Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Management Accounting

Purpose

The primary purpose of the qualification is to provide learners with the opportunity to specialise in the field of Management Accounting and to prepare them for senior management accounting positions within commerce and industry. In addition, Leaners who complete the qualification qualify for exemptions from some of the examinations required in qualifying as a Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

Rationale

There is currently a shortage of Management Accountants in South Africa. It is with this in mind that the qualification aims to produce leaners for the financial, commercial and industrial sectors, to meet the challenges presented by South Africa's growing economy. The qualification aims to equip the leaner with the academic knowledge necessary for working in these sectors of the economy, thus enabling them to apply their academic knowledge in practical situations.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution accepts the principle underlying outcomes-based, source-based and life-long learning, in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a significant role, and subscribes to the view that Recognition of Prior Learning, whether acquired by formal education curricula at this or another institution or informally (by experience) is an indispensable element in deciding on admission to and awarding credits in an explicitly selected teaching-learning qualification of the institution.

An applicant who falls outside of the formal qualifications system, but who can demonstrate (through the production of substantial and satisfactory evidence) experiential or work-based learning or a non-formal qualification (or a combination), may be considered for admission and/or for the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full. An applicant who after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential, but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable learning qualifications prior to admission or to parallel qualifications after admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 128 Credits.

Compulsory Modules,128 Credits

• Financial Strategy, 32 Credit.
• Business Strategy, 16 Credits.
• Risk and Control Strategy, 16 Credits.
• Managerial Accounting Research Project, 32 Credits.
• Performance and Decision Management Decision Management, 16 Credits.
• Applied Business Management, 16 Credits.

1. Evaluate performance using budgets and discuss the broader managerial issues arising from the use of budgets in control.
2. Discuss the use of responsibility centres in devising management control structures and discuss information suitable for decision making in responsibility centres.
3. Evaluate control systems for organisational activities and resources.
4. Analyse short term product and pricing decisions and discuss pricing strategies and their consequences.
5. Evaluate and apply techniques for managing and controlling costs for competitive advantage.
6. Prepare full consolidated financial statements for a company and a group.
7. Produce a ratio analysis from financial information and evaluate performance and position.
8. Discuss contemporary developments in financial and non-financial reporting, and potential strategic financial strategy and the constraints thereon.
9. Evaluate financial strategies of an organisation and the extent of their attainment, the financing requirements of an organisation and the strategies for meeting them, and evaluate investment opportunities and opportunities for merger and acquisitions.
10. Discuss developments in business strategy and the key external characteristics of different competitive environments.
11. Evaluate key external factors affecting a business strategy, the process of strategy development, key tools and techniques used in strategy development, and the tools and processes of strategy implementation.
12. Advise on important elements of the change process, evaluate tools and methods for effectively implementing and managing change and recommend change management processes in support of strategy implementation.
13. Discuss concepts associated with the effective operation of an organisation and identify and implement effective people management techniques.
14. Discuss tools and techniques applied in project management, and relate the relationship of the project manager to the external environment.
15. Evaluate types of risks facing an organisation and the risk management strategies and internal controls of the organisation.
16. Evaluate the governance and ethical issues facing the organisation.
17. Evaluate the financial risk facing the organisation and the risk management tools available to the organisation.
18. Evaluate performance using budgets and discuss the broader managerial issues arising from the use of budgets in control.
19. Discuss the use of responsibility centres in devising management control structures and discuss information suitable for decision making in responsibility centres.
20. Evaluate control systems for organisational activities and resources.
21. Analyse short term product and pricing decisions and discuss pricing strategies and their consequences.
22. Evaluate and apply techniques for managing and controlling costs for competitive advantage prepare full consolidated financial statements for a company and a group. In addition, they should be able to explain the principles of accounting for capital schemes and foreign exchange rates, and accounting principles and their relevance to contemporary accounting issues.
23. Produce a ratio analysis from financial information and evaluate performance and position.
24. Discuss contemporary developments in financial and non-financial reporting, and potential strategic financial strategy and the constraints thereon evaluate financial strategies of an organisation and the extent of their attainment, the financing requirements of an organisation and the strategies for meeting them, and evaluate investment opportunities and opportunities for merger and acquisitions.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Identify and solve problems in the field of Managerial Accounting, using critical and creative thinking.
• Collect, analyse, organise, and critically evaluate information of a managerial accounting nature.
• Communicate information relating to the field of Management Accounting effectively, in both oral and written forms.

Integrated Assessment

Formative and summative techniques using a case based approach, integrating theory and practice. Test and Examinations simulate real-world problems, which focus on a particular area but draws immensely on knowledge from other related modules. Weekly observations of leaners tutorial presentations and written submissions, and review of the prescribed weekly integrated homework problems. Through the Research Project, the leaner is assessed on their competencies, focusing their ability to address problems with scientific thinking supported by trusted sources of data and statistical techniques.