises is to explicate the theory and to bring a more practical angle into the course. Various topics will be covered during the lessons in a way where it will be natural to bring in practical exercises. This means there will not be any formal distinct demarcation between formal lessons and solving problems (exercises).
Feedback during the teaching period
Feedback regarding the course will take place in three forms:
1) Guiding/indicative solutions to the exercises worked within the lessons will be uploaded on Canvas.
2) Feedback in class during the lessons will take place due to the form of the lessons, that are based upon active dialogue between lecturer and students.


Student workload
Lectures 25 hours
Exercises 40 hours
Preparation (i.e. hours spent for reading, group work, etc.) 117 hours
Exam 24 hours
In total 206 hours
Further Information

Please note that this course will be discontinued and run for the first last time in Autumn 2026. The last exam will be offered in winter 2027. See the programme regulations for transition notes.

Expected literature

Zimmerman, Jerold

Accounting for Decision Making and Control, latest ed.

McGraw-Hill.

 

Please note: these reading materials are only tentative and changes may occur. Final literature lists will be uploaded on CANVAS before the course begins. 

Last updated on 22-05-2024