Outline

Overview

This unit investigates the fundamentals of accounting and aims to provide a broad understanding of the role of accounting in the context of business and society. The format of the unit is designed to show that there are many uses of accounting data. The focus moves from accountability to decision making; both functions are explained through examples such as the 'double entry equation', and from an output (financial statements) perspective. Some more technical aspects of accounting are outlined, including the elements of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses within simple, familiar scenarios. Besides developing an understanding of the role of accounting via conventional financial reports, recent developments including the discharge of accountability by companies through the release of corporate social and environmental reports and the global financial crisis, are explored through an accounting lens.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BUSS1030
Academic unit	Accounting
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ACCT1001 or ACCT1002 or ACCT1003 or ACCT1004 or ACCT1005
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Paul Blayney, paul.blayney@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Written exam	60%	Formal exam period	3 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment task 1 Practical assessment	20%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Assignment task 2 Practical assessment	20%	Week 12 Due date: 18 May 2020 at 11:59 Closing date: 18 May 2020	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Assignment task 1: MyAccountingLab (MAL) requires online posting of responses to assigned tutorial questions. Responses must be entered into MyAccountingLab by Monday 12 pm unless otherwise announced. Responses to the assigned questions must be posted in designated weeks.
Assignment task 2: Please note that the submission deadline for this assessment is 11:59 a.m. 18 May 2020. Late submissions NOT accepted.
Final exam: This closed-book exam will cover topics from the entire unit of study. The final exam is listed as having a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment and achieve at least 45% of the available marks in this assessment in order to pass the unit. Students who fail to achieve this minimum standard, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit of study is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for this unit. As a result, a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if the final mark of the unit is between 0-49 and a Fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final mark.

Replacement exams: The Business School has determined that second replacement exams will not be offered for this unit of study should a student submit two special considerations for the same exam as this unit forms part of the professional accounting accreditation pathway. Should a student be granted a replacement exam via special consideration, and is then unable to attend or does not complete the replacement exam, any subsequent special consideration will result in a DC grade (Discontinue Without Fail).

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Late work not accepted.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to accounting	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Key accounting concepts	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Business transactions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Business transactions	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Cash management and internal control	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Statement of financial position	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Statement of financial performance	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Statement of cash flows	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Analysis and interpretation of financial statements	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Cost behaviour and cost volume profit analysis	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Costing	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Budgeting	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Revision and practice exam	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

1. Atrill, McLaney and Harvey (2018), Accounting for Business Students, Pearson.

Week 1: Chapter 1 (LO1 to LO8)
Week 2: Chapter 2 (LO1 to LO3)
Week 3 and 4: Chapter 4: LO3, LO4, LO5 (excluding bad debts and inventory), LO7, LO8
Week 5: Chapter 5 (LO1, LO7)
Week 6: Chapter 2 (LO1 to LO7)
Week 7: Chapter 3 (LO1 to LO4, LO7, LO8)
Week 8: Chapter 8: (LO1 to LO3, LO6)
Week 9: Chapter 10 (LO1 to LO7)
Week 10: Chapter 11 (LO1 to LO4)
Week 11: Chapter 12 (LO1, LO2, LO4)
Week 12: Chapter 13 (LO1 to LO5, LO7)

Please note that the learning outcomes (LOs) of the readings are the learning outcomes stated in the textbook.

2. Razeed, Blayney, Hamilton-Jessop and Gouveros (2015), The Integrated Accounting Narrative, Pearson.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of the role of accounting in business decision-making through the analysis and interpretation of accounting information
LO2. prepare and use conventional financial reports - statement of financial position, statement of financial performance and cash flow statements
LO3. apply accounting concepts and techniques to new contexts and scenarios
LO4. analyse and critically interpret accounting information to inform everyday business decisions
LO5. develop technical competency in accounting skills/techniques to demonstrate their application in business contexts and scenarios.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Additional information

More information can be found on Canvas.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BUSS1030: Accounting, Business and Society

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect