Accounting for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

This course is targeted for accounting from Small & Medium sized Enterprises perspective (SME). The focus is on management accounting topics, but related financial accounting topics are covered as well. The course approach is practical, including exercises and team work.

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

Plan business profitability & cash flow elements.
Prepare master budgets.
Calculate product cost.
Make product pricing decisions.
Prepare business related analysis & calculations.

Content (course unit)

What is the SME accounting principle context?
What is the foundation of Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet & Cash Flow in SME's?
How to forecast SME financials?
How can SME's utilize cost accounting?
How is the SME pricing linked to profitability?

Exam schedules

Tuesday April 11, 2017. There will be max. 2 hrs of time to perform the exam.
In the case of an absence or a failed performance, the student needs to enroll to one of the two alternative retake exams her-/himself, following up the general instructions of TAMK administration.

Assessment methods and criteria

The students' overall Winha grade of the course will be determined the following way:
- There is a 50-60 % weight (60 %, if it is in favor of the student) in participating and performing all the required exercises, business case analyses, group assignments and learning diaries of the visits.
- And, there is a 40-50% weight (50%, if it is in favor of the student) in performing the course exam, most preferably during the course - or on the selected TAMK general resit dates.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Some literature, business cases, exercises and enterprise visits (inclding learning diaries & discussions benefitting the partnering enterprise). Also, group assignments and some lecturing. Tabula is used lightly, as learning environment.

Learning materials

Business case papers, exercises, handouts, learning diaries, group assignment papers - as well as extracts / selected pages of several applicable accounting and finance books.

Student workload

Some 25 hours of contact teaching daytime, on workdays.
The overall workload of the students is limited to max. 130 hours, for 5 credits.

Content scheduling

(Will be shown and informed to the students in the course Tabula.)

Completion alternatives

-

Practical training and working life cooperation

A couple of visits, at least, applicable for SME studies will be made - to enterprises, service providers and other related organizations and/or events. It is also possible that some entrepreneur and/or expert will be invited to visit the class at TAMK.

International connections

The course as such is a truly international one, with degree students and exchange students from numerous countries.

Further information

Available from the instructor of the course:
Mr. Pasi Kuusijärvi, M.Sc. (Econ. and Bus. Admin.)
Senior Lecturer, Accounting and Financial Management
Degree Programme in International Business
Tampere University of Applied Sciences
Tel. +358 40 846 3052
pasi.kuusijarvi@tamk.fi
www.tamk.fi

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student's performance in the course exam is rejected/failed.
Or, student has not performed an exercise, assignment or so which has been set a compulsory one.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Satisfactory performance in the course exam. Acceptable overall activity. Student's contribution to the business cases, exercises and assignments need to be mainly an acceptable one, even for the lowest grade of 1.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Very good performance in the exam, very good overall activity, including positive contribution to teamwork and/or acceptable performance in exercises and assignments.
Or, strongly satisfactory performance in the course exam, and very good overall activity, including the fact that all the business cases, exercises and assignments performed successfully.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Excellent performance in the course exam, very good overall activity and contribution to clearly most of the business cases, exercises and assignments has been very strong.
Or, very good performance in the exam, plus excellent overall activity, contribution to teamwork as well as performance in exercises and assignments.