Advanced Management Accounting module (BU30003)

You will learn about advanced decision making techniques, performance measurements including the balanced scorecard, strategic management accounting, and cost management within organisations.

The goal of management accounting is to provide accurate and timely financial information for effective planning, control, and decision-making by managers.

Management accounting techniques play a key role in the operation of a business. This module highlights the work performed by the management accountant to help senior executives monitor performance and manage costs.

The module builds on topics previously studied in other management accounting modules and introduces students to performance measurement and strategic management accounting.

What you will learn

In this module you will:

• discuss and learn advanced decision making techniques
• use performance measurements including the balanced scorecard and non-financial performance indicators
• become confident in using strategic management accounting
• understand cost management
• study new management accounting techniques such as lifecycle costing, target costing, quality management, and environmental management accounting

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• identify appropriate techniques for performance measurement (such as return on investment, economic value added, the balance scorecard) in manufacturing companies
• use a wide range of management accounting techniques applicable in not-for-profit and service sector organisations
• learn about the problems of traditional budgeting, and how these can be overcome
• analyse and identify problems faced by management accountants in decision making contexts
• evaluate the importance of new strategic management accounting techniques such as target costing, value chain analysis, and environmental management accounting
• analyse recent developments in management accounting practice and management accounting theory

Assignments / assessment

Individual essay (20%)

• 2,000 words
• Due in week 6

Final exam (80%)

• 3 hours
• Held in April/May exam diet

Teaching methods / timetable

You will have weekly lectures and small group tutorials which will give you the chance to practice some of the more technical aspects of the material.