SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE
ACCOUNTING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall Semester 2011
Instructor:
Office:
Office Phone:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Website:
Office Hours:
Michael Kulper, CPA
BC 206
965-0581 x2686
966-3672
mnkulper@pipeline.sbcc.edu
www.sbccaccounting.com
MW 3 pm to 4 pm; TTh 1 pm to 2 pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course provides an introduction to the uses of accounting data by management within an
organization for internal planning, control, and decision-making purposes.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Define the basic managerial accounting terms and apply those terms on a conceptual basis.
2. Calculate costs of products and services under job-order costing, process costing, and activitybased costing.
3. Differentiate the behavior of costs (i.e., variable, fixed, and mixed costs).
4. Perform cost-volume-profit analysis to determine breakeven point in sales, or sales volume
necessary to achieve a desired net operating income.
5. Calculate standard and normal costs for preparation of budgets, and compute and analyze cost
variances.
6. Apply the time value of money concept for long-term capital budgeting decisions.
COURSE CONTENT
The role played by accounting in accumulating, preparing, and analyzing data for its use in decisionmaking by management within an organization is emphasized in the course. A few of the more
recent developments in business process management - Lean Production and the lean thinking
model, the Theory of Constraints, and Six Sigma, – will be covered early on. The various terms,
concepts, and classifications utilized in accumulating and allocating costs will then be discussed.
The two costing systems which have emerged in response to variations in the manufacturing process
and are used in tracking costs -- job-order costing and process costing -- will be examined, as will
activity-based costing (ABC), which has been embraced by many companies. We will also look at
cost behavior, as well as the relationship between cost, volume, and profit (CVP analysis).
ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
Additionally, absorption versus variable costing, budgeting, controlling costs through the use of
standard costs, and overhead cost analysis will be studied. We will also learn how to evaluate cost,
profit, and investment centers within a business entity. Lastly, we will identify the relevant
information (revenues and costs) and methods used by management in making both short-run and
long-run decisions.
Throughout the course it will be recognized that management accounting concepts are not only
applied in manufacturing settings, but in retail, wholesale, and service organizations as well.
Finally, it will be emphasized that a relentless drive for continuous improvement is key to
organizations of all types and sizes.
Accounting truly is the LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS. Accounting data is utilized every day in
making internal business decisions, and as a yardstick by which your performance will be measured.
Therefore, does it not make sense to study managerial accounting, so that you have some idea what is
being discussed?? THE STUDY OF ACCOUNTING WILL IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES FOR
SUCCESS in the business environment.
COURSE PREREQUISITE AND ADVISORIES
ACCT 230, with a minimum grade of "C,” is a prerequisite for enrolling in ACCT 240.
Eligibility for ENG 110 is advised
Completion of MATH 4 is advised.
Sophomore standing is strongly recommended.
TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (available at SBCC Bookstore)
Managerial Accounting, Garrison/Noreen/Brewer, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 13th Edition (REQUIRED).
ACCT 240 Handouts, Notes, and Templates (course packet) for Fall 2011 (REQUIRED).
Workbook/Study Guide for the above (recommended).
Working Papers for the above (optional).
Five 100-question Scantron forms for exams (REQUIRED).
Stapler - multiple page homework will not be accepted unless it is stapled (REQUIRED).
ASSIGNMENTS
Accounting is “learned by doing” and this is the reasoning behind the homework policy.
Understanding the material and, therefore, success in the course will only come through doing the
work!! It should require several hours of study outside of class each week! Conventional wisdom
says that you should plan on spending a MINIMUM of two hours outside of class for each hour in
class. PLEASE READ EACH CHAPTER MORE THAN ONCE.
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ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
The following types of assignments will be prepared and submitted by you during the semester:
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, CASES, ARTICLE SUMMARIES, IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS:
Homework assignments (questions, such as “Q2,” exercises, such as “E13-10,” and problems, such
as “P2-15”) will need to be prepared for every class session, except for exam dates. Typically,
questions at the end of a chapter are assigned for the first day a chapter is covered, while exercises
and problems at the end of a chapter are assigned for the second day a chapter is covered. Please see
the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout for due dates.
