Module Directory

The module critically examines a range of contemporary issues in management accounting such as activity based costing, strategic management accounting and other management accounting issues. The module critically evaluates contemporary approaches of management control theories to understand the current practices of management accounting locally and globally.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with wider understanding of management accounting by locating management accounting in socio-political, socio-economic and socio-cultural context.


• To support and encourage education and learning, and foster the capacity for individual study.


• To encourage and facilitate critical, analytical thinking as a foundation for subsequent academic study, employment and personal development.


• To provide the necessary support to enable the successful completion of the degree.


• To develop active learning and self-assessment skills.

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

1. Understand the history and development of management accounting.


2. Demonstrate an understanding of contemporary developments in management accounting.


3. Understand the contribution of traditional and contemporary costing methodologies to internal reporting, decision-making and organisational control.


4. Understand the strengths and limitations of contemporary approaches to cost measurement, performance measurement and management controls.


5. Understand applications of management accounting.


6. Understand contemporary theoretical perspectives on management accounting and control.

Skills for Your Professional Life (Transferable Skills)

This module aims to develop a variety of personal transferable skills by encouraging students to:

1. Identify and distill key features covered by lectures, seminars and recommended readings.


2. Participate actively in seminars either by leading discussions or responding to issues raised by teaching staff or peers.


3. Discriminate between relevant and irrelevant information for the purposes of decision making.


4. Work effectively as a team member in the development of group preparation and presentation of seminar work.


5. Analyse data, apply judgement and solve problems.


6. Communicate effectively in writing by providing clear and concise word-processed essays.


7. Work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Management accounting is seen as a tool to provide information to internal parties in organisations for decision making planning and control and cost management. The unifying theme of this module is the role played by management accounting information in organisational control and decision making. The aim is to develop a critical understanding of the role of management accounting in organisations and society.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 1-hour lecture per week.
• One 1-hour seminar per week.
• One 1-hour revision lecture in the summer term.

The lectures will indicate the main areas and themes that you will consider during the module. All students are required to attend all lectures and seminars. You are expected to complete all readings given for each topic.

You are expected to participate actively in seminars either by leading discussions on the case studies provided during the seminars or responding to issues raised by teaching staff or peers.

See further details on a separate file posted on Moodle (Seminars activities and reading list).