Outline

Overview

This unit introduces the context and processes of managerial accounting, with financial and non-financial information literacy to inform both understanding and application of key managerial accounting techniques. Critical business career skills of ethical behaviour in difficult situations, collaboration, problem solving, time management, persuasive communication and following instructions are fostered across the areas of cost accounting, business performance, and strategic value creation in management accounting. Through weekly 'business practicals', students get real-world like experience in addressing practical managerial accounting issues in organisational contexts. Students become familiar with the many kinds of managerial accounting decisions concerning the techniques, benefits and risks of accounting frameworks chosen. The unit is completed with a capstone case study which consolidates learning and allows students to use their new knowledge and skills gained in identifying and addressing operational and strategic issues facing organisations concerning competition, innovation and government regulation.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Accounting
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	ACCT5001
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ACCT5002
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Geoff Frost, geoffrey.frost@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Reaven Yu, lichen.yu@sydney.edu.au
	Chang-Yuan Loh, chang.loh@sydney.edu.au
	Geoff Frost, geoffrey.frost@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Gigi Wongwaiwetch, gigi.wongwaiwetch@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Sabrina Shen, sabrina.shen@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final Exam Written exam; closed book	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Business Practicals Group analysis and presentations	25%	Ongoing	Throughout semester
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Participation in Workshops Active and ethical participation in workshops	5%	Ongoing	Throughout semester
Outcomes assessed:
Supervised test ?	Mid Semester Exam Written exam; closed book	20%	Week 07 Due date: 17 Sep 2023 at 10:30	1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Business Practical: Weekly in-class case studies.

Participation in Workshops: Weekly in-class participation

Mid Semester Exam: Closed book exam to be held in Week 7. Date/time TBA – please check Canvas for announcements and updates.

Final Exam: Closed book exam to be held during formal exam period.

The final exam is an assessment listed as a HURDLE TASK. It means you must undertake the assessment and achieve a mark above a minimum standard. Students who fail to achieve this minimum standard in this assessment, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for the unit. As a result the student's academic transcript will show a fail grade and the actual mark achieved if between 0-49 and a fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other marks. The hurdle mark for this assessment (the final exam) is 45%.

Exams (Mid Semester and Final): Any replacement exam may have a different format to the scheduled exam e.g., oral questions and answers.

More 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	Introduction to management accounting: an overview	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to costs	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to costs	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 03	Cost Volume Profit (CVP) as an example of marginal costing	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Cost Volume Profit (CVP) as an example of marginal costing	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 04	Conventional cost allocation using job order costing	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Conventional cost allocation using job order costing	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 05	Activity based costing (ABC) and cost management (Part 1)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Activity based costing (ABC) and cost management (Part 1)	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 06	Allocation of supporting department(s) costs and cost management (Part 2)	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Allocation of supporting department(s) costs and cost management (Part 2)	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 07	Mid Semester Exam week - no classes. Date TBA.	Individual study (3 hr)
Week 08	Operational planning using an articulated master budget	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	Operational planning using an articulated master budget	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 09	Variance analysis for direct and overhead costs	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Variance analysis for direct and overhead costs	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 10	Responsibility accounting & Performance measurement and management	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Responsibility accounting & Performance measurement and management	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 11	Capital budgeting (Capex): An accounting perspective	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	Capital budgeting (Capex): An accounting perspective	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 12	Accounting, operations and strategies	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	Accounting, operations and strategies	Workshop (2 hr)
Week 13	Review of the unit of study	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: You should attend all seminars and workshops to familiarise yourself with the topic. You should participate actively in the synchronous classes. See Assessment for information.

Class requirement: ACCT6008 is oriented to the work of a manager in business. This means you are expected to prepare before class by doing homework because you will apply that knowledge in class. If you have not prepared before class you may not be successful in the class assessment. Pre-class study materials (lecture, reading and homework questions) will be made available weekly via Canvas.

Lecture recordings: Pre-recorded lectures for weeks 2 to 12 inclusive will be available on Canvas. Seminars and workshops will not be recorded.

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

Hilton, R.W., and Platt, D.E. (2023). Managerial Accounting: Creating Value in a Dynamic Business Environment (13th Edition), McGraw-Hill Education.

Additional readings where required or optional can be accessed through Canvas (Library eReserve).

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. identify managerial accounting issues associated with making costs visible, improving business performance, ensuring effective controls, and implementing organisational strategy
LO2. identify, use, and critically evaluate underlying theories, concepts, relevant principles, techniques, technologies, assumptions, and arguments required to understand managerial accounting issues
LO3. recognise the strategic and operational implications of managerial accounting issues and the linkages between them to meet new business challenges with deadlines
LO4. obtain or select, and then analyse relevant data leading to the formulation of options (alternatives), determining the preferred recommendations to resolve managerial accounting issues
LO5. appreciate the dynamic business environment in which managerial accounting issues emerge and evolve and, through examining reputable source materials, appreciate the evolving nature of the knowledge required to resolve such issues
LO6. communicate effectively and to a professional standard, to individuals and groups, both orally and in writing, in order to manage, persuade, and challenge others
LO7. appreciate the ethical dimensions and challenges to acting ethically in conducting your work, within and beyond the classroom, by acting in accordance with the accounting profession's codes of conduct.

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 were made to this unit since it was last offered.

Additional information

Study commitment

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

ACCT6008: Managerial Accounting and Decision Making

Semester 2, 2023 [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