ACCT 521 is advanced cost accounting in Liberty's MS in Accounting. Its written work is two forums, a 7 to 10-page research paper on an advanced cost topic you choose, a 10 to 12-slide PowerPoint connecting a course topic to your workplace, and a group faith integration essay of at least 1,000 words.
Liberty's catalog lists the course as ACCT 521 Advanced Cost Accounting, 3 credit hours; Canvas and the course guide file print it as ACCT521.
What ACCT 521 covers
The catalog description: This course will examine the importance of analyzing and managing costs; activity-based management, process costing and cost allocation; planning and decisions making, and evaluating and managing performance. This course is designed primarily for accounting/finance majors who seek careers or are already employed in for profit corporations or not for profit organizations as public (such as CPAs) or private (such as controllers and/or CMAs or CFMs) accounting/business leaders in a fast changing, highly technically oriented society.
The course examines analyzing and managing costs: activity-based management, process costing and cost allocation, planning and decision-making, and evaluating and managing performance. It is designed for accounting and finance students heading into or already in leadership roles in for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, in public practice (CPAs) or private roles (controllers, CMAs). The text is Lanen et al., Fundamentals of Cost Accounting.
Connect Plus homework (280 points) and three open-book exams (270) have no guide here, and three peer evaluations carry no points. Every source for the paper and the PowerPoint must be less than 3 years old.
Textbook named in the published guide: Lanen et al., Fundamentals of Cost Accounting (2017). Check the current edition in your Canvas section.
ACCT 521 assignments, week by week
Every graded written assignment in the published guide has its own how-to guide below. Quizzes, exams, checklists and class introductions are left out because there is nothing to write.
| Week | Assignment | Points | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Discussion Board Forum 1 | 50 | Thread at least 300 words; replies at least 150 words |
| 3 | Individual Paper | 150 | 7 to 10 pages, not including tables and graphs |
| 4 | Discussion Board Forum 2 | 50 | Thread at least 300 words; replies at least 150 words |
| 6 | Individual PowerPoint | 100 | About 12 minutes; 10 to 12 slides |
| 7 | Group Faith Integration | 100 | At least 1,000 words |
Week 1: Discussion Board Forum 1
A 300-word thread on the provided topic and two 150-word replies. How to write ACCT 521 Week 1 Discussion Board Forum 1.
Week 3: Individual Paper
A 7 to 10-page research paper on an advanced cost accounting topic you choose, with at least 6 accounting journal sources from the last 3 years. How to write ACCT 521 Week 3 Individual Paper.
Week 4: Discussion Board Forum 2
The second forum, with the same rules. How to write ACCT 521 Week 4 Discussion Board Forum 2.
Week 6: Individual PowerPoint
A 12-minute, 10 to 12-slide PowerPoint showing how a course topic connects to your workplace, with real samples and narrative in the notes. How to write ACCT 521 Week 6 Individual PowerPoint.
Week 7: Group Faith Integration
With your group, a 1,000-word essay on how the Bible relates to a course topic, posted to the class forum and submitted to SafeAssign, with at least 2 outside scholarly sources. How to write ACCT 521 Week 7 Group Faith Integration.
How ACCT 521 is graded
The published guide totals 1,010 points. The individual paper is 150, the PowerPoint and the group faith integration 100 each, the two forums 50 each (100), Connect Plus homework 280, exams 270 and the checklist 10.
| Graded item | Points |
|---|---|
| Individual Paper | 150 |
| Individual PowerPoint | 100 |
| Group Faith Integration | 100 |
| Discussion Board Forums (2) | 100 |
| Connect Plus Homework (8) | 280 |
| Connect Plus Exams (3) | 270 |
| Course Requirements Checklist | 10 |
The published scale puts an A at 940 to 1010 points.
Week timing in the published guide: Module/Week one begins on Monday and ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday. Modules/Weeks 2-8 begin on Saturday and end at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.
How to approach ACCT 521
The paper needs at least 6 accounting journal articles published within the last 3 years, and it is due in Week 3, so search journals such as Management Accounting Quarterly, Strategic Finance and The Accounting Review in Week 1.
For the PowerPoint, gather real (de-identified) samples from your workplace, such as a cost report, a budget or a variance analysis.
Questions students ask
How recent must ACCT 521 sources be?
The individual paper needs at least 6 accounting journal sources published within the last 3 years, and all PowerPoint sources must be less than 3 years old.
What is the ACCT 521 PowerPoint?
A presentation of about 12 minutes and 10 to 12 slides showing how a course topic connects to your workplace, with actual workplace samples and narrative in the notes for each slide.
Working through ACCT 521 now?
Tell us the week and the assignment. A tutor who knows the course replies with a plan for the draft.