STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING - 2023/4

Module Overview

The role of the management accountant continues to evolve; and with advances in technology, demand for management accounting skills has been on the rise to support strategic decision-making in businesses. 

In this module, you will develop knowledge and skills that will enable you to apply specialist management accounting techniques to analyse and convert data into meaningful managerial information for planning, decision-making, control, and performance evaluation. The focus of your learning will be on how to provide effective solutions to a range of real-life business problems; from developing efficient costing & pricing strategies to the analysis of variances and managing organisational performance.

The module builds on management accounting techniques covered in Principles of Accounting.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

MIDGLEY Gavin (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Principles of Accounting (MANM198)

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Management and Cost Accounting


• Cost Assignment: Variable / Marginal & Absorption Costing


• Cost Assignment: Activity Based Costing


• CVP Analysis & Relevant Costing


• Budgeting


• Standard Costing & Variance Analysis


• Capital Investment Decisions


• Pricing & Transfer Pricing


• Performance Analysis & Measurement


• Strategic Management & Cost Accounting

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the core skills that are acquired each week. Management accounting is a predominantly quantitative and skill based course and there is a need for understanding the key concepts, which can be achieved by practising problem based questions.  Knowledge and skills required of management accounting are therefore best assessed through authentic assessments that replicate a professional work setting, and the course uses two formats: a mid-term multiple choice test and a final exam.

Online Test - Multiple choice questions

Examination - The examination will make use of longer case style scenarios relating to a number of requirements, i.e., questions may contain several parts. Such questions will be discussed and worked through each week during the seminars.

The examination questions will be both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Quantitative questions will be designed to assess knowledge, numerical and analytical skills. Qualitative questions will assess application of knowledge, synthesis, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. All questions require the student to display depth of knowledge by critical writing as well as showing competence in computational skills. The examination is online open book.

Formative assessment and feedback:

Formative assessments, e.g., sample class tests and exam papers will be made available to support students prepare for their summative assessments and to provide ongoing feedback. Such feedback will help students identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas where additional work and effort is required on their part.  This will allow students to design their personalised revision plans so that they can be fully prepared for the summative assessments. Students are also expected to engage with other feedback provided to them via various other means, e.g., during the seminars and consultation hours throughout the semester. Multiple choice questions are made available on a regular basis and students are expected to practise these questions.

Module aims

• Use and analyse data from management information systems for planning, decision-making, control and performance management.
• Select and apply suitable management accounting concepts and techniques for decision-making purposes.
• Evaluate organisational performance using both financial and non-financial data.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy:

• Provide students with the opportunity to acquire knowledge and to understand the relevant theory and business practices and problems which are pertinent to the topics of management accounting through several delivery modes.

• Enhance students’ practical and professional skills in developing effective solutions for decision making in a global context.

• Develop students’ cultural awareness, confidence and competence in working with others as well as improving their leadership skills, communication skills, employability, and professionalism within the accounting and finance sector.

The teaching and learning methods include a hybrid teaching model, incorporating elements of both live and on-demand learning. 

On-demand learning is designed for students to explore the topic(s) in their own time on SurreyLearn, and it includes a range of guided learning activities. These include among other practice questions & solutions, quizzes, discussion forum and links to further reading and videos on the topic (s) for the week. 

Live learning takes the form of in class seminars and workshops, and will allow all students to explore and engage in discussions on the topic(s), practice more complex questions and receive answers and feedback to queries they may have from the tutor.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MANM401

Other information

Employability: The module provides a variety of tasks and authentic assessments that relate directly to professional life. Key to this, students develop the ability to critically evaluate the problem at hand, while interacting with their fellow students. As a result, students develop and enhance their interpersonal and professional skills.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: The module is taught in an interactive and collaborative way, in a cohort that commonly represents a wealth of nationalities and backgrounds. Students are encouraged to engage with, and learn from, diverse perspectives through interaction. Students will develop their ability to work effectively with other students from diverse backgrounds to broaden their world view and own perspectives.

Resourcefulness & Resilience (R&R): Students will develop attributes such as confidence, adaptability, problem solving and decision-making abilities, through interacting with other students and investigating and solving business issues. The effectiveness of the R&R will be inherent in assessment design.

Digital Capabilities: The tutor will use a variety of technologies which enable hybrid and remote learning, including but not limiting to SurreyLearn, Panopto, Microsoft Teams, as well as making use of Excel to solve quantitative based questions. Through regular use, students’ competence in using these will increase and they will be able to employ these in a work setting environment.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.