Accounting for Managers offers a comprehensive guide to mastering accounting principles crucial for effective management. This course covers a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals of accounting transactions to the complexities of financial statement analysis and ratio interpretation. You will gain an in-depth understanding of the general ledger structure, the accounting cycle, and the different types of financial statements and their users. The course also delves into specialized areas such as payroll systems, investment analysis, and acquisition structures, providing you with a holistic view of accounting and its application in managerial decision-making. By the end of this online self-study CPE course, you will have a robust understanding of accounting principles, enabling you to make informed decisions that positively impact your organization's operational and financial performance.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Chapter 1
Cite the types of accounting transactions and where they are recorded, as well as the roles of the controller and chief financial officer.
Chapter 2
Specify the different accounting principles and sub-ledger types, as well as the structure of the general ledger, and the reasons for the accounting cycle.
Chapter 3
Identify the types of financial statements and their reporting formats, as well as their users.
Chapter 4
State the types of ratio analysis used to interpret the financial statements, the uses of each one, and their contents.
Chapter 5
Specify the uses to which different account code structures can be put, and the different types of responsibility centers.
Chapter 6
Cite the proper accounting for loss contingencies, compensated absences, research and development, acquired software, and stock-based compensation.
Chapter 7
Specify how the contribution margin, breakeven levels, and margin of safety can be calculated and how they are used, as well as the determinants of demand.
Chapter 8
Identify the types of payroll systems, the uses of the different pay codes, the types of deposit schedules, the criteria for designating a person as an employee, and the penalties associated with payroll tax underpayment.
Chapter 9
State the nature of the analysis methods used to examine possible investments, as well as the advantages of each one.
Chapter 10
Specify the features of the various acquisition structures and the benefits to be gained from each one, as well as the nature of appraisal rights.
Chapter 11
Identify the limitations of direct cost analysis and the components of an activity-based costing analysis.
Chapter 12
Itemize the activities that can be pursued to achieve a target cost when designing a new product, as well as the sources of the required cost analysis information.
Chapter 13
State the main features of a system of constraint analysis, and how this system can be used to improve profits.
Chapter 14
Specify the methods used to derive estimates for a budget, the impact of operational changes on a budget, and how information rolls up through the various subsidiary-level budgets. Also note the calculation methods used to derive production and labor budgets.
Chapter 15
Identify the types of variances, the factors that can trigger different types of variances from the expected amounts, and also note the reports used to reveal variance information.
Major Topics
Accounting Information
Introduction to Accounting
Financial Statements
Interpreting Financial Statements
Evaluation of Responsibility Centers
Overview of Selected Accounting Standards
Sales and Marketing Decisions
Human Resources Decisions
Investment Decisions
Acquisition Decisions
Cost Accounting Tools and Concepts
Target Goals
Constraint Analysis
Budgeting Concepts
Budgetary Control
