what is cost accounting course

by Prof. Jettie Gottlieb III 10 min read

Course Description Cost accounting is an essential management tool that can uncover profitability improvements and provide support for key business decisions. The Cost Accounting Fundamentals course shows how to improve a business with constraint analysis, target costing, capital budgeting, price setting, and cost of quality analysis.

Cost accounting is an essential management tool that can uncover profitability improvements and provide support for key business decisions. The Cost Accounting Fundamentals course shows how to improve a business with constraint analysis, target costing, capital budgeting, price setting, and cost of quality analysis.

Full Answer

What you can learn about cost accounting?

  • Important Facts About This Occupation
  • Training and Education. Most people interested in becoming cost accountants enroll in four-year bachelor's degree programs. ...
  • Advanced Education. Earning a bachelor's degree is the minimum educational requirement for a career as a cost accountant.
  • Salary. ...

How to pass cost accounting?

  • Have all your class notes with you and organized by topic or chapter.
  • Mark the relevant chapters in your textbook with Post-it notes so you can easily flip to the information you need when you need it.
  • Have some extra pens and pencils handy.
  • Have any old homework assignments or exams with you. ...
  • Gather any practice tests you might want to use.

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How to teach cost accounting?

What you'll learn

  • The best managerial accounting course out there
  • Get ready for part of the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) on the CPA exam
  • Identify and explain the types and flows of manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs
  • Apply overhead cost using a job-order costing system
  • Apply overhead cost using a activity-based costing system

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How hard is cost accounting?

Cost accounting can be pretty basic/easy or the teacher can go into more complex problems and make the class harder. Tough it out, go to class, study, and you'll do fine. 2. level 1. hieroller. · 9y. At my school it is pretty dang easy. Its a repeat of freshman accounting II or managerial accounting.

What do we study in cost accounting?

Cost accounting involves assigning costs to cost objects that can include a company's products, services, and any business activities. Cost accounting is helpful because it can identify where a company is spending its money, how much it earns, and where money is being lost.

Is Cost Accounting a difficult course?

Many accountants will tell you that cost accounting is the most difficult accounting subject to learn. That's because cost accounting has many terms that are not used in other areas of accounting (financial accounting and management accounting, to name a few).

What is meant cost accounting?

Cost accounting is a method of managerial accounting which aims to capture the total production cost of a business by measuring the variable costs of each production phase as well as fixed costs, such as a lease expense.

What is the scope of cost accounting?

The scope of cost accounting goes beyond analyzing the expenses associated with a product or activity. It takes various aspects into consideration, including the types of costs, potential business ventures, budget preparation, profitability analysis and more.

What are the 4 types of cost accounting?

Types of cost accounting include standard costing, activity-based costing, lean accounting, and marginal costing.

What is an example of cost accounting?

Cost accounting involves determining fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs are expenses that recur each month regardless of the level of production. Examples include rent, depreciation, interest on loans and lease expenses.

What is cost accounting BCOM?

Cost Accounting is the process of accounting for cost which begins with the recording of income and expenditure and ends with the preparation of periodical statements and reports for ascertaining and controlling costs. Meaning of cost: Cost refers to the total expenses which are incurred to produce an article.

What are the 3 types of cost?

These expenses include:Variable costs: This type of expense is one that varies depending on the company's needs and usage during the production process. ... Fixed costs: Fixed costs are expenses that don't change despite the level of production. ... Direct costs: These costs are directly related to manufacturing a product.More items...

What are the benefits of cost accounting?

The Benefits of Cost AccountingCost Accounting Helps Businesses Accurately Ascertain Costs. ... Cost Accounting Can Improve Cost-Efficiency. ... Cost Accounting Forms the Foundation of an Effective Budget Plan. ... Cost Accounting Can Inform Better Decision Making. ... Cost Accounting Improves Departmental Accountability.

Is cost accounting is a science?

(ii) Art and Science Both: Cost accounting is a science because it has its own principles and rules, which are followed on regular basis and in a systematic manner. It is also an art because its principles and techniques are used in solving the business problems through cost data.

What are the disadvantages of cost accounting?

Limitations of Cost Accounting – Cost Accounting is Unnecessary, Cannot be Adopted by Small Business Concerns, Very Costly and Results are MisleadingCost Accounting is Unnecessary: ... Cost Accounting System cannot be adopted by Small Business Concerns: ... Cost Accounting System is Very Costly: ... Costing Results are Misleading:

What is difference between financial accounting and cost accounting?

Cost Accounting refers to that branch of accounting which deals with costs incurred in the production of units of an organization. On the other hand, financial accounting refers to the accounting concerned with recording financial data of an organization, in order to exhibit exact position of the business.

Why should I do this cost accounting training?

This course is the best course on the cost accounting you would ever find in the market. Then, why shouldn’t you do this course?

How would this cost accounting training course benefit me?

This course isn’t for everybody. If you’re in accounting or want to learn cost accounting in detail, this course will act as an expert guide.

I don’t have any background in finance, should I do this cost accounting training course?

If you understand mathematics and have a sense of a little bit of accounting, you can do this course.

Course Curriculum

This entire online cost accounting course is divided into five sub-courses which can be done separately as well. But to extract the best out of the entire course, it’s better that you follow the sequence and do all five sub-courses.

Cost Accounting Certificate of Completion

Willingness to do this cost accounting course: The first pre-requisite to this training is your willingness and commitment to do this course. Only going through the course will not make you an expert in cost accounting. You need to simultaneously practice on your own while you learn.

What is the objective of cost accounting?

