MGAB03H3
Introductory Management Accounting
2025 Summer Session
Instructor Information
Name: Dr. Liang H. Chen
Office: IC 358
Class: Tuesday & Thursday
Email: lh.chen@utoronto.ca
Telephone: 416-287-7335
Course Description
This course is an introduction to management and cost accounting with an emphasis on the use of
accounting information in managerial decision-making. Topics include patterns of cost behaviour,
cost allocation, transfer pricing, budgeting and control systems. The purpose of the course is to
provide an understanding of the role of accounting data in the internal management of enterprises.
To the extent that they can be differentiated, there are three main areas of interest in the course:
(1) cost accounting (accumulation of costs for income determination and decision-making), (2)
managerial accounting (design of cost systems and use of economic data for decision-making),
and (3) planning, control and performance evaluation.
The course is designed to achieve the following objectives:
The student should be able to:
1. Determine and analyze cost functions, and generate and interpret basic management
accounting information.
2. Explore strategic cost analysis and related management techniques, such as: Activity Based
Costing, Activity Based Management, and Relevant Cost Analysis.
3. Define and explain management accounting and the context within which it functions.
4. Analyze and appreciate the control process and performance measurement to make effective
business decisions.
Though this course does satisfy the requirements of the three major accounting groups in Canada
for an introduction to the subject, it is not intended solely for professional accountancy training.
They provide a better understanding and a valuable analytical tool for anyone considering a career
in management.
Course Prerequisite
Prerequisite: [[MGEA02H3/(ECMA04H3) and MGEA06H3/(ECMA06H3)] or
[MGEA01H3/(ECMA01H3) and MGEA05H3/(ECMA05H3)]] and MGAB01H3/(MGTB05H3)
Course Exclusions
Exclusion: (MGTB03H3), MGT223H, MGT323H, RSM222H, RSM322H, VPAB13H3
Course Materials
Management, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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(a) Required Text:
Eldenburg, Wolcott, Chen and Cook, Cost Management: Measuring, Monitoring, and Motivating
Performance, 3rd Canadian edition, 2016. (Wiley)
(b) Lecture Slides/Handouts & Quercus – UTSC Learning Management System
Lecture slides and all other class discussion materials are posted on Quercus (Canvas). Students are
reminded to check Quercus (Canvas) on a regular basis. To access Quercus, please visit:
https://q.utoronto.ca.
If you need help getting started? Visit the Quercus Help Page to access tip-sheets and other helpful
resources. For additional questions, contact the Ed Tech team at quercus@utsc.utoronto.ca. For
frequently asked questions, visit: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/technology/faq-students
(c) Suggested Other Sources:
Students are expected to have a general knowledge of current business and economic developments,
especially as they relate to topics covered in the course. The daily Report on Business of the Globe &
Mail and the Financial Post of the National Post are recommended.
Course Policies
This course and your degree are designed to give you a broad understanding of the world of business.
The instructor will strive to provide accurate information, quality materials, and good service. In
return, the instructor expects that you will conduct yourself in a way that prepares you for the world of
work:
1. Classes start on time, please strive to come to class time.
2. If you need to leave class early, please notify the instructor.
3. Turn off any devices that may disrupt others, especially when your microphone is on.
4. Make sure that you understand the course outline (including the lecture schedule) and that you
keep up to date by checking Quercus (Canvas) regularly.
5. Respect the learning opportunities of others at all times – classes should not only contribute to
your own learning, but also to that of others.
The required readings cover the basic course material. Classes will only selectively cover the material
in the required readings. Therefore, classes will focus on topic introductions, complicated technical
material, and application. It is crucial that students come to class prepared to discuss the scheduled
topics and participate in the assigned activities. Students are responsible for all topics in the required
readings regardless of whether or not they are discussed during class and are responsible for all topics
covered in lecture, regardless of whether or not they are covered in the required readings. You are
expected to have completed the assigned readings before the class session for which the items are
listed. In each chapter there are Demonstration Cases and Self-Study Questions with solutions
provided. It is strongly recommended that you attempt to solve these problems before tackling some
of the more complex text questions. In addition, various cases/articles may be distributed in class.
These are required readings whether or not the items are formally listed on the course outline.
The key to success in this course is to attempt as many problems to increase your level of technical
knowledge and gain confidence and familiarity of the type of questions you may be asked on the
exams. Students are encouraged to work on all the end of chapter questions.
Evaluation and Grades
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Grades are a measure of the performance of a student in individual courses. Each student will be
judged based on how well he or she has command of the course materials. Grades in the course will
be based on the following:
Elements % Due Date
(a) On-line Assignments (4 in total) 10% 1. Saturday May 17 at 23:59 (End of Week 2)
2. Saturday May 31 at 23:59 (End of Week 4)
3. Saturday June 07 at 23:59 (End of Week 5)
4. Saturday June 14 at 23:59 (End of Week 6)
(b) Guest Seminar Guest Seminar (May 28, 17:00 – 18:00 online)
One-page Reflection Paper 5% One-page Reflection Paper (Sunday, June 1)
(c) Group EDI Project: 15%
Impact of EDI on Company’s Performance
(i) PowerPoint Presentation (10%) (i) Sunday, May 25 at 23:59 (End of Week 4)
(ii) Group Oral Presentation (5%) (ii) Last class
(d) Test & Exam 70% Date, and Time TBD
(i) Midterm Exam (2 hours) (35%)
(ii) Final Exam (2 hours) (35%)
(e) Bonus Chapter Review Questions 5% Chapter 2, 3, 5, and 7: Friday, May 30
Chapter 4, 10, 13, 14, 18: Friday, June 13
Total 105%
(a) On-line Assignments – WileyPLUS:
There are four weekly online assignments. Each assignment should be completed on the specific
date listed on the syllabus. Students are encouraged to practice as many times as necessary until
they are satisfied with the outcome. It is student’s responsibility to complete the assignment ahead
of the due date.
(b) Guest seminar & Reflection Paper
The online guest seminar will be held during the tutorials (May 28, 2025, 17:00 – 18:00).
Students must attend this seminar and are required to write a one-page, single-spaced, reflection
paper on the three most important/interesting things you learned from the seminar, and conclude
the paper by indicating whether you would consider the field of accounting as your career choice.
No reflection paper will be accepted if students do not attend the seminar.
(c) Group EDI Project:
The group project assignment, “The Impact of EDI on a Company’s Financial Performance,”
should be done in groups of 7 students from the same lecture. The group assignment develops your
research, critical thinking, analytical skills, as well as your oral presentation/communication skills.
Students should research a company that has a policy of EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) or DEI
(Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). For your convenience, a list of reading materials related to EDI has
been posted on Quercus for your reference.
The PowerPoint presentation should outline the following points (no more than 20 pages):
1. Briefly introduce the company of your choice for this project.
2. Research the pros and cons of EDI (or DEI), in general, on a company’s financial performance.
Please include citations.
Management, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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3. Describe the background information (e.g. why and when) on the company’s adoption of EDI
policy.
4. Select 3 financial ratios, one from each category – (1) Profitability Ratios, (2) Liquidity/Assets
Management Ratios, and (3) Market Ratios. Perform trend analyses for a period of 3 years on the
company’s financial performance to compare before and after adoption of the EDI policy – a total
of 6 years (They don’t have to be consecutive 6 years). Explain the reasons why your group
choose these ratios and how these ratios help you analyze the company’s financial performance.
Show the graphs of 2 sets of three financial ratios comparing the before and after adoption of the
EDI policy. Show selected financial data. Include a link to the company’s financial information.
5. Conclude your research findings: make sure to tie your financial analyses and EDI research
findings to your conclusions.
6. Include references.
In addition to the PowerPoint for the project, each group has a maximum of 10 minutes to present the
project and answer questions from the class in the last class of the semester. In this oral presentation,
you need to prepare a shorter version (no more than 10 pages) of the PPT, and print a double-sided
copy for your instructor. Here is the sample structure of the 10-page PPT:
1. Cover page – Company, Group number, Group members, Student numbers
2. Agenda – the outline of the Presentation
3. Company information, Pros & Cons of EDI
4. Background of company’s adoption (year when they adopt EDI)
5. Financial Analysis – 3 ratios (reasons for choosing these ratios)
6. Ratio #1 – comparison (before & after)
7. Ratio #2 – comparison (before & after)
8. Ratio #3 – comparison (before & after)
9. Conclusion – key take-aways
10. Q&As
Learning to work together in teams is an important aspect of your education and preparation for your
future careers. That said, project-based teamwork is often new to students and students are therefore
reminded of the following expectations with respect to behaviour and contributions to your group
submission:
1. Ensure that all team members:
• Treat other members with courtesy and respect;
• Honour the ground rules established by the team;
• Contribute substantially and proportionally to the final project;
• Ensure enough familiarity with the entire contents of the group project/ assignment so as to be
able to sign off on it as original work;
• Meet the project timeline as established by the team.
2. Follow the guidelines for resolving differences:
• Conflicts can – and do – occur. Conflicts are part of the team’s process of learning how to
work together effectively and can actually generate exciting debate and creative solutions – if
managed appropriately.
• Student teams are collectively expected to resolve disputes or misunderstandings as soon as
they arise (and prior to submission of the final project). In cases where teams are unable to
reach a mutually agreeable solution, the entire team must meet with the instructor as soon as
possible. The instructor will listen to the team and help develop options for improving the
team process. All members of the project team must commit to, and, utilize their action plans.
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Group Project Assignment – Submission Format:
Students need to submit a PowerPoint presentation to Quercus in the “Assignment” tab. Only one
person from your group should submit the assignment. It is recommended that you keep the rough
draft or photocopy of your assignment to minimize the problems caused by lost or missing
assignments. File name for your group project: e.g. L01 Group 1 Dollarama.
(d) Midterm Test & Final Exam:
The date, time and location for both the midterm test and the final exam will be announced once they
are determined by the Registrar’s Office. These test and exam include the multiple choice and short
calculation questions. Midterms and final exam questions, may combine material from a number of
chapters. All tests are cumulative: questions may be asked on all material from the beginning of
the course.
The exams will start promptly at the scheduled start time and students are reminded to ensure they are
prepared to write the exam early (i.e. at least 10 minutes prior to the start time). This is NOT an open
book exam and therefore students will only be allowed to use the authorized aid which is the use
of a simple, non-programmable, quiet, non-printing calculator will be permitted in all term
tests. The allowed calculators include: Texas Instruments TI 30 Explorer Plus, Sharp EL509
and 531, Cassio FX 65 and 280.
Note: Copies of old tests and examinations will not be made available. These questions will not be
discussed and solutions to them will not be provided.
(e) Bonus Exam Review Practice Questions:
Students will be provided bonus exam review practice questions to better prepare for the exams.
These are bonus questions with 5% bonus marks. To earn the bonus marks, students need to
handwrite each question (using computer writing software or using paper and taking pictures) and
show steps 3 times for each question, and upload the file to Quercus. The questions and solution
videos are available on Quercus to guide students through step-by-step problem-solving. Please
clearly label each of the 3 times you completed the practice of each question. No part marks will be
given if students do not finish all 3 times of each question. Students are not obligated to complete
these bonus questions. However, previous students commented that these questions were very helpful
in learning the course materials and in performing well in the exams.
Tutorials
There are 4 tutorial sessions (2 before the midterm and 2 before the final exam), and 1 guest lecture
during the tutorial in the summer term. The questions discussed in the tutorials are listed on the course
outline.
Section Day Time Room
TUT0002 Friday 10:00 – 12:00 204
TUT0003 Friday 12:00 – 14:00 204
Policy and Procedure
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(a) Missed Tests and Assignments (including Midterm Exams)
Students who miss a test or assignment for reasons entirely beyond their control (e.g. illness) may
submit a request for special consideration. Provided that notification and documentation are provided
in a timely manner, and that the request is subsequently approved, no academic penalty will be
applied.
In such cases, students must notify the instructor on the date of the missed test (or due date in the case
of course work) and submit supporting documentation (e.g. proof that the student reported his or her
absence through the online absence declaration) within one week of the originally scheduled test or
due date. Note that the physician’s report must establish that the patient was examined and diagnosed
at the time of illness, not after the fact. Students who do not provide the instructor on the date of the
missed test (or due date in the case of course work) and/or who do not provide the instructor with
appropriate or sufficient supporting documentation within one week of the originally scheduled test or
due date, they will receive 0 for the midterm test.
If students miss the Midterm Exam, they should try to arrange a make-up term test or an
alternative solution within one week before the term test results are released. If a student misses
the Group Assignment, no make-up assignment will be arranged. Except for any unusual
circumstances pre-approved by the instructor, no late group case assignments will be accepted.
Students are expected to start on time for all the online tests and examinations. There will not be any
additional time available if the midterm/examinations are started late.
(b) Remarking Policy
Students may submit assignments or exams for remarking. However, the entire exam or assignment
will not be remarked to ensure consistency for all students. If a student wants a specific part of an
assignment or exam to be remarked, the student must e-mail or submit to the instructor the part of the
response and marking key that the student is requesting to be remarked with an explanation about why
the student believes a different mark is warranted. This explanation should be based on what was
written by the student compared to the suggested solution or other sources of evidence. If a student
wants feedback about how to improve, the student must also identify specific sections of the case
assignment or exam for the instructor to read and provide comments. The instructor will notify
students about the status of the remark request as soon as possible. All remark requests must be
received prior to the start of the scheduled time of the final exam. Remark requests received after this
time will NOT be considered.
(c) Plagiarism Detection Tool (PDT) called Ouriginal
Normally, students will be required to submit their course submissions to the University’s plagiarism
detection tool for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so,
students will allow their submissions to be included as source documents in the tool’s reference
database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply
to the University’s use of this tool are described in the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation
PDT FAQs.
AccessAbility Services
The University provides academic accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with
the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code. This occurs through a collaborative process that
acknowledges a collective obligation to develop an accessible learning environment that both meets
the needs of students and preserves the essential academic requirements of the University’s courses
and programs.
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Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. If you have a disability
that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the AccessAbility Services
Office.
(d) Academic Integrity & Academic Misconduct
Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a university. The
University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously. The University of Toronto’s Code of
Behaviour on Academic Matters outlines the behaviours that constitute academic dishonesty and the
processes for addressing academic offences. Students should note that copying, plagiarizing, or other
forms of academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Any student caught engaging in such activities
will be subject to academic discipline ranging from a mark of zero on the assignment, test, or
examination to dismissal from the university as outlined in the Code of Behavior on Academic
Matters. Any student abetting or otherwise assisting in such misconduct will also be subject to
academic penalties. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:
In papers and assignments:
• Using someone else's ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement
• Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the instructor
• Making up sources or facts
• Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment (this includes collaborating
with others on assignments that are supposed to be completed individually)
On tests and exams:
• Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone
• Looking at someone else's answers
• Misrepresenting your identity
• Submitting an altered test for re-grading
Misrepresentation:
• Falsifying institutional documents or grades
• Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not limited to),
medical notes
If you have any question about what is or not is permitted in the course, please do not hesitate to
contact the instructor. If you have any questions about appropriate research and citation methods, you
are expected to seek out additional information from the instructor or other University of Toronto
resources such as The Writing Centre or the Academic Advising & Career Centre. If you would like
to find out more information regarding university advice for ‘How not to plagiarize’, please use this
link. More generally, this link includes a lot of useful advice for students on academic writing.
For information and resources on Academic Integrity, please visit the Office of Academic Integrity
FAQs.
(e) FIPPA language:
This course and tutorials, including your participation, may be recorded on video and may be
available to students in the course for viewing remotely and after each session. Course tutorials
videos. Tutorial viedoes, and materials belong to your instructor, the University, and/or other
sources depending on the specific facts of each situation, and are protected by copyright. In this
course, you are permitted to download session videos and materials for your own academic use,
but you should not copy, share, or use them for any other purpose without the explicit permission
of the instructor.
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For questions about recording and use of videos in which you appear please contact your
instructor.
(f) Email
At times, the course instructor may decide to communicate important course information by email. As
such, all UofT students are required to have a valid UTmail+ email address. You are responsible for
ensuring that your UTmail+ email address is set up AND properly entered on the ACORN system.
For more information, please visit this link.
Forwarding your utoronto.ca email to a Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or other type of email account is not
advisable. In some cases, messages from utoronto.ca addresses sent to Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo
accounts are filtered as junk mail, which means that important messages from your course instructor
may end up in your spam or junk mail folder.
Academic Support
(a) UTSC Library
The BRIDGE and the UTSC Library are operating online! We are offering our full suite of programs
and services to support students, staff, and faculty in their studies, research projects, and experiential
learning initiatives.
Visit The BRIDGE @ Quercus to:
• Participate in virtual events and competitions
• Get research and data analytics help
• Access data and academic research tools and tutorials
• Get support in entrepreneurship and the New Venture Program
• Learn more about Work Integrated Learning
To find out more about the UTSC Library’s support for students while studying remotely, please visit
the UTSC Library Website
For all other inquiries, please email thebridge@utsc.utoronto.ca or email your Liaison Librarian,
Mariana Jardim mariana.jardim@utoronto.ca
(b) Health & Wellness Centre
The Health & Wellness Centre provides professional and confidential medical, nursing, counselling,
health promotion, and education services to all UTSC students. These services are offered in a safe,
caring, respectful, and empowering environment that is directed toward optimizing your personal,
academic, and overall wellbeing. To access these services, please use this link and when visiting the
Health & Wellness Centre, please bring a valid T-card and Health card.
(c) Academic Advising and Career Centre
The Academic Advising and Career Centre (AA&CC) at UTSC integrates developmental advising,
learning/study skills, career counselling, and employment coaching.
(d) English Language Development Centre
The English Language Development Centre (ELDC) helps students develop the critical thinking,
vocabulary and academic communication skills essential for achieving academic and professional
success. Personalized support includes RWE (for academic writing), Communication Cafés (oral),
Discussion Skill-Building Cafés, Vocabulary Cafés, seminars/workshops, personal ELD
consultations, and drop-in sessions. Students in this course should complete the Academic English
Health Check (AEHC) by registering for any of the available sessions.
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(e) The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre (TWC) offers invaluable services to students (learn to become a better writer!)
and offers many different kinds of help: drop-in sessions, individual consultations, workshops, clinics,
and online writing handouts.
(f) Studying
The coverage of material in these courses is extensive and rigorous. Experience has shown that
students who fail to keep up-to-date at all times, no matter what their previous background in the
subject, will tend to have difficulty in handling the material, which is of a cumulative nature, on tests
and examinations.
It is generally agreed that one needs to work through a substantial number of exercises and problems
in order to understand the concepts and procedures involved in accounting courses. In the class
sessions a number of text questions and cases will be discussed. It is important to understand that
questions on the tests and final examination may differ significantly from text exercises. Questions
from the text usually reflect the material in a single chapter, are often variations of chapter
illustrations, cover only selected portions of the assigned material, are usually "complete" problems
(in the sense that one is expected to follow a logical procedure from start to finish) and are done on an
"open-book" basis.
Questions discussed/solved in class should be viewed as a minimum effort in order to understand the
course. Students are strongly urged to attempt other problems from the text. To assist in the effort,
the solution manual will be available to use to check your answer during the instructor’s office hours.
In all instances, students should attempt their own solution of problems before verifying their answers.
Photocopying of solutions will not be permitted.
(g) Counseling and Accounting Aid Centre
Students who have problems or questions that cannot be discussed in the class sessions are
encouraged to attend the instructor’s office hours. For those students who wish to try extra problems
from the textbook, solutions may be checked during their instructor’s office hours. The instructor and
TA office hours will be posted on Quercus.
Questions relating to administrative, registration, degree/program requirements should be directed to
management-supervisor-studies@utsc.utoronto.ca.
(h) Exam Conflicts
As per the exam conflict policy, students are required to notify the Registrar’s Office if they 1) have a
direct conflict with two exams that overlap; 2) have three consecutive exams in three consecutive time
slots; or 3) have a conflicting religious observance.
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Detailed Course Schedule
MGAB03H3 COURSE SYLLABUS
TEXT CHAPTER Discussion/Self- Tutorial Questions Assignments
Week
#
Date To be read before the online Study Questions Due Date
session
Ch 1: Introduction E1-23, P1-38
1 May 06
Group Case Project: EDI E2-21
Ch 2: Cost Terminology & E2-22, P2-41, P2-42
1 May 08
Cost Function
2 May 13 Ch 3: CVP Analysis E3-37, P3-43, P3-56
Ch 5 (I): Cost Flows E5-21, E5-24, E5- Tutorial 1: Saturday, May 17
2 May 15 35 E1-25, E2-38, E3-29, Assignment #1
E3-32, E3-33, P3-48
Ch 5 (II): Job Costing E5-26, P5-54, P5-55
3 May 20
Ch 7: ABC & ABM E7-25, E7-30, P7- Tutorial 2: Sunday, May 25
3 May 22 47 E5-33, E5-34, P5-51, Group Case Project
E7-29, E7-33, P7-42
Ch 4: Decisions I (Non-routine E4-33, P4-43, P4-48 Friday, May 30
4 May 27 Operating Decisions) Bonus Qs Due
Ch 13: Decisions II (Strategic E13-26, P13-39, Guest Seminar: Saturday, May 31
4 May 29 Investment Decisions) P13-49 May 28, 17:00 – 18:00 Assignment #2
(all students must attend Sunday, June 1
this online seminar) Reflection paper
Midterm Test (35%) – (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7) – Date & Time (TBD)
Ch 18: Performance Evaluation E18-23, P18-34 Saturday, June 7
5 Jun 03 and Compensation Assignment #3
Ch 14: Pricing Decisions E14-29, E14-30, Tutorial 3:
6 Jun 05 (Transfer Price Policies – page E14-32 E4-30, E4-32
599-606) E13-27, E13-37, P13-44
Jun 09 Deadline to drop courses without academic penalty.
Ch 10: Budgeting & Control E10-31, E10-41,
6 Jun 10
E10-42
Group Project Presentation Tutorial 4: Friday, June 13
E10-39, P10-55 Bonus Qs due
6 Jun 12
E14-31, P14-42, P14-50 Saturday, Jun 14
Assignment #4
June 17 – 21 Final Exam (35%) – Time (TBD)
Please note that the deadline for all assignments is 11:59 pm on the due date.
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