Students in this course build upon their knowledge of accounting principles from Fundamentals of Accounting, providing a basic foundation of key financial accounting concepts and activities. Students engage in application assignments and discussions such as the recording, storing, and summarizing of economic events of the business enterprise to meet external reporting needs. Emphasis is placed on the preparation and analysis of financial statements and other financial reports provided to the public based on the accounting equation, accrual accounting concepts, and data gathering.

Individuals responsible for directing and controlling an operation depend on managerial accounting to provide important data. Through this course, students learn about the essential elements of managerial accounting, including strategic, organizational, and operational decision making using financial information. They examine cost-volume-profit analysis, capital budgeting, operational budgeting, forecasting tools, and performance measurement. Students work through case studies and functional exercises for a contextual understanding of managerial accounting, including the application of quantitative methods to determine performance, planning, and control in operations.

Although businesses often use the same authoritative standards in the production and presentation of financial statements, statements may still differ in a variety of ways. Recognizing these differences requires careful analysis and a variety of techniques. In this course, students consider an overview of prevailing accounting issues as well as the ethical considerations encountered in the process. This is the first in a four-course sequence in which students build upon content covered in introductory accounting courses. Students explore the principles of accrual accounting and interpret the steps in the accounting cycle. They learn about financial statement presentation and disclosure requirements, and they examine the conceptual framework and measurement principles underlying financial accounting. They also assess the relationship between the reporting and auditing functions in corporations. Additionally, students evaluate differences between Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification and international financial reporting standards and apply these standards to their coursework.