Study Programmes 2016-2017
GEST0368-2  
Cost Accounting
Duration :
30h Th
Number of credits :
Master in management (60 ECTS) (evening classes)5
Lecturer :
Anne Chanteux
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
- The company and its environment - Relation between financial accounting & cost accounting - Cost classification (variable/fixed, direct/indirect, full or not) - Analysis of direct costing and full costing - Calculating full costs : traditional approaches & activity based costing - Analysis of the pattern of a cost accounting network - Break-even point - Analysis of relevant costs for making decisions
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
At the end of this course, students should be able to :
  • explain aims of cost accounting
  • define and classify costs in actual, standard, direct, indirect, fixed and variable costs
  • calculate break-even-point and security margin
  • describe the various cost calculation methods
  • calculate costs with several methods and compare results
  • understand that cost calculation methods should have been chosen and applied according to specific criteria
  • analyse costs and margin and make decisions on that basis
These specific objectives mainly lead to the development of the following ILO :


  • To strengthen knowledge and understanding of main management disciplines and its legal, policy and social context
  • To understand, in management situations, the transversal tools of quantitative reasoning and information systems
  • To build and propose viable solutions to management problems
  • To develop a critical sense
  • To develop a transversal and global vision
  • Be able of a good written communication
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Financial accounting
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Theoretical concepts, tools and methods are constantly illustrated by concrete examples.
Moreover exercises based on actual cases are proposed to students during specific classes.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Face-to-face
Recommended or required readings :
Course book : CHANTEUX Anne et NIESSEN Wilfried, les tableaux de bord et business plan, Editions des Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie de Wallonie, 2005, 367 pages
Slides PPT & exercises :
--> available on the virtual campus Lol@

Additional bibliography (--> library) : - BESCOS P.-L. and MENDOZA C., "Le management de la performance, le premier bilan des applications en France des méhodes ABC et target costing", 1997, Ed. Molesherbes, Paris, 288 pages. - BOUQUIN Henri, "Comptabilité de gestion", 9th edition, 2010, Ed. Sirey, Paris. - DEHERRIPON Philippe, "Gestion par activités", 1999, Ed. d'Organisation, Paris, 168 pages. - GOUJET C. and RAULET C., "Comptabilité analytique et Contrôle de gestion", (tome 1 + corrigés), 7e édition, Dunod, 2007, 344 pages. - HORNGREN C. and FOSTER G., "Cost Accounting - A Managerial emphasis", Prentice Hall International, New Jersey, 2011, 14th edition. - LORINO P., "Le contrôle de gestion stratégique, la gestion par les activités", 1991, Paris, 213 pages. - RAVIGNON Laurent, BESCOS P-L & al, "La méthode ABC-ABM", Eyrolles, Paris, 3rd edition, 2007, 386 pages. - Reviews : Harvard Business Review, Revue Française de Comptabilité, Revue Française de Gestion.
Assessment methods and criteria :
1st session :
Continuous evaluation : 15 %
Individual written exam (theory + exercises) : 85 %
2nd session : Individual written exam
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
CHANTEUX Anne Lecturer UER Finance, Comptabilité et Droit HEC-Ecole de gestion de l'ULg Rue Louvrex, 14 4000 Liège Bât. N1 Tél: +32 4 2327261 Email: Anne.Chanteux@ulg.ac.be