* Identifying what the costs of different business activities are
* Decision making using cost-benefit guidelines. What is the most profitable way of organizing my business? What kind of information is relevant for certain decisions, and which kind is not?
* Analyzing why cost-benefit estimations do not turn out to be as planned (Budgeting and variance analysis). Where did we go wrong and who is responsible for it?

This course deals with accounting for managerial decision making and addresses three areas: (1) cost accounting, (2) decision-making, and (3) planning and evaluation. In cost accounting, we study how different sorts of costs can be related to business activities, which is often not straightforward. The next area, decision-making, helps to attach a “financial meaning” to actions and outcomes, in order to make decisions that affect firm profitability in the most positive way. Finally, in planning and evaluation, we will address the use and analysis of budgets, and focus on how plans are accounted for.

* Drury, Management and Cost Accounting, 11th edition, Cengage.

Students are expected to be familiar with the main concepts of financial accounting, such as financial statements and cost versus accrual accounting from the first year accounting course.