661 International Accounting
Fall Semestre 2014
Schedule Number
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Days: Thursday
Class Times: 19:00 – 21:40
Class Location: SSW 2514
Professor: Jose Luis Ucieda
Contact Information:
Office Hours Days: Thursday
Office Hours Times: 14:00-15:00
Office Hours Location: #2435 (Accountancy)
Course Overview
Please describe the purpose and scope of the course including, but not limited to:
 Description from the Official Course Catalog
 Description of the Purpose and Course Content
 Student Learning Outcomes
Description: This course explains the key factors that influence accounting standards and practices in different
countries, and how those factors impact the harmonization of accounting standards. Among the factors influencing
the accounting standards, particular emphasis is given to politics and culture and their unique contribution to
accounting standards and business practices around the world (Hofstede’s theory, Nobe’s theory, Grey’s theory).
This course also focuses on regulatory environments in different countries, highlights harmonization of auditing
standards, and IFRS conceptual framework. This approach gives students the opportunity to learn about
international accounting from a perspective similar to what they will experience in the business world.
Purpose:
1. Cross-examine the differences in business culture, market characteristics, and corporate governance systems
worldwide.
2. Discuss global diversity and its relationship to international accounting. Emphasize culture unique contribution
to accounting standards and practices.
3. Discuss the key factors that influence accounting standards and practices around the World.
4. Analyze the concepts, issues and practices involved with international accounting
5. Cross-examine on the use of financial statements across the borders. Compare IFRS with American GAAP
6. Encourage students to use library and internet resources in accounting.
7. Continue to develop students’ oral and writing communication skills.
Content:
The course covers several topics of the International Accounting literature:
 US Financial Reporting and US GAAP
 The IASB and IFRS
 Accounting systems and Cultural factor
 Accounting Harmonization and Measurement
 Accounting differences in practice
 Comparability of IFRS and US GAAP
 Conceptual Framework, principles vs rules, and financial statements
 Disclosure and voluntary information under IFRS and US GAAP
 Review of several IAS/IFRS
 Earnings Management & Creative Accounting
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
Corporate Governance
Enforcement of accounting and financial reporting
Student Learning Outcome:
 Understand different ways to identify and classify accounting systems.
 Calculate and interpret accounting differences in different countries.
 Identify why and how harmonization (IFRS) and corporate transparency are important in communication to
shareholders.
 Demonstrate the ability to use technology to do the research and solve problems.
 Demonstrate oral and writing communication skills.
Real Life Relevance: Accounting is understood as an information system for economic decision making. After
business have gone international, capital markets are global, and investors may allocate resources worldwide, the
need for a more comparable information is greater than ever. However, despite all harmonization efforts,
evidence shows that accounting information is not yet comparable. This course aims at understanding the reasons
behind this situation studying and explaining the factors behind accounting standard setting and financial reporting
around the globe.
Relation to Other Courses: International Accounting relates to other courses where different aspects of doing
business internationally are addressed, including, but not limited to marketing, finance, culture, politics, law,
sociology, etcetera.
Enrollment Information
Prerequisites: Basic to Intermediate knowledge of Financial Accounting
Adding/Dropping procedures: Follow standard procedure
Course Materials
Required Materials (including all acceptable text editions):



Law, Corporate Governance and Accounting: European perspectives. ed. V. Krivogorsky, Routledge, 2011
Comparative International Accounting, C. Nobes, 12th ed., Pearson 2012
Several academic articles cited in Black Board.
Recommended Materials: References above should provide a basis for extending research to other articles and
manuals, available at the Library.
Options for Accessing Course Materials (eg., SDSU Library Circulation/Course Reserves): As any other course
Course Structure and Conduct
Style of the Course: The teaching methodology comprises traditional lectures with student presentations and
debates about different topics of the class. Students have to accomplish several research tasks in teams, including
a team project along the semester.
Individual and Group Activities Required: Students have to complete individual activities including essays, and
several team activities in a team like written reports on different topics, team presentations in class, and a team
project (with both, a written report and class presentation).
Technology Utilized in the Course: Blackboard will be used to organize and back up all the activities.
Course Assessment and Grading
The class is graded based on the following items, all with the same weight for the final grade:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Research summary (team): Every team must submit a report on every topic of the course.
Presentations (team): Every team will be making a presentation on three of the topics.
Team project: A final project has to be developed during the semester and be presented at the end of the
course.
Essays (individual): There will be two essays, one around the end of October, and the end of November.
Class participation: Individuals final grades are also based on the quality level of their participation in
class.
Grading scale: All items will be graded with the Letter scale (A through F).
Attendance and absence policy: To achieve the goals of this course successfully a high rate of attendance is necessary.
Class attendance will be taken at the beginning of the class on a random basis. If you arrive after the attendance is
taken, you will be marked as absent. Failure to come to a regular class meeting will result in losing points for the inclass assignment and points for the class participation. (N-1) number of assignments will be counted toward the
total grade, so you may miss one class with no impact on your final grade. There will be absolutely no make-up
assignments, exams, etc.
All items must be completed to pass the class. For instance, missing the essays means you are NOT passing the
class.
Other Course Policies
None.