Accounting with Project Management

Advances your understanding of how to use financial information to value and analyze firms. Uses an understanding of a firm's strategy, what is contained in financial reports, why firms report certain information, and how to be a sophisticated user of this information. Evaluates current performance and its future sustainability, forecasts future profitability and risk, and values businesses using earnings and book value data. Develops a foundation to effectively communicate financial information.

Investigates and evaluates techniques for identifying and measuring business risk and for devising strategies incorporating risk analysis into strategic planning. Ties strategic objectives, risks, internal controls and critical success factors to business performance measurements to evaluate an entity's progress toward achieving strategic goals. Includes both quantitative and qualitative measurements and emphasizes effective communication of financial information.

Examines major international dimensions of financial and managerial accounting. Discusses national and cultural influences on accounting and on the accounting profession. Investigates financial regulation and IFRS accounting and financial reporting standards. Investigates corporate decisions related to methods of currency translation and accounting for gains and losses from exchange rate fluctuations. Explores managerial accounting issues raised by international organizations.

Students will explore how technologies like cloud computing, blockchain, and non-generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing the field of accounting by automating accounting processes, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. The course also addresses critical issues like cybersecurity, data privacy, and ethical considerations specific to the accounting profession. Future trends will also be explored.

Focuses on complex frauds (including financial statement fraud, tax fraud and money laundering), and on non-fraud forensic accounting engagements (including cases of patent infringement, commercial damages and anti-trust.) Covers related investigation methods and legal issues, valuation models, reporting and communicating findings, testifying as an expert witness and other litigation advisory services.

Students will focus on the application of technologies in auditing and how the technologies change the audit processes and the audit profession. The course covers data-driven audit methods, the use of AI and machine learning in the audit processes.

This course is designed to introduce a systematic process for planning, organizing and controlling projects. The course will present a practical methodology for completing projects more quickly with fewer problems. Student work will consist of readings, research, class special-topic presentations, group activities, a project management journal, and participation in a real world IT business project. Students will be encouraged to apply project-management techniques to solve existing real-world technology-related business problems.

In this course, students study Agile project management methodologies, in the context of software development, as a way of achieving Software Engineering quality goals. Students will learn what projects lend themselves to an agile approach, and how the agile approach relates to traditional project management, while learning the tools and techniques of Agile.

In this course, students will explore project uses of accounting and financial information and the development and use of project cost accounts. An introduction to common cost engineering principles, financial systems, and conventions will enable students to develop and evaluate project budgets. In addition, students will learn techniques to integrate resources, schedules, and cost estimates throughout the life of the project to predict and manage cost performance.