Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

Course Syllabus
Associates Program/School of Business ACC/220 Version 2 Survey of Accounting: The Maze of Numbers
Copyright 2010 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Course Description Every business depends on its accountants to organize and maintain financial information. Accountants translate the maze of numbers most people see into valuable information that keeps a company going. This course introduces students to the accounting profession and the role accounting plays in business. Students learn the fundamentals of accounting principles and the accounting cycle. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Kieso, D., Kimmel, P., & Weygandt, J. (2003). Essentials of accounting: Tools for business decision making (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

All electronic materials are available on the student website.

Week One: Careers and Accounting in Business

Details
Objectives 1.1 Summarize the role accounting plays in business. 1.2 Discuss the importance of ethics in financial reporting. 1.3 Discuss the various career opportunities within the field of accounting. Read objectives and welcome. Read the instructors biography and post your own bio. Read Ch. 1 of Essentials of Accounting. Day 1

Due

Points

Course Preparation Readings

Participation

Participate in class discussion.

10

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Discussion Questions CheckPoint Career Opportunities

Respond to weekly discussion questions.

Day 2 Day 4 Day 5

10

Resources: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site and Careers in Accounting Web site Post a 200 to 300 word response to the following: There are many career opportunities in the field of accounting. Visit the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos001.htm for an overview of the accounting field. Visit www.careers-in-accounting.com for additional details such as salary expectations and general job expectations. Locate three job postings (within your state) for positions in the field of accounting. Write a summary of the educational requirements for each position, the starting salary (if listed), and a brief description of the responsibilities of the position.

30

Week Two: Introduction to Statements I

Details
Objectives 2.1 Compare and contrast sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. 2.2 Define commonly-used accounting terms. 2.3 Give examples of the data found on various financial statements. Read Ch. 1 of Essentials of Accounting. In 200 to 300 words, explain the differences between a proprietorship, a partnership, and a corporation. If you were starting a new business, which would you choose? Why? Day 3 30

Due

Points

Readings CheckPoint Proprietorships, Partnerships, & Corporations Individual Financial Statements

Write a 350 to 600 word paper; describe a balance sheet, income statement, retained earnings statement, and statement of cash flows. How does a company use these financial statements to make future business decisions? Use and define the following terms in your paper when explaining how a company uses the information on the statements: Assets Comparative statements Liabilities Stockholders equity

Day 6

100

Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your CheckPoint and Assignment paper as a Microsoft Word attachment.

Week Three: Introduction to Statements II

Details
Objectives 3.1 Discuss characteristics to consider when reviewing a financial report. 3.2 Identify the components of groups within a classified balance sheet. Read Ch. 2 & 4 of Essentials of Accounting.

Due

Points

Readings

Participation Discussion Questions CheckPoint Classified Balance Sheets

Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. Day 2 Day 4 Day 5

10 10

Post your response to the following: In 200 to 300 words, explain what information would be found in each of the following groupings on a classified balance sheet, and how that data could indicate the future success or failure of a business: Current assets Long-term investments Property, plant, and equipment Intangible assets

30

Week Four: Cash Management

Details
Objectives 4.1 Discuss principles of internal control. 4.2 Summarize ways companies can monitor internal cash control. 4.3 Examine the basic principles of cash management. Use Appendix B. Use Appendix B to complete this CheckPoint. For each principle in the matrix, describe how the principle is meant to ensure the reliability of a companys financial statements, and provide at least one example of how the principle might work in a real company. Do not use examples from your text. Day 3 30

Due

Points

Readings CheckPoint Cash Management Matrix

Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

Individual Internal Cash Control

Resources: Ch. 4 of Essentials of Accounting Write a 700 to 900 word paper, using APA guidelines, that addresses the following questions: Read scenario E4-5 on p. 194 of your text. Answer questions A & B. Read scenario P4-1A on p. 197 of your text. Answer the question at the bottom of the scenario piece. Read scenario P4-2A on p. 197 of your text. Answer questions A, B, & C. Include how a company could use the five basic principles of cash management to increase accuracy for a business.

Day 6

100

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your CheckPoint and Assignment paper as a Microsoft Word attachment

Week Five: Managerial Accounting

Details
Objectives 5.1 Compare and contrast managerial accounting and financial accounting. 5.2 Analyze managers use of accounting information. Read Chs. 5 & 6 of Essentials of Accounting.

