Introduction to Accounting

In this course, students will learn the accounting process for the public sector. The student will get familiar with the importance of budgets for the accounting public sector. It will provide students with a thorough understanding of the theoretical foundations underlying public accounting. Students will learn the basic accounting transactions related to public organizations and government. Students must understand both how transactions lead to financial statements and to determine and evaluate the outcomes of that process. Skills development: -Ability to work individually -Team work skills -Critical thinking -Ethical behaviour

Chapter 1: Introduction to Public Sector Accounting - 1.1 The public sector - 1.2 Public Sector activities and the need for information - 1.3 Public Sector Accounting: formal concept - 1.4 Users of accounting information - 1.5 Characteristics of accounting information - 1.6 Accounting Standards for Public Sector - 1.7. Differences and similarities between Public Sector Accounting and Commercial Accounting Chapter 2: Information for Public Sector