47736 - ACCOUNTING

Learning outcomes

The course aims to introduce students to accounting and prepare them to deal effectively with this subject in an international context. Thus, the course focuses on financial, management and social and environmental accounting theory, and practice. At the end of the course students will understand the main double entry book-keeping rules, prepare and read financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows), develop financial analysis, understand the disclosure of sustainability reports and use management accounting techniques for decision-making.

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts:

Part 1 Professor Federica Farneti

The aim of the course is mainly to provide knowledge on financial accounting. Students learn to manage the bookkeeping process, to read and develop financial statement and financial analysis. Students can make fundamental interpretations of a company's financial position and results of operations. Also, the course aims to introduce Social and Environmental Accounting and Managerial Accounting.

At the end of the course students understand financial statements and the fact that these are the product of the financial accounting process. They represent the means of communicating financial information about the organization to stakeholders who want to make decisions and inform judgments about the entity's financial position. Also, students are able to understand fundamental financial statement analysis concepts and tools.

Furthermore, students develop knowledge on non-financial information, related to both Social and Environmental Reporting, the EU Directive 2022/2464 (as regards corporate sustainability reporting -Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive-). To integrate the skills and knowledge on sustainable reports, students examine and use the guidelines for sustainability reporting and its measures for guiding organizations to a more sustainable future, understanding their economic, environmental, and social impacts (as well as related consequences).

Unit 1-3) Introduction, syllabus, schedule, and exam. What is accounting, what is financial Accounting, what is Social and Environmental Accounting and what is managerial Accounting.

Unit 4-8) Financial statements and accounting concepts and principles.

Unit 9-10) Fundamental interpretations made from financial statements data.

Unit 11-12) Social and Environmental Reporting, the Directive 2022/2464, and extended performance reporting such as sustainability reporting.

Unit 13-14) The bookkeeping process, transaction analysis, financial statements.

Part 2

This part of the course is designed to cover with exercises the topics covered in Part 1. Further exercises and further financial analysis are provided.

Unit 15-16) The bookkeeping process, transaction analysis, financial statements.

Unit 17-20) Managerial accounting

The detailed program is presented during the first class.

Readings/Bibliography

Marshall, McManus and Viele, (2022), Accounting. What the numbers mean, 13th Edition, McGraw-Hill International Edition. Few chapters.

The Directive 2022/2464: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022L2464

Further reading, articles and documents can be provided during the course.

Teaching methods

The pedagogical approach is based on a combination of lectures (presentations and related explanations), interactive classes,  accounting game, seminars, exercises, and discussion questions.

Assessment methods

A final examination will be held at the end of each term and will consist of multiple choices questions related to different elements of the course programme, as well as exercises and open questions. A partial exam is also scheduled during October 2024. Students who are not satisfied with their grade can refuse the grade once.

The assessment of the preparation will be based on the following evaluation judgment scale:

- <18: insufficient preparatio, the exam needs to be repeated;

- 18-23: sufficient preparation but relating to a limited/or generic number of the course contents;
- 24-27: adequate preparation but with some gaps with respect to the course contents;
- 28-30: very in-depth knowledge of all the course contents;
- 30L: excellent knowledge of the course contents.

Enrolment is required to set the exam. Students must enrol via Almaesami platform: https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm, where rules and deadlines to enrol to each exam are indicated.

Structure of the Exam

The exam is written and in presence. During the exam EOL platform can be used.

The exam involves exercises, multiple choices where the correct answer/s can be more than one for each question, and open questions.

Teaching tools

Books

Exercises

E-learning

Case study method

Discussion questions

International Seminar

International articles

Business game, in teams

The teaching material is online on the Virtuale website.

Office hours

See the website of Federica Farneti

See the website of Epameinondas Katsikas

See the website of Epameinondas Katsikas