Overview

This unit has four primary aims. The first is to build a sound understanding of both transaction recording and of the preparation of the main reports that are output from accounting information systems (AIS), along with the role of accounting professional ethics in these activities. The second aim is to build a sound understanding of management accounting foundations. The third is to build an understanding of AIS development processes/ methods and of accountants’ roles in the different stages of the systems development lifecycle. And the fourth is to unpack the effects and implications of digital disruption and digital business transformation on accounting functions, and on the required roles and competencies of accountants.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply accounting principles, concepts, and techniques to record business transactions, produce accounting reports, and support operational or strategic decision making
  • Understand and apply accounting information systems analysis, design, development, implementation, and maintenance processes and techniques, as well as the role of accountants in optimising these processes and techniques
  • Analyse financial as well as non - financial information to make meaningful comparisons between a business' past, present and future performance
  • Understand the effects of digital disruption and digital business transformation on the roles of accountants, and the range of different digital technologies accountants can leverage to supercharge accounting value creation
  • Apply and evaluate valuate of the application of accounting professional ethics and business ethics in business decisions and practices, as well as of frameworks/standards (like IESBA and APES 110) that provide guidance on ethical values, norms, behaviours, and practices

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
Online
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
TOTAL150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment Group  10 - 20%  1,2,3,4,5
Case Study Report Group  20 - 30%  3,4,5
Examination Individual  40 - 60%  1,2,3,4,5
Test Individual  10 - 20% 

Content

  • Purpose and roles of conceptual framework and accounting standards
  • The role of accounting in business
  • Accounting professional ethics and business ethics
  • Purpose of the conceptual framework and accounting standards
  • Recording business transactions and preparing financial reports
  • Cost concepts, cost behaviours and costing methods
  • Accounting information systems (AIS) sourcing, design and development, implementation, maintenance, and lifecycle management 
  • Interpretation of financial reports and financial ratio analysis
  • Impact of digital disruption and digital business transformation on accounting roles and competencies
  • Leveraging digital technologies to expand accounting value creation (e.g., Big data, IoT, blockchain, artificial intelligence, robotics) 

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.