ACT500: Managerial Accounting
Credit Hours:
3
Contact Hours:
This is a 3-credit course, offered in a 14 week format. The exact number of hours
per week that you can expect to spend on each course will vary based upon the
weekly coursework, as well as your study style and preferences. You should plan to
spend 10-12 hours per week in each course reading material, interacting on the
discussion boards, writing papers, completing projects, and doing research.
Faculty Information
Name:
Phone:
CSU-GC Email:
Virtual Office Hours:
Course Description and Outcomes
In ACT500, Managerial Accounting, students will learn how to use accounting concepts from a management
perspective to make sound financial decisions that will enhance the strategic planning process of an
organization. Analytical tools will become familiar to the student that can be applied to real-world situations in
order to drive sales, reduce costs, and maximize profit. Students will become familiar with different types of
analyses, ratios, costing, and budgeting. The course highlights what effective managers need in building a strong
financial foundation so they can make decisions that will positively affect current and future operations of a
business.
The course will bring the basic framework of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) into one
integrated process that will allow the student to understand why and how these principles are practiced today
in both public and privately held entities. All of the major financial statements will be studied with students
learning how they relate to one another and how collectively they can be used as management tools in decision
making and driving profits. The course reviews and builds upon a student’s knowledge of basic math, basic
accounting, spreadsheet, and word processing programs. Although accounting theory is learned, one important
element of the course is learning the practical application of those theories.
Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Describe the qualitative characteristics of accounting information and the supporting framework.
2. Prepare and analyze financial statements using vertical and horizontal analysis, liquidity, and
profitability ratios.
3. Identify cost classifications, cost allocation, cost objects, cost pools, and cost drivers.
4. Identify cost behaviors, perform cost-volume-profit analysis and sales mix decisions.
5. Compare costing systems.
6. Prepare a master budget.
7. Evaluate cost centers, profit centers and investment centers and understand how a balanced
scorecard aligns performance with organizational goals.
8. Perform incremental analysis for outsourcing, segment profitability.
9. Perform capital investment evaluations including different capital budgeting techniques including
net present value and internal rate of return.
Participation & Attendance
Prompt and consistent attendance in your online courses is essential for your success. For some reason you
would like to drop a course, please contact Saudi Electronic University.
Online classes have deadlines, assignments, and participation requirements just like on-campus classes. Budget
your time carefully and keep an open line of communication with your instructor. If you are having technical
problems, problems with your assignments, or other problems that are impeding your progress, let your
instructor know as soon as possible. Any assignment not completed within 7 days of the due date will not be
graded and a score of zero (0) will be assigned.
Course Materials
Required:
Crosson, S. V., & Needles, B. E., Jr. (2010). Managerial accounting (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin
Company. ISBN-13: 9780538742801
Course Schedule
Due Dates
The Academic Week begins on Sunday and ends the following Saturday. All assignments are due by Saturday at
midnight KSA time of the week assigned. Any assignment not completed within 7 days of the due date will not
be graded and a score of zero (0) will be assigned.
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Discussion Activities: Application of knowledge is an important step in the learning experience and
every course has key discussions wherein students can apply and analyze content as well as move
toward synthesis. This course has Discussion Forums that provide learners an extended opportunity to
interact with one another in an instructor-facilitated dialogue that focuses on key course themes.
Students will apply and synthesize knowledge learned to case studies simulating real-world decisionmaking.
Mastery Exercises: These exercises will assess learner knowledge in each topic area.
Critical Thinking Application Assignments: each assignment will require students to apply their
knowledge learned in the module to real-world scenarios.
Week
#
1
2
Assignments
Readings
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Chapters 1 & 2 in Managerial Accounting
Miller, P. B.W., & Bahnson, P. R. (2009, July 20). Implementing fair values:
Overcoming ghosts and zombies. Accounting Today, 23(11), 18-19.

Discussion Board
(20 points)

Chapter 3 in Managerial Accounting

Discussion Board
(20 points)

Cooper, R. & Kaplan, R. S. (1991). Profit priorities from activity-based
costing. Harvard Business Review, May-June, 130-135.
Longbrake, W. A. (1973). Statistical cost analysis. Financial Management,
2, 48-55.
Video series from Professor Crosson (available at
http://dept.sfcollege.edu/business/susan.crosson/Fall%202007/YouTube.
htm)
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Chapter 4 in Managerial Accounting
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Chapter 5 in Managerial Accounting
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3
4
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5
6
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Chapter 6 in Managerial Accounting

Discussion Board
(20 points)

Chapter 9 in Managerial Accounting

Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Critical Thinking
(110 points)
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Chapter 8 in Managerial Accounting
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Review Chapter 8 in Managerial Accounting
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9
10
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Chapter 10 in Managerial Accounting
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Chapter 11 in Managerial Accounting
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11
12
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Chapter 12 in Managerial Accounting
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Chapter 13 in Managerial Accounting
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13
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14
Discussion Board
(20 points)
Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Discussion Board
(20 points)

