This modules provides students with an in-depth understanding of the role and purposes of management accounting in the management process. It deals with the applications and systems of management accounting that serve the information needs of contemporary organisations. It aims to give students an appreciation of the frontiers of management accounting and the associated theoretical and empirical research activity.

Objectives, scope and framework of management accounting; role and purpose of management accounting; management accounting and the business environment; ethical guidelines and challenges; cost terminology, concepts and classification; cost accumulation for inventory valuation and profit measurement; cost behaviour and analysis; cost-volume-profit relationships; cost-estimation methods; learning curve and non-linear cost functions; cost systems and design choices; job costing; activity-based costing and management; inventory costing and capacity analysis; variable versus absorption costing debate; information for planning and control; management control systems; organisational and social aspects of management accounting; responsibility accounting and the master budget; kaizen budgeting; activity-based budgeting; flexible budgets; standard costing and variance analysis.

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: * Recognise and articulate the role and purpose of the discipline of management accounting in the overall context of the organisational management process. * Distinguish between different concepts of cost classification. * Differentiate beween the appropriate application of the costing framework in practical examples. * Demonstrate an understanding of cost accounting technology and provide evidence of being able to examine different approaches. * Compute/calculate and investigate cost-volume-profit relationships in single and mutiple product situations. * Draw conclusions and develop recommendations based on a comparison of a range of options. This will include the capacity to formulate and explain actions for the business. * Investigate and determine the appropriate cost accounting system for a business in order to appropriately cost its product(s) or service(s). * Establish and debate the relationship between management control and organisational performance management. * Explain the concept of responsibility accounting and its relevance and application in the preparation of the master budget and the standard costing system.

On successful completion of this module, student should have the ability to: *Discuss, evaluate and apply ethicical guidelines in a professionally responsible way which will clearly demonstrate a civic awareness and a clear understanding of corporate and social responsibility necessary in a fast moving business environment.

N/A

The module is delivered based on two lectures per week, one weekly tutorial and self-study. In addition the students are required to partake in the accounting e-learning system that accompanies the prime text. Students complete a range of self-study exercises, based on the material in the prime text. Each weekly on-line session is scored, which enables students to monitor their progress and understanding of the semesters material. In addition, the end of semester exam may include assessment of a defined piece of research on a specified topic which will be based on a substantive element of the syllabus. This approach permits a range of opportunities for students to self-direct, strongly supporting the development of key graduate attributes in learners. Over the course of the semester the students will gain the knowledge and understanding of the role and purpose of management accounting. It will encourage the gathering of relevant data and the development of critical thinking required to articulate the applications and systems of management accounting in contemporary organisations. This module also clearly develops the competence of learners to communicate clearly and to develop critical thinking through participation in the smaller group weekly tutorial sessions. The specific area of ethical considerations is included, creating a clear awareness of the ethical and professional challenges which face the accounting profession. This reinforces the need to be responsible both personally and professionally-allowing the learner to understand the responsibility of the business graduate to behave ethically and professionally at all times. This delivery mechanism combined with the challenging learning outcomes develops confidence in the learners and encourages and develops proactive and informed professional behaviour.