Accounting is the process of identifying, measuring and communicating information to permit informed judgments and decisions by users of the information. Accounting – imperfectly – mirrors economic reality. Accounting accords a particular form of visibility to events and processes. Through such means, abstract notions of competitiveness and efficiency are made calculable and knowable. Accounting is the lingua franca of the financial world and impacts all aspects of management and financial decision making. All lawyers are faced with matters of business administration and business decision making and will be confronted with concepts of accounting. Business accounting is divided into financial accounting and management accounting. Financial accounting deals with the annual report, the balance sheet, the profit and loss account, the cash flow statement and themes as valuation of assets and liabilities and accounting conventions. Financial accounting refers to information describing the resources, obligations, and activities of an economic entity. Financial accounting information is designed primarily to assist investors and creditors including banks in deciding where to place their scarce investment resources. Management accounting deals with cost classifications, full costing and the relationship between costs of production, volume of sales and profit. Management Accounting involves the development and interpretation of accounting information intended specifically to assist management in running the business.
- Describe the role, function and usefulness of accounting in general
- Describe the basic concepts of (primarily) financial and (secondary) management accounting;
- Recognise specific financial and management accounting similarities and differences;
- Apply financial and management accounting cases and methods in simplified descriptions of real world situations;
- Identify from real world cases the accounting relevant data to draw conclusions;
- Able to perform and report a financial statement analysis;
- Demonstrate a critical and independent view when confronted with financial and managerial accounting issues, to reach his or her own conclusions, and present or report the findings.
1. A general insight of the main concepts of financial and management accounting involved;
2. A general analytical and practical skill to apply financial and management accounting in practice;
The timetable of this course can be found in uSis.
Mode of instruction
- Number of (2 hour) lectures: 5
- Number of (1 hour) lectures: 2 (MC test during the first hour)
- Names of lecturers: Dr. D.H. van Offeren en dr. T.L.M. Verdoes
- Required preparation by students: reading literature
- Number of (2 hour) seminars: 7
- Names of instructors: Dr. D.H. van Offeren en dr. T.L.M. Verdoes
- Required preparation by students: in the weekly seminars, students will actively engage in presenting their knowledge. They need to prepare and present study problems from the textbook. During two seminars students have to present their findings about an annual report and a scientific article about accounting.
a. 2 multiple choice tests
b. 2 presentations about an annual report and a scientific article
c. Written exam
Examination form (for the exam and the retake)
Multiple choice tests and presentations: maximum 20 points
- Written exam: maximum 80 points
- Total: maximum 100 points
The multiple choice tests and the presentations can not be retaken. The points earned on the multiple choice tests and the presentations will remain valid for the retake of the exam.
If a student has not passed the course by the end of the academic year, partial grades for written exam or multiple choice tests and presentations are no longer valid.
Areas to be tested within the exam
The written examand the multiple choice tests consist of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.
Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.
More information on this course is offered in Blackboard.
Obligatory course materials
- McLaney E. and P. Atrill, Accounting: an introduction, sixth edition, 2012, Pearson.
Course information guide (pdf Blackboard)
Students have to register for courses and exams through uSis.
- Co-ordinator: Dr. T.L.M. Verdoes
- Work address: KOG, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES Leiden, room B 3.07
- Contact information:
- Telephone number: 071 527 77753
- Email: email@example.com
- Institute: Fiscal-economics department
- Department: Centre of Business Studies
- Room number secretary: B2.11
- Opening hours: Monday-Friday 0.900-17.00
- Telephone number secretary: 071 527 7851
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Belangstellenden die deze cursus in het kader van contractonderwijs willen volgen (met tentamen), kunnen meer informatie vinden over kosten, inschrijving, voorwaarden, etc. op de website van Juridisch PAO.