Often, the simplest and most important objective of cost accounting is to determine selling prices. A business that sells sandwiches, for example, would need to track the cost of bread, lettuce, sandwich meats, mustard, and other ingredients. Otherwise, it would be difficult to calculate how much to charge for a sandwich.

Why is cost accounting important?

Cost accounting is helpful because it can identify where a company is spending its money, how much it earns, and where money is being lost. Cost accounting aims to report, analyze, and lead to the improvement of internal cost controls and efficiency. In short, cost accounting is a system of operational analysis for management.

What is financial accounting?

Financial accounting is designed to help those who don't have access to inside business information, such as shareholders, lenders, and regulators. For example, retail investors who analyze financial statements benefit from a company's financial accounting.

What is operating cost?

Operating Costs. Operating costs are the costs to run the day-to-day operations of the company. However, operating costs—or operating expenses—are not usually traced back to the product being manufactured and can be fixed or variable.

What is direct cost?

Direct Costs. A direct cost is a cost that's directly tied to the production of a product and typically includes direct materials, labor, and distribution costs. Inventory, raw materials, and employee wages for factory workers are all examples of direct costs.

Is cost accounting legal?

There is no legal requirement for cost accounting—unlike financial accounting for publicly traded firms . Cost accounting is distinct and separate from general financial accounting, which is regulated by generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP) and is critical for creating financial statements. 1.

Is steel a variable cost?

Costs that increase or decrease with production volumes tend to be classified as variable costs. A company that produces cars might have the steel involved in production as a variable cost.

Activity-Based Cost Analyses

Activity-based costing calls for the accumulation of overhead costs into cost pools, from which the costs are allocated to cost objects. The intent is to gain a better understanding of what causes overhead costs.

Breakeven Analysis

Breakeven analysis calls for the calculation of the sales level at which a business or product line breaks even. This is useful for determining business or product line viability.

Cost Control

Cost control is the analysis of expenditures to see if any can be reduced or eliminated. This is a significant driver of organizational profitability.

Minimum Pricing Analysis

Minimum pricing analysis delves into the lowest prices that can be charged, while still earning a profit. This analysis is usually conducted for large-volume special deals.

Standard Cost Development

Standard costing requires one to develop standard costs for products. This analysis is usually conducted in conjunction with the engineering department.

Target Costing

Target costing involves setting a price at which a product can be sold for a reasonable profit, and then designing the product to have the specific cost structure needed to achieve the targeted profit.

Throughput Analysis

Throughput analysis focuses on bottleneck operations, to see if their usage is being maximized. This is a major driver of company profitability, and so is of great concern to the cost accountant.

What is cost accounting masters?

At the master’s level, cost accounting concentrations primarily focus on cost accounting roles and responsibilities, process control, corporate finances, and risk management. With master’s degrees in the field, graduates may qualify for advanced organizational management positions as corporate controllers and financial officers.

What is cost accounting concentration?

Cost accounting concentrations create new career pathways, which branch off from traditional accounting paths. Concentrated training in business processes and financial management can open up doors to a range of management positions.

How does cost accounting differ from general accounting?

Cost accounting differs from general accounting in that it focuses more on internal management successes, rather than financial accuracy and compliance. Cost accountants typically use their skills to improve all areas of an operational chain, including purchasing, logistics, and employee efficacy.

What is AAA in accounting?

The AAA was founded in 1916 and hosts the largest network of accounting academics in the country. Through teaching, research, and networking, the association seeks to shape the industry and the accounting profession. Members can access the association’s research, training, and career center. Society of Cost Management.

How much do accountants make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accountants make a median annual wage of $71,550, with the top 10% of earners making more than $124,000 per year. Prospective accountants can pursue a variety of concentrations, depending on their interests ...

What is the American Association of Finance and Accounting?

The American Association of Finance and Accounting. Established in 1978, the AAFA hosts one of the most extensive networks and career search databases in the industry. Members can access career development resources, such as a career board and consulting and networking opportunities.

What is a management accountant?

Management accountants review and analyze organizations’ financial information. These professionals seek ways to improve operations through finances, such as budget control and performance evaluation. They also use their skills for risk assessment, forecasting, and financial investments.

What does it cost for future success?

Discover the tool that provides information on how to better understand costs in your business. Be able to make distinctions between the different types of costs and how they behave with different activity levels. You can recognize these quick cost accounting techniques as a value-added enhancing tool.

Gain experience with detailed exercises

The practical hands-on exercise uses real-world examples and are designed to give you real-world knowledge on how to apply daily cost accounting principles.

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Understanding Cost Accounting

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Even though cost accounting is commonly referred to as a costing method, the scope of cost accounting is far broader than mere cost. Cost accounting has elements of traditional bookkeeping, system development, creating measurable information, and input analysis. Modern methods of cost accounting first emerge…
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Types of Costs in Cost Accounting

  • Although there are many types of coststhat businesses can incur depending on their industry, below are a few of the most common costs involved in cost accounting.
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Cost Accounting vs. Financial Accounting

  • Financial accounting and cost accounting systems can be differentiated based on their respective target audiences. Financial accountingis designed to help those who don't have access to inside business information, such as shareholders, lenders, and regulators. For example, retail investors who analyze financial statements benefit from a company's financial accounting. Alternatively, c…
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Objectives of Cost Accounting

  • Often, the simplest and most important objective of cost accounting is to determine selling prices. A business that sells sandwiches, for example, would need to track the cost of bread, lettuce, sandwich meats, mustard, and other ingredients. Otherwise, it would be difficult to calculate how much to charge for a sandwich. Cost accounting is also used to help with cost controls. Firms w…
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