Due

Points

Readings

Participation Discussion Questions CheckPoint A New Company

Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. Day 2 Day 4 Day 5

10 10

Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following: You have been hired into a new company to oversee the accounting department. What type of financial reports would you expect to see in your department? How will you use the financial reports available to you to make business decisions?

30

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Week Six: Cost, Volume, and Profit

Details
Objectives 6.1 Explain the components of cost-volume-profit analysis.

Due

Points

Readings CheckPoint Cost, Volume, and Profit Questions Individual Cost, Volume, and Profit Formulas

Read Ch. 6 of Essentials of Accounting. Post a 200 to 300 word response that addresses questions 7, 9, & 14 in the Questions section on pp. 284-285 of the text (Do not respond to the Self-Study Questions). Resources: Ch. 6 of Essentials of Accounting Review the following illustrations found in Ch. 6 of your text: 6-12, 615, 6-17, 6-18, 6-19, & 6-20. Write a 350 to 700 word paper, using APA guidelines, that addresses the following: Explain the components of cost-volume-profit analysis. What does each of the components mean? Based on the formulas you have reviewed, what happens to contribution margin per unit when unit selling prices increase? When fixed costs decrease, what does this do for sales? Define contribution ratios. What happens to contribution ratios as one of the components changes? Day 3 30

Day 6

100

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your CheckPoint and Assignment paper as a Microsoft Word attachment.

Week Seven: Looking at Budgets

Details
Objectives 7.1 Discuss the benefits of budgeting. 7.2 Examine the use of different types of budgets. Read Chs. 7, 8, & 9 of Essentials of Accounting.

Due

Points

Readings

Participation Discussion Questions

Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. Day 2 Day 4

10 10

Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

CheckPoint Budgets Matrix

Resource: Appendix C Use Appendix C to define each of the types of budgets listed, and describe their uses. Post Appendix C as an attachment.

Day 5

30

Week Eight: Responsibility Centers and Incremental Analysis

Details
Objectives 8.1 Identify the components of a flexible budget. 8.2 Discuss the accountability of each type of responsibility center. 8.3 Give examples of business decisions that would involve incremental analysis. Read this weeks Electronic Reserve Readings. Review Chs. 8 & 9 of Essentials of Accounting. Post a 200- to 300-word response to the following: Individual Responsibility Center Presentation What is a flexible budget? What are the steps to developing a flexible budget? What information is found on a flexible budget report? How is that information used to evaluate performance? Day 6 100 Day 3 30

Due

Points

Readings CheckPoint Flexible Budgets

Imagine you have been selected by your manager to present a training session to a group of new employees. The new hires do not have accounting backgrounds and have little or no work history in a responsibility center. The purpose of this training session is to explain the functions of each of the different responsibility centers. Develop a 10- to 12-slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that you could use as part of this training session. Explain what each of the different responsibility centers is and what each is accountable for and why each center has its own budget. Give an example of the kinds of decisions where incremental analysis would be used in each center. Include speaker notes for your presentation. Use APA formatting guidelines. Post your CheckPoint and Microsoft PowerPoint as an attachment.

Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

Week Nine: Principles and Practices

Details
Objectives 9.1 Assess how accounting principles and practices function within a business. Review prior chs. Participate in class discussion. Respond to the capstone discussion question. Think back over what you have studied and learned in this course. Do you have a new perception of or appreciation for the field of accounting and how it contributes to business? Explain. Write a 600 to 900 word paper, using APA guidelines, based on the scenario below. You want to start your own business. You found an investment group that is willing to give you the capital needed for the first year of your business, but only if you can convince them you have a solid plan for the success of this business. Your investor is very concerned with how the accounting functions of this business will be handled. You must persuade your investor to put up the capital by addressing the following questions in your business plan: What is the name of your business? What type of business structure is it (sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation)? Why did you choose that structure? What type of services or products does your business provide? What role will accounting play in the start up of your business? What type of work characteristics will you look for when hiring your accounting staff? What education should a person have in budgeting, internal controls, and cash management before going into business? What kinds of internal controls will you put in place for the business? How will your managers use financial information to predict outcomes for your business? Day 7 250 Day 3 10 20

Due

Points

Readings Participation Capstone Discussion Question

Final Project Business Plan

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as a Microsoft Word attachment.

Course Syllabus ACC/220 Version 2

Copyright
University of Phoenix is a registered trademark of Apollo Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Use of these marks is not intended to imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. Edited in accordance with University of Phoenix editorial standards and practices.