Homework assignments, cases, and article summaries will be collected at the beginning of the class
session indicated in the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout. Please keep current with your
assignments! Managerial Accounting is a CHALLENGING course and will require a serious
commitment of time and effort on your part. However, a serious commitment will yield a much
more satisfying and successful result!
Homework assignments will be collected and reviewed during the semester. The collection of
homework assignments will occur on the day they are due. In addition, you will be asked to present
your answers in class. You will lose points if you are not prepared, so please come prepared to
discuss your homework assignments! Homework assignments are graded based on effort and
completeness, not on correctness.
Cases must be typed (single-spaced, with no larger than size 12 font). Five cases have been
assigned during the semester. Case responses should be approximately a half page in length.
Your ability to support your position, as well as punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling will
be reviewed. Cases are graded based on completeness AND correctness.
Article summaries must be typed (single-spaced, with no larger than size 12 font). Five article
summaries have been assigned during the semester. Additional article summaries may be assigned
(not on the Fall Semester Schedule). Article summaries should be approximately a half page in
length. Your ability to summarize the key points in the article, as well as punctuation, sentence
structure, and spelling will be reviewed. Article summaries are graded based on completeness AND
correctness.
In-class assignments (not on the Fall Semester Schedule) will be included along with homework
assignments, cases, and article summaries in determining your overall homework point total.
In-class assignments are graded based on completeness AND correctness.
Homework assignments, cases, article summaries, and in-class assignments have been allocated 100
POINTS for the semester. THREE points will be deducted from your 100-point total for any
homework not submitted when requested, or up to three points will be deducted for homework that
is incomplete when submitted. Please refer to the “COURSE GRADE” and “GRADING
SYSTEM” section of this syllabus regarding points.
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ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING LATE ASSIGNMENTS:
Late assignments will be accepted TWICE during the semester, NO MATTER WHAT THE
REASON. Please note that a “late” can be used for all assignments due on a particular class
session date. When submitting late assignments, make it clear by adding a note (“FIRST LATE” or
“SECOND LATE,” and the DATE DUE) at the top of your late assignment. Late assignments
submitted without such a note will be returned to you. Late assignments must be submitted by the
following class session.
ATTENDANCE
As specified in the SBCC Schedule of Classes, regular class attendance is required. The college
considers absence from the equivalent of one week of classes to be excessive. Therefore, since we
meet twice a week, I will drop you if you have missed TWO class sessions prior to the last drop date
(unless you can provide me with written documentation which supports an excused absence -- i.e., a
note from your physician for illness, or a religious holiday). Please communicate with me, or I will
assume you have dropped the course upon your SECOND unexcused absence.
After the second week of classes or your second late arrival to class, whichever happens later, I may
deduct 5 points from your overall point total at the end of the semester for each time you arrived late
to class during the semester. You can check with me any time during the semester to see how many
points you may have lost due to arriving late to class. Hopefully, you can see that I feel attendance is
important and, therefore, not attending class, or continually arriving late, may adversely affect your
grade in the course.
Make-up exams will only be allowed under the most unusual of circumstances, which have been
discussed with me prior to the exam date. Make-up exams must be scheduled at a time before the
date you were to take the exam with the class. Not showing up for exam will result in a score of
zero. Please refer to the “EXAMINATIONS” section of this syllabus for additional information.
EXAMINATIONS
Five examinations are scheduled during the semester for a total of 500 POINTS. Please refer to the
FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout for exam dates. The exams will test your knowledge of
the specific chapters indicated, although an understanding of the basic concepts covered in prior
exams will be necessary. The exams will consist of objective, multiple-choice questions which test
your conceptual (qualitative) and computational (quantitative) understanding of the topics covered,
as well as short problems, from time to time. Please note that the exams are designed to test your
understanding of concepts, rather than your ability to memorize terminology or mechanical steps!
No exam score will be dropped, as there is no cumulative final exam. Please refer to the “COURSE
GRADE” and “GRADING SYSTEM” sections of this syllabus for additional information as to
how the exam scores fit into your overall grade in the course.
As noted above under “ATTENDANCE,” make-up exams will only be given under the most
unusual of circumstances which have been communicated to me in advance of an exam!
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ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
COURSE GRADE
Your grade will be based primarily on objective factors, as evidenced by your performance (points)
on exams, homework assignments, cases, article summaries, and in-class assignments. Scores for all
of the above can be accessed at www.sbccaccounting.com during the semester. Please refer to the
“GRADING SYSTEM” section of this syllabus for additional information regarding the point
structure.
If you are on a grade borderline at the end of the semester, my overall perception of your
performance during the semester may cause me to either award you the higher or lower grade.
Be aware that this is totally at my discretion. The subjective portion will be based on my perception
of such things as your attendance, punctuality, preparation for class, and participation in discussion,
activities, etc.
The last day to drop the course without receiving a "W" (withdrawal) is Saturday, September 3.
The last day to withdraw without a grade ("A" - "F") being assigned is Friday, October 21.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities who are requesting accommodations should use the following SBCC
procedure: contact the DSPS office, submit documentation of your disability to the DSPS office,
communicate with a DSPS counselor regarding options for services and accommodations, and reach
written accommodation agreement with the DSPS counselor and your instructor.
SBCC requests that you complete this process at least ten working days before your accommodation
is needed, in order to allow DSPS staff time to provide your accommodation. Contact: DSPS office
(805) 965-0581 x 2364, SS Building, Room 160, or dspshelp@sbcc.edu.
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND STUDENT CONDUCT
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. All assignments and examinations must be completed
by students on an individual basis. Do YOUR OWN ORIGINAL WORK on assignments. If you copy
verbatim, or paraphrase, the work of another from any source document (including those found
online!), it is PLAGIARISM. Also, you can work with others, but submit YOUR OWN ORIGINAL
WORK! If two or more students submit the same work, or essentially the same work, all involved
will receive a score of zero on the assignment in question. In general, if you choose to violate the
academic honesty policy established for this course, you will be subject to a failing grade on the
assignment or exam in question, and the incident will be reported to the administration.
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ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
During class sessions, you are expected to act in a manner compatible with the college’s function as
an educational institution. Therefore, all rules and regulations apply which are set forth in the SBCC
Standards of Student Conduct. In particular, if you choose to talk with your neighbor, are distracted
by your handheld electronic device, or are distracted by outside reading materials during class, you
will be given a warning the first time. If the incident involves talking with your neighbor, you will
be asked to move to another location in the classroom for the remainder of the semester. The second
time you violate the student conduct policy, you will be asked to leave the classroom.
Please note that food and drinks are not allowed in the classroom. Finally, please do not continually
leave the classroom during class sessions unless you have communicated to me what necessitates
you having to do so.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE
Some resources outside the classroom environment have been made available for your use in order
to improve your chances for success in the course. The resources available to you are:
1. MCGRAW-HILL INTERNET WEBSITE: can be a valuable student resource. Please take a
look at the ONLINE LEARNING CENTER – STUDENT EDITION, available on the
McGraw-Hill website for the textbook (www.mhhe.com/garrison13e).
2. ACCOUNTING TUTORS: can begin assisting students after the first week of classes.
The Accounting Education Department has been allocated about 20 hours per week of tutor
time during the current semester, excluding the first week of classes and final exams week.
Tutoring will be provided in the faculty library (BC204). Times will be announced and posted.
3. FELLOW STUDENTS: can be a wonderful source of assistance. Please do not hesitate to
form study groups. Research has shown them to be very useful!
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ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting
Fall 2011
GRADING SYSTEM (point totals may be subject to revision during the semester)
Point Structure:
Item
Chapters
Points
Homework Assignments, Cases,
Article Summaries, In-Class Assignments
All
100*
1st Exam
1 and 2
100
2nd Exam
3, 4, and 8
100
3rd Exam
5, 6, and 7
100
4th Exam
9, 10, and 11
100
5th Exam
12, 13, and 14
100
Total Points
600
* 3 points lost for each homework assignment, case, article summary, or in-class assignment not
submitted when due.
Late assignments will be accepted TWICE during the semester, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON,
but must be submitted by the following class session!!
Grade Scale (letter grades/points/percentages):
A
B
C
D
F
540-600
480-539
420-479
360-419
359 and below
(90-100%)
(80-89%)
(70-79%)
(60-69%)
(below 60%)
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