Postgraduate Course: Accounting Information for Decision-Making (CMSE11532)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This is an introductory course on the generation of accounting information with a particular emphasis on understanding and applying accounting information for decision-making. Its objective is to provide the accounting and financial background desirable for any intending business manager, and an introduction to those analytical tools necessary to generate information for the managerial decision-making. Specifically we focus on the following topics: the accounting process, basic financial statements and their interpretation and basic managerial decision-making techniques. The introductory nature of the course implies that it is very appropriate for students with no or minimum level of accounting knowledge and computation skills. Students with knowledge of accounting and/or financial management at intermediate levels or higher will not find the course suitable for their needs. |
| Course description |
Accounting is described as the "process of identifying, measuring and communicating economic information to permit informed judgements and decisions by users of the information" (American Accounting Association). As described, accounting is involved with the generation of both financial and non-financial information that will be utilised by decision-makers to make good. Similarly, financial management is mainly about making decision relating to assets, liabilities, cash management, investing and financing activities.
Together, accounting and related financial information are relevant to the decisions that organisations make with the resources they have as well as communicating the information to interested parties.
This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the basic areas of accounting and related financial information to enable them to function as members of the management decision-making team in their organisation. The particular emphasis is on the application of techniques and interpretation of accounting information for decision-making.
Outline Content
1. Introduction to basic financial statements and financial statement analysis
2. Basic cost terms and relevant cost for decision-making
3. Budgetary process
4. Transfer pricing in divisionalised companies
5. Cost management tools
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 1 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 15,
Summative Assessment Hours 3,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
80 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% Written exam (Individual) - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Feedback will be provided throughout the course.
Summative: Feedback will be provided on the assessment within agreed deadlines.
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Accounting Information for Decision-Making (CMSE11532) | 180 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and critically evaluate the roles of accounting information in helping managers make decisions in organizations
- Discuss how accounting techniques including relevant costing, transfer pricing, and budgeting can be applied to generate information for decision-making in organisations
- Review financial statements and evaluate the performance of firm in operations
- Critically evaluate developments in cost management for cost reduction decisions in organisations
- Critically evaluate the ethical issues in accounting/management decision areas
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Reading List
Financial & Management Accounting by Pauline Weetman (2013), 6th Edition
Drury, C. and Tayles, M. (2021), Management and Cost Accounting (11th Edition)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge and understanding of contemporary organisational disciplines; comprehend the role of business within the contemporary world; and critically evaluate and synthesise primary and secondary research and sources of evidence in order to make, and present, well informed and transparent organisation-related decisions, which have a positive global impact.
Identify, define and analyse theoretical and applied business and management problems, and develop approaches, informed by an understanding of appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative techniques, to explore and solve them responsibly.
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Be self-motivated; curious; show initiative; set, achieve and surpass goals; as well as demonstrating adaptability, capable of handling complexity and ambiguity, with a willingness to learn; as well as being able to demonstrate the use digital and other tools to carry out tasks effectively, productively, and with attention to quality.
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
Critically evaluate and present digital and other sources, research methods, data and information; discern their limitations, accuracy, validity, reliability and suitability; and apply responsibly in a wide variety of organisational contexts.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Yew-Ming Chia
Tel: (0131 6)51 3024
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Isla Dalley
Tel: (0131 6)50 3900
Email: |
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