7
8

Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Critical Thinking
(110 points)
Chapter 14 in Managerial Accounting

Discussion Board
(25 points)
Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Discussion Board
(25 points)
Discussion Board
(25 points)
Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Critical Thinking
(110 points)
Discussion Board
(25 points)
Mastery Exercise
(0 points)
Critical Thinking
(120 points)
Portfolio
Assignment (350
points)
Assignment Details
This course includes the following assignments/projects:
Week 3
Critical Thinking: Process Costing (110 points)
Complete the questions following Process Costing: FIFO Costing Method P-7 from your textbook.
Week 7
Critical Thinking: Breakeven Analysis (110 points)
Prepare breakeven analysis and a C-V-P analysis planning future sales using the information below.
Breakeven Analysis and Planning Future Sales
Write Company has a maximum capacity of 200,000 units per year. Variable manufacturing costs are $12 per unit.
Fixed overhead is $600,000 per year. Variable selling and administrative costs are $5 per unit, and fixed selling and
administrative costs are $300,000 per year. The current sales price is $23 per unit.
Required
1. What is the breakeven point in (a) sales units and (b) sales dollars?
2. How many units must Write Company sell to earn a profit of $240,000 per year?
3. A strike at one of the company's major suppliers has caused a shortage of materials, so the current year's
production and sales are limited to 160,000 units. To partially offset the effect of the reduced sales on
profit, management is planning to reduce fixed costs to $841,000. Variable cost per unit is the same as
last year. The company has already sold 30,000 units at the regular selling price of $23 per unit.
a. What amount of fixed costs was covered by the total contribution margin of the first 30,000 units
sold?
b. What contribution margin per unit will be needed on the remaining 130,000 units to cover the
remaining fixed costs and to earn a profit of $210,000 this year?
Week 9
Portfolio Project
The Portfolio Project is based on concepts learned in this module. Though there is nothing to submit this week,
you should begin the Portfolio Project during this module.
Final Portfolio Project: Students will prepare a master budget for a manufacturing organization with given financial
information. The project will include:
 Executive Summary
 Sales Budget
 Production Budget
 Direct Materials Budget
 Direct Labor Budget
 Overhead Budget
 Selling and Administrative Expense Budget
 Cost of Goods Manufactured Budget
 Budget and Income Statement
Go to the Week 8 Assignments page to view the full Portfolio Project guidelines and case study details. Also, you
may want to view the Portfolio Project Rubric to see how you will be evaluated.
Week 11
Critical Thinking: Understanding Practical Business and Organizational Research (110 Points)
Using the CSU-GC virtual library, locate two (2) research articles published within the last five (5) years. One
article should deal with measuring performance and one article should relate to incremental analysis.
Complete the Research Evaluation Tables and post completed tables (one for each scholarly article) to
the Discussion Board for others to observe.
Choose one of the two articles to write a one-to-two-page introduction to the article. Include the following
sections and include no opinions, judgments, or beliefs about the study. Only present the facts.
 Topic – State the broad organizational or field of study topic and establish the overall context for the
study.
 Problem or Opportunity – Describe the problem or opportunity that the researcher was trying to address.
 Purpose of the Study – Discuss the intent of the study and list any research questions or hypotheses that
were used.
 Research Approach and Design – Describe the overall research approach and information that you find
related to the research design. Research design might include such things as the setting (field, laboratory,
etc), the type of data that was collected, the sample and sample selection, the way data was prepared,
analyzed, or presented, for example.
 Audience – Identify the individual or groups that might be interested in the findings of the study.
 Summary – Present the main points that you have covered in your paper; introduce no new information
or concepts.
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
 Use academic writing style, clear and concise language, and well-developed paragraphs (minimum of
three sentences required to develop a paragraph)
 Ensure graduate APA formatting standards
 Be 1-2 pages in length
Portfolio Project
Remember to work consistently on your final Portfolio Project. It is due by the end of Week 14.
At this point you should have the sales forecast completed. How is your progress coming? If you have questions
about the project, reach out to your instructor.
Week 13
Critical Thinking: Sales Mix Decision (120 points)
Click HERE for assignment details. Submit your Excel spreadsheet to the View/Complete link below.
Week 14
Portfolio Assignment (350 points)
Students are required to create comprehensive master budget for a fictitious company.
For project details, see the Portfolio Project Description, which can be accessed from the Week 14
Assignments page.
Course Policies
Course Grading
20% Discussion Participation
45% Critical Thinking Activities
35% Final Portfolio Paper
Any assignment not completed within 7 days of
the due date will not be graded and a score of
zero (0) will be assigned.