Outline

Overview

This unit examines the accounting and reporting practices of reporting entities, particularly listed public companies. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of, and the ability to critically evaluate, the various regulatory requirements (professional and statutory) governing financial reporting. The unit commences with an overview of the financial reporting environment and theories that seek to explain the accounting policy choices of management. This framework provides a basis for examining a range of specific issues in financial accounting. The emphasis throughout the unit is on both the application of specific accounting techniques/rules and the conceptual/theoretical issues associated with alternative accounting methods.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Accounting
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	(ACCT1001 or ACCT1005 or BUSS1030) and (ACCT1002 or ACCT1006)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Eagle Zhang, eagle.zhang@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Jon Halloran, jonathan.halloran@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Amy Koit, a.koit@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Benjamin Lay, benjamin.lay@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Written exam	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test	Mid-semester exam Written exam	30%	Mid-semester exam period	1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Tutorial preparation Written task	5%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Group assignment Written task	15%	Week 09 Due date: 01 May 2020 at 17:00 Closing date: 11 May 2020	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Tutorial preparation: Students are required to prepare all set weekly tutorial homework questions before their allocated tutorial. The tutorial preparation must be completed as a handwritten submission - no typed submissions will be accepted. Tutorial preparations will be randomly selected 6 times during the semester. Only tutorial preparations collected by the tutor in person at the beginning of the tutorial, from students attending their assigned tutorial, shall be marked.
Group assignment: The task requires students to work with others as a team of 3 or 4 to gain an understanding of an entity’s specific transactions, in the context of their operations, and research applicable accounting standards regulations and practices in order to evaluate the unique financial reporting issues of the transactions for the reporting entity. Students within a group must attend the same tutorial. Please note that each group member is expected to be involved in the preparation, drafting, proofing and checking of all aspects of this group assignment including ensuring no breaches of academic honesty.
Mid-semester exam: The mid-semester exam will cover material from weeks 1 to 5 inclusive.
Final exam: This exam will cover the material from weeks 1-12 inclusive, with emphasis on the material from weeks 6-12. The final exam is listed as a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment in order to pass the unit. Students who fail to complete this assessment, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit of study is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for this unit. As a result a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if the final mark of the unit is between 0-49 and a Fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final marks.

Replacement exams: The Business School has determined that second replacement exams (both mid-semester and final) will not be offered for this unit of study should a student submit two special considerations for the same exam as this unit forms part of the professional accounting accreditation pathway. Should a student be granted a replacement exam via special consideration, and is then unable to attend or does not complete the replacement exam, any subsequent special consideration will result in a DC grade (Discontinue Without Fail).

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Institutional and conceptual framework for financial reporting	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Accounting for assets - property, plant, and equipment	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Accounting for assets - intangible assests	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Accounting for leases	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Provisions; ethics	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	The choice of accounting methods	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Accounting for income tax	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Accounting for financial instruments	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Equity	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Accounting for employee benefits	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Accounting for the extractive industries	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	1. Measurement of profit; 2. Reporting comprehensive income	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Review and summary	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Issues in Financial Accounting, 16th Edition (2017), by Henderson, S., Peirson, G. and Herbohn, K., published by Pearson.

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe and understand the conceptual framework and specific standards for preparing financial statements within a regulatory and commercial context
LO2. interpret and apply specific accounting standards to transactions based on varying problems and facts, which require critical thinking and judgement
LO3. discuss issues in the interpretation and application of accounting standards, as these affect the information content and decision-relevance of financial statements
LO4. read and understand Australian accounting standards in order to evaluate the financial reporting issues for the reporting entity; develop solid and defensible arguments that reflect your opinion on the above
LO5. work collaboratively with others to analyse the requirements of an Australian accounting standard and understand how these accounting requirements can be applied to an entity's operations
LO6. recognise the requirements of different users of financial statements and appreciate the social and ethical dimensions of the choices made by financial statement preparers.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

ACCT2011: Financial Accounting A

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect