module specification

AC6066 - Advanced Management Accounting (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Advanced Management Accounting
Module level Honours (06)
Credit rating for module 15
School Guildhall School of Business and Law
Total study hours 150
 
36 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
9 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
105 hours Guided independent study
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Coursework 40%   Individual report - 1000 words.
Unseen Examination 60%   End of semester examination - 2 hours.
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Thursday Afternoon
Spring semester North Thursday Morning

Module summary

This module focuses on the strategic aspects of management accounting. It will explore and critically evaluate a number of management accounting techniques encountered in levels 4 (Management Accounting Fundamentals or its equivalent) and level 5 (Management Accounting or its equivalent). In addition, it will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the theoretical models, analytical methods and practical issues of a number of techniques used by managers in planning, performance evaluation and long-term decision making in an ever-changing business environment. The module will also take a view on the role of management accountants in both profit seeking and not-for-profit organisations in the globalised world where businesses operate.

This Accounting module is very relevant for students who intend to follow a career in Management Accounting after their studies.

The module aims to develop students’ skills in the following areas:

Apply the skills learnt in Levels 4 and 5 in a strategic context that provides a sound foundation for higher studies.
Develop practical management accounting skills that are transferable into employment; work situations.
Develop students’ knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical models, analytical methods and practical aspects of decision making in management accounting in competitive business environments.
Evaluate financial and non-financial evidence including arguments and assumptions in order to reach objective conclusions.

Syllabus

The role of the management accountant and the relevance of management accounting information.
How strategic management accounting fits into an organisation’s strategic framework.
External strategic management accounting information and environmental accounting.
Internal strategic management accounting information.
Information systems and strategies - LO1

Selecting product pricing strategies,
value analysis of product attributes,
determination of product costs,
price elasticity of demand and calculations
prices strategies, e.g. market skimming and penetration pricing -
life cycle costing
target costing and
experience curves (learning curves) in costs estimation - LO2

· Discuss and apply the techniques to manage
  risk and uncertainty.
maximax
maximin
minimax regret
decision trees and expected values - LO3


· Discuss the issues with Quality and
  throughput accounting in cost management 
· Time and strategy issues in cost
  management.
· A critical review of financial and non-financial performance measures including the balanced scorecard, results and determinants framework
· Decision making techniques within a strategic remit including project abandonment, post completion audit.

· Ethical considerations. - LO4

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

Scheduled teaching activity is a weekly two hours lecture and one hour seminar. Independent study is supported by practical seminar questions, past exam questions, practice questions in the recommended textbooks and past examination papers with suggested solutions on the websites of ACCA and CIMA. Relevant learning resources will be available on Weblearn.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able:

LO1 - Appreciate the role of the management accountant in the strategic planning  process and apply strategically the management accounting techniques studied at
            Level 4 & 5 or its equivalent.
LO2 - Evaluate critically management accounting solutions for different types of  organisational situations and problems.
LO3 - Produce the ‘optimum’ pricing/volume strategies over the life of a product and  Performance Measurement.
LO4 - Appreciate the ethical issues and problems involved in being a management  accountant.

Bibliography

Library Talis Link:
https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/AB293EC8-B6F2-05AE-7B5C-9587224204F7.html?login=1

Essential readings 

Drury C, Management and Cost Accounting, 10th edition, (2018), published by Cengage Learning, ISBN-13: 9781473748873

Management Accounting, W Seal, Rohde, C, R H Garrison and E W Noreen, 6th Edition, (2019) McGraw Hill.


Recommended readings

Accounting for Management Decisions, Arnold, J & Turley, S, 3rd edition, (1996), published by Pearson Education, ISBN-13: 9780133088182

Management Accounting, P Weetman, FT Prentice Hall, (2010).

Management Accounting for Decision Makers, Atrill, Peter, 8th ed, (2015).

Cost and Management Accounting: An Introduction, Colin Drury, 8th ed, (2015).


VIEW ONLINE
This is the previous edition (9th), but still relevant for the course
Employability and Reflective resources :
Financial Reporting Council   www.frc.org.uk
ICAEW    www.icaew.com
ACCA      www.accaglobal.com
CIMA      www.cimaglobal.com
Accountancy Age    www.accountancyage.com
Financial Times   www.ft.com

Journals: 

Library Journal Databases:  Academic Search Complete, Business Source Ultimate, Emerald Management, Science Direct

Websites:
Electronic Databases:  FAME