James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2024

BX3172 - Management Accounting for Non-Accountants

Subject Description

This subject considers the use of management accounting information for operational and strategic decision making purposes from a user perspective. It deals with analysis of systems that measure the cost and profitability of products and services, investment and capital budgeting decisions, cost reduction strategies, break even analysis, budgets and cash budgeting, and organisational performance measurement and KPIs. The key emphasis of this subject is on managerial uses of management accounting information applied to internal and external organisational activities.

Learning Outcomes

• compare cost systems and cost management techniques and choose the optimum system for each purpose
• prepare budgets for planning and decision making purposes
• evaluate the most commonly used capital budgeting techniques and apply and interpret the information derived; and apply critical thinking and problem solving to individual activities dealing with cost information for decision making
• analyse cost behaviour under different assumptions and make short term decisions based on relevant information
• apply financial and non-financial performance measurement techniques that enable managers to measure and control organisational performance

Subject Assessment

• Written > Examination (centrally administered) - (55%) - Individual
• Written > Test/Quiz 1 - (20%) - Individual
• Written > Essay (including multi-draft) 1 - (25%) - Group

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Inadmissible Subject Combinations:  BX2012

Availabilities