Alfaisal University

College of Business
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program

DRAFT Course Syllabus for

MBA 510 Financial Accounting
FOR MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY SECTIONS

Course Instructor:
Name: Dr. Jan Smolarski
Office Address: BG 3.36
Email: jsmolarski@alfaisal.edu
Profile: n/a
Office Phone: 011 215 8956
Office hours: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 4:30 pm to 5:30PM.
Other times by appointment.

Mission Statements
University Mission: Alfaisal is a student-centered university creating and disseminating knowledge through
world-class academic programs, research, and service that benefits humanity.

College Mission: Our mission is to develop business leaders through quality education, research excellence,
and fostering partnerships with local and international communities.

Program Mission: The mission of the Master of Business Administration program is to develop world-class
managerial knowledge, skills and ethics necessary to have a sustainable impact on business and society.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge
P1 Graduates will be able to integrate and align core business concepts and functions to make ethical,
tactical and strategic decisions in real-world oriented settings.
Skills
P2 Graduates will be able to articulate ideas, reflections, recommendations and presentations clearly,
concisely and persuasively to diverse audiences.
P3 Graduates will be able to solve business problems using critical thinking, analysis and research skills.

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P4 Graduates will demonstrate how to deal with business obstacles using existing change models and
processes.
Competence
P5 Graduates will demonstrate the use of leadership tools and techniques in solving business and
organizational problems.
P6 Graduates will demonstrate the ability to use innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to take
advantage of the social, political, technological and economic advancements.
P7 Graduates will be able to demonstrate commitment to continuous personal and professional
development.

Course Catalogue Description:

The objective of this course is to provide prospective users and decision makers of corporate financial
information, such as managers, stockholders, financial analysts, and creditors with the fundamentals of
financial accounting. While the course will give students the opportunity to develop the technical skills
needed to read, analyze, and interpret financial data, the emphasis is clearly on decision making. In this
course, students will study the assumptions and concepts underlying financial reporting, basic accounting
equation and how it affects financial transactions, as well as constructions and interpretations of financial
statements. The most important part of the course, however, is earnings management, asset and liability
valuation, internal control, impairments, and revenue recognition. Prerequisite for this course is Pre-MBA
503 or a relevant business degree or prior basic knowledge in financial accounting.

Prerequisites: Pre-MBA Accounting (PMBA 505), Introduction to Accounting & Finance, or similar
course.

Learning Domains and Corresponding Learning Outcomes:

Learning Domains* Learning Outcomes
1. Knowledge 1.1: Develop an understanding of the fundamentals and concepts that underlies
the financial accounting and financial reporting.
1.2: Be able to understand the accounting cycle, preparation and interpretation of
financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow
statement.
2. Skills 2.1: Be able to analyze business transactions and recognize their impact on
financial statements and financial accounting decision making.
2.2: Be able to speak the language of business, understand the technical details of
financial transactions, and appreciate the financial consequences of their
decisions.
3. Competence 3.1: Be able to use accounting for analytical and decision making purposes.
3.2: Understand and practice earnings management, valuation (assets and
liabilities), revenue recognition, and internal controls.

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* See additional information at end of this document for the SAQF definitions of these learning domains.

Required Course Materials:

1 Introduction to Financial Accounting, Second Edition (Based on International Financial
Reporting Standards) by Henry Dauderis and David Annand.
2 Financial Accounting: Tools for Decision Making by Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso.
3 Additional reading materials (mostly cases) will be required and/or provided. In some
cases, you may have to purchase cases. They are available from Ivey Case Sales or Harvard
Business School Publishing.

Acquiring textbooks: students have the below options to acquire required textbooks:
(a) Order directly using stated ISBN from local bookshops (e.g. Jarir) or through on-line services (e.g.
amazon.com).
(b) Purchase an electronic version of the book (if available) through suitable on-line channel.
(c) Join as a group and order multiple copies to save delivery costs.

Grading: This may vary and include homework, quizzes, projects, exams, presentations, and other
creative activities to assess the course learning outcomes:
Cases and Assignments – 4 in total. Note that the 30%
first assignment is split into two sections for a total
of 7.5%.
Quizzes - 4 in total. 10%
Mid-term Exam I 12.5%
Mid-term Exam II 17.5%
Final Exam 30%
TOTAL 100%

Grading System For Graduate Courses

(Approved by RGC 48th Mtg 22 Feb 2017, UC 7 March 2017 & RGC 56th Mtg 31 Jan 2018)
Letter Grade Points (GPA) Percentage Grades in English
A 4.00 95-100 Excellent
A- 3.67 90-94 Excellent
B+ 3.33 86-89 Very Good
B 3.00 83-85 Very Good
B- 2.67 80-82 Very Good
C+ 2.33 75-79 Good/High Good
C 2.00 70-74 Good
F 0.00 0-69 Fail
S/U - Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
I - Incomplete

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W - Withdrawn
WP - Withdrawn Penalty
AU - Audit
CR - Credit
CC - Continual course
NC - No Credit
P/F Pass/Fail
R - Retake

Timetable, course contents and topics (note: you will receive detailed guidance for all quizzes and
exams). The syllabus is based on a block approach, except for Financial Analysis, which to some
extent will be covered throughout the semester. This schedule is subject to change at the
discretion of the instructor.
List of Topics/chapters Week/ Additional Information
Date
Introduction to the course and January 16th The accounting equation, double entry
Introduction to Financial Accounting accounting (debits and credits, calculating
account balances (T-accounts), introduction
to adjusting entries. The concept of accrual
accounting. Methods of Depreciation
Journal entries, including adjusting entries.

Financial Accounting January 23th Calculation of account balance, T-Accounts,

preparation of financial statements. Balance
Sheet/Income Statement/Statement.

Introduction to revenue recognition.

Movie assignment: Watch the movie “The

Accountant” with Ben Affleck.

Review of Basic Accounting January 30th You will be required to complete the 1st quiz
and complete two cases in class (each case is
worth 3.75%). You must be present or
provide a valid medical excuse through e-
forms. Essentially, 9.5% of your semester
grade is determined this evening.
Quiz 1 topic: Journal entries (regular and
adjusting). Cases: TBA.
Exam I February 6th, Exam I. Each class will have a separate exam.
7th, and 8th. Exam I is worth 12.5% of your total grade.

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Review of Basic Accounting Week of Depreciation Methods, Gains & Losses,

February 13th Inventories, COGS

Revenue Recognition February 13th Quiz 2. Depreciation Methods. Double-

Declining Balance, Straight-line and Specific
Identification/Specific use.

Introduction to revenue recognition.

Revenue Recognition February 20th Revenue Recognition.

and 21st

Long-weekend February Long weekend. Note that the long weekend

22/23 starts on Wednesday, which means I will
schedule a make-up session for the
Wednesday class.
Revenue Recognition Week of Revenue recognition: In-class practice
February 27th. session. You will come to class and complete
the assignment in class. It’s an open book
group assignment. Maximum 3 group
members.

Movie Assignment: Total Recall (The Arnold

Schwarzenegger version) and Matrix (1st).
Please watch by February 12th.
Spring Break March 3rd Spring break
- 11th

Earnings Management March 13th Earnings Management

Earnings Management March 20th Earnings Management

Company/Asset/Liability Valuation: Week of Discounted cash flow analysis: assets,

th
Time value of money and discounted March 27 liabilities and company valuation. We will do
cash flow analysis (present value and three types of valuation: company, liabilities,
net present value analysis only). Please and assets. Only asset and liability evaluation
bring a calculator. will be on the final exam.
Earnings Management Exam April 1st Saturday earnings management exam

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Discounted cash flow analysis: assets, Week of April Discounted cash flow analysis: assets,
liabilities and company valuation. 3rd liabilities and company valuation.

Discounted cash flow analysis: assets, Week of April Project 2: Preliminary version of Company
liabilities and company valuation.
Eid Break
10th Valuation Project is due. Note: these will all
be 30-minute Zoom presentations, or if you
prefer in my office. Each group will present
separately. There will be no face-to-face class
this week. You will need to schedule a time
with me when it’s convenient for both
parties.
th
April 14 Eid Break
– April 25th

Project 2 is due. April 29th.

Project 2: Final version of Company
Valuation is due on Saturday, April 29th at
11PM.
Discounted cash flow analysis: assets, Week of May Quiz 3 – Liability Valuation. Begin financial
liabilities and company valuation. 1st. statement analysis.

Financial Statement Analysis. Week of May Financial Statement Analysis. Ethics and fun
8th stuff.

Financial Statement Analysis. Week of May Quiz 4 – Financial Statement Analysis

15th Ethics and fun stuff. Review for the final
exam.
th
Ethics Assignment May 19 . Ethics assignment due.

Final exams begin Week of May Exact final exam date to be announced.
21st Topics: asset and liability valuation, ethics,
and financial statement analysis. There will
be no company valuation material on the
exam.

Support information:

1. Academic Policies and Procedures

1.1. The students are expected to come to their classes fully prepared and on time. They are expected to be
engaged and take notes. Their cellphones must be turned off at all times.

1.2. In case of extreme circumstances where a student cannot take an exam, he/she MUST contact the
instructor prior to the exam.

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1.3. No course related assignment will be accepted after the deadline.

1.4. Signing an attendance sheet for another student is prohibited as this constitutes falsification of an
academic record. Such cases will be referred to the Dean of the CoB and may lead to expulsion from the
course and the University.

1.5. Cheating on a quiz, test, essay assignment or examination is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated.
The CoB has zero tolerance for such misconduct, and all cases of cheating will be reported initially to the
Dean and may lead to a variety of penalties being imposed.

2. Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory and requires more than physical appearance and signing the attendance sheet
(attendance is taken regularly). We encourage a school culture that promotes punctuality, commitment, and
responsibility. The professor should specify a clear policy on attendance and class participation. According to
the University policy, absence should not exceed 15%. Good attendance is correlated with high student
performance. The attendance policy should be stated in the course syllabi. According to Alfaisal University
policy, a student with absence exceeding 15% should withdraw from the course, or risk receiving an “F” grade
in the course. Absences amounting to less than 15% are intended to accommodate medical emergencies, work-
related travel, and cases of bereavement of an immediate family member. Only in these cases will the student
be allowed to make up missed class work, homework or missed exams. For any other absences, the student
will not be allowed to make up missed class work nor to take the missed exams. It is the student’s responsibility
to keep track of his/her absences, study the impact on his/her grade, and avoid obtaining a bad grade due to
absence/s. Statistically, it is known that good attendance is correlated with high student performance.

A DN grade cannot be replaced with an R (Retake) grade when the course is retaken. If a student receives a DN
in a course and decides to retake the course, the highest grade that can be achieved in the course is a C.
Therefore, the College has developed new scheme to mitigate the impact of the DN grade on the students’
achievement. In this scheme, the college will give every student one chance to surpass the DN based on the
following:

1. A student with a “DN” grade can sign a pledge not to have DN in any future course; otherwise, the “DN”
will be assigned if its conditions apply.
2. If the student refuses to sign the pledge, then he/she will be assigned an “F” grade in that course.
3. If the student refuses both of the above, then “DN” will stand.

The pledge will be provided by the college and signed only once the student is attending Alfaisal. Thereafter,
if the DN conditions happen again, the instructor is required to give a DN grade.

3. CoB Examination Policy

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3.1. Students are required to be at the designated examination room 15 (fifteen) minutes before the
examination starts. To minimize disruption, no one will be allowed to enter the examination room after
examinations have started. During the examination, you may only use materials that the faculty
member in charge has approved and to adhere to all Alfaisal and CoB policies covering academic
honesty, integrity and plagiarism.

3.2. Makeup Exam Policy. Graduate students may not miss, defer, delay or postpone their attendance at any
examinations unless there are documented exceptional reasons for doing this. Students must submit
documents to the MBA Office in support of their request to retake an exam. The MBA Program
manager verifies the legitimacy of the request and forwards the case for approval to the Graduate
Business Program Director or Dean. The following policy has been adopted by the CoB Faculty:
a. Dropping the lowest grade exam score is not allowed.
b. Duplicating original exams to give as make-up exams is not allowed.
c. Only one opportunity to take a make-up exam will be provided.
d. Make up exam/s must take place as soon as possible, and always before the next exam.

4. Usage of Wireless Communications Devices during Examination

The use of wireless communication devices (e.g. cell phones, iPads or any other wireless or connected
devices) is strictly prohibited during all examinations. Therefore, the students are strongly encouraged
not to bring any wireless or connected communication devices into the examination room. If you do
have to bring a wireless communication device into the examination room, it must be turned off and
either; left in your bag or briefcase or handed to the course instructor or the teaching-assistant for the
duration of the examination.

The unauthorized use of such devices may result in your immediate removal from the examination room
and you will receive an automatic ‘fail’ for the examination where the offense occurred. This policy will
be strictly enforced.

5. Alfaisal Academic, Plagiarism and Grading Policies

The university policies relating to attendance, punctuality and appropriate behavior in class, avoiding
plagiarism in assignments and so forth can be found in the Alfaisal University Graduate Policies and
Procedures: https://research.alfaisal.edu/graduate-policies-procedures
In brief, this stipulates that students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity
in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against a
student accused of scholastic dishonesty or plagiarism.
Furthermore, all students should familiarize themselves with, and abide by, the policies for academic
honesty and plagiarism outlined in the Student Guide.
Although it is not mentioned in the Student Guide, the COB also regards any assignments that are
presented as your own original work but have been written, in whole or in part, by someone else as
plagiarism.
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Plagiarism will be subject to a range of sanctions including, but not limited to, a zero mark being awarded
for the plagiarized test, assignment or examination. Those who engage in repeat acts of plagiarism may
receive a fail mark for the entire course and face possible expulsion from the graduate program.

6. Precautionary Measures for COVID-19 Crisis

Reinforcement of compliance to precautionary measures is the responsibility of all members of Alfaisal

community. As per the university executive instructions, in dealing with COVID-19 issued, the students must
adhere to the following guidelines:
a) Face covering is mandatory in Alfaisal campus: each students is to wear a face covering inside the
buildings and outside on campus.
b) Physical distancing of 1 meter at least (about two arms' length) at all times including in classrooms,
labs, when queued inline, others.
c) Frequent hand hygiene by either hand wash or use of hand sanitizers.
d) Strict adherence to the above precautionary measures is mandatory. Failure to follow them may lead
to disciplinary measures through the Deanship of Students Affairs.
e) Students experiencing any of the following circumstance (see below i & ii) are instructed to
immediately contact their instructors or designated member through their college for guidance and
further instructions before attempting to come to campus;
i. Symptoms like fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, difficulty breathing, headache, diarrhea,
loss of taste of smell sensations.
ii. Contact with a confirmed COVID-19 infected case.
f) For any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact immediately your instructor or
college administration.

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