Hyperlinks to specific sections on this page:

Texts & materials ~ Course objectives specific to BUSA 323
Assignment Schedule ~ Summary of graded assignments

Note: All the course information is accessible directly or indirectly from this page. Information common to all my courses can
be found at Course Syllabi: General Information. A Sakai site for this course is also available.

Catalog description: Cost Accounting and Control Systems is a critical examination of systems for product costing and managerial control. Case analyses deal with a variety of traditional and non-traditional product and service costing systems to achieve basic objectives of inventory valuation, planning, and operational control. Emphasis on developing the skills to critique cost systems and to understand the relationship between cost systems and production/service operations, organizational strategy, and performance evaluation and control systems. Prerequisites: MATH 128 (or MATH 151 and 230); CSCI 220; STAT 231; ECON 101; BUSA 202, 203; 4 credits.

This course is about two sets of systems within organizations--cost accounting systems and managerial control systems:

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Texts and materials:

The following materials are available for download in Acrobat format at no charge at a Harvard Business School website [I will give you the URL]; the cost of these materials to PLU is funded through the e-resources service of Mortvedt Library:

1. Rosemont Hill Health Center
2. Colorscope
3. Compagnie du Froid.

Some materials will be available for download directly from the PLU server; hyperlinks will be provided in the assignment list. 

Memory stick: If you do not own a memory stick, jump drive, pen drive or similar device, get one--the bigger the capacity the better [you'll use the extra capacity eventually, if not in this class]; at a minimum I suggest a 1.0 gig model. USB 2.0 compatibility is standard. All of our work this semester will require use of Excel, and it will be essential to have easy access to your work in class, at home, and wherever else you work on a computer. I also recommend that you put your name on your memory stick with a self-adhesive label. I strongly recommend that you bring your memory stick to class daily, simply to ensure that you have it when you need it. I also recommend that you back up your memory stick to your hard drive or other media daily. Memory sticks do fail, and they can get lost.

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Course objectives specific to BUSA 323

Cost accounting and control systems is a professional level course in the accounting concentration; it is not required, but is strongly recommended. My single overriding objective in teaching this course is to have each of you develop a clear understanding of the role of cost accounting and control systems accounting in contemporary organizations, and the ability to apply that knowledge in a practical, professional setting. This means that students who complete this course will be able to do the following 

1. Product and service costing
   1. Develop and analyze the costs of products or services in a variety of environments
   2. Allocate service department overhead
   3. Determine the values of inventories and cost of goods sold
   4. Explain the strategic and managerial impact of alternative product costing systems
2. Activity-based costing (ABC): calculate product or service costs using ABC and explain the theoretical rationale for the use of ABC
3. Performance evaluation
   1. Evaluate organizational and managerial performance; recommend appropriate managerial action
   2. Establish transfer prices which are consistent with organizational strategy
   3. Compute and interpret profit and standard cost variances; explain the implications of the variances for decision making and control; recommend appropriate managerial action 
   4. Explain the strategic implications of managerial control systems

Throughout the course we will be concerned with the concepts and mechanics underlying cost allocation, product costing, and cost analysis. In other words, at least within the constraints imposed by the classroom setting, you will learn to do cost accounting. Additional, equally important concerns are (1) the analysis and evaluation of the impact of alternative cost accounting procedures on decision making, and (2) the relationship between cost management and business strategy.

An additional objective of this course is to dispel the common misconception that public accounting is the only place where the action is, and that positions in cost or managerial accounting are inherently less interesting or rewarding than those in auditing. In fact, cost accounting is a field of exciting developments in which you can play an important role as a professional.

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Assignment schedule

FYI #1: You will note that there are catch up days scheduled. Please do NOT assume that it is OK to get behind because these are in the schedule. This is a demanding, professional level class and I have purposely included these to ensure that we do cover the assigned material. If we can possible "save" the catch up days, it will be to our advantage to do so.

FYI #3: Only the assignments designated as Graded Assignment are to be handed in.

FYI #2: Some assignment will be designated for electronic submission; for an assignment that is to be submitted electronically, you are to send your Excel file to me at myersgm@plu.edu. For each such assignment I will specify a subject line for the email. Because I will establish email filters to divert all files for an assignment to a specific folder, you MUST use that subject line [and ONLY that subject line] in your message. Also, you MUST use your last name and the name of the problem as the Excel filename. For example, if your last name is Smith and the case is Baker Engineering, your filename would be smithbaker.xls. These procedures are essential to ensure that [1] your message does not wind up in the junk mail folder, and that [2] I can differentiate your file from everyone else's.

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Summary of graded assignments