Course Description

This course offers a comprehensive and globally informed exploration of managerial accounting principles, tools, and strategic applications essential for internal decision-making. Students will analyze cost behaviors, budgeting systems, variance analysis, and performance measurement in both traditional and dynamic business environments. Emphasis is placed on data-driven decision-making, financial responsibility, and ethical leadership within diverse global enterprises.

Using the most widely adopted managerial accounting textbooks this course provides students with both theoretical depth and practical insight into managerial decision contexts across industries and economies.

Throughout the course, students will simulate real business scenarios, develop managerial dashboards, and analyze operational trade-offs to enhance organizational performance. The course reinforces global perspectives through sustainability-focused cost management cases, ethical cost allocation dilemmas, and responsible performance incentives.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the PRME i5 framework, this course develops students into strategically competent and ethically grounded accounting professionals. Ideal for future financial managers, consultants, analysts, or operations leaders, the course integrates financial acumen with global awareness and organizational impact.

Desired Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Understand the Role of Managerial Accounting in Strategic Decision-Making

• Explain how managerial accounting supports internal planning, control, and decision-making functions
• Differentiate between financial and managerial accounting systems
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Meaningful
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth)

Analyze Cost Behaviors and Apply Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis

• Identify fixed, variable, and mixed costs and model their behaviors
• Conduct break-even and target-profit analyses across scenarios
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Iterative
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure), 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth)

Implement Costing Systems and Product Cost Allocations

• Apply job-order, process, and activity-based costing systems
• Allocate overhead and indirect costs across departments or products
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Inclusive
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

Develop Budgets and Forecasts for Managerial Planning

• Prepare operating, financial, and flexible budgets using forecast data
• Analyze the impact of budget variances on performance and strategy
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Interactive
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 4 (Quality Education), 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure)

Evaluate Operational Performance Using Variance Analysis

• Compute and interpret direct material, labor, and overhead variances
• Explain variances using both traditional and responsibility-centered approaches
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Iterative
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)

Use Managerial Accounting for Capital Investment Decisions

• Apply techniques such as NPV, IRR, payback, and profitability index in capital budgeting
• Integrate qualitative and sustainability considerations in project appraisal
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Impactful
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 13 (Climate Action), 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Incorporate Sustainability and Ethics into Managerial Accounting Practices

• Assess the impact of cost structures and incentives on ethical behavior and environmental outcomes
• Identify unethical reporting practices and propose corrective measures
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Meaningful
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 12 (Responsible Consumption & Production), 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)

Apply Digital Tools to Managerial Accounting Analysis

• Use Excel and accounting software to build dashboards, forecasts, and cost analyses
• Interpret real-time data for operational decisions and long-term planning
• Impactful Five (i5) Characteristic: Interactive
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure), 4 (Quality Education)