Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook
This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)

Module ECOS1151: Introduction to Management Accounting

Department: Business School (Economics and Finance) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

ECOS1151: Introduction to Management Accounting

TypeLevelCreditsAvailabilityModule CapLocation
Tied 1 20 Available in 2016/2017 Queen's Campus Stockton

Tied To

Pre-requisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combinations

  • None

Aims

  • The aim of the module is to introduce the basic concepts of Management Accounting and to enable students to understand Management Accounting reports.

Content

  • An introduction to Management Accounting. The role of the management accountant; corporate goals; objectives of management accounting in the organisational context. Value of information.
  • Classification of costs; Stock Valuation and Profit Measurement: Cost concepts; Traditional costing approaches; Quantitative costing techniques: cost estimation and prediction
  • Material and Labour Costs
  • Overhead Costs
  • Absorption Costing and Marginal Costing
  • Job Costing
  • Process costing
  • Short-term decision making: Information for Decision-Making: Activity-Based Costing (ABC); Cost behaviour; cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis.
  • Relevant costs; limiting factor analysis; Pricing decisions.
  • Appraising Risk: decision-making under conditions of uncertainty.
  • Working Capital Management
  • Information for Planning and Control: Budgetary control and planning: profit planning; flexible budgets; standard costing and variance analysis; Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB).
  • Business strategy and management accounting

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge
  • On completion of this module, students will be able to:
  • understand the relevance of accounting information in business decisions.
  • understand basic management accounting concepts.
  • understand the different cost classifications.
  • understand the different costing systems.
  • demonstrate the usage of management accounting information in short-term and long-term decisions.
Subject-specific Skills
  • On completion of this module, students will be able to:
  • calculate full and marginal costs and uses of both by managers.
  • understand ways in which management accounting information may be used in decision making.
  • calculate relevant costs for decision making.
  • calculate product price under different pricing approaches.
  • demonstrate the different investment appraisals techniques.
  • emphasis the main aspects of planning & control.
Key Skills
  • Written communication
  • Planning, Organisation and Time Management
  • Problem Solving and Analysis
  • Initiative by gaining access to relevant sources
  • Computer literacy
  • Self-management and demonstration of ability to sustain effort over an extended period.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Learning will be facilitated by lectures, seminars and support for private study.
  • The summative assessment, by examination, will test students’ understanding of the subject matter and their ability to perform relevant calculations and techniques.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotal HoursAttendance Monitored
Lectures 44 Twice per week 1 hour 44
Seminars 8 Once per fortnight 1 hour 8
Preparation, fieldwork and reading 170 148
Total 200

Summative Assessment

ComponentComponent WeightingElementLength/DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Examination 100% Examination 2 hours 30 minutes 100% Same

Formative Assessment

Computer-based multiple choice questions.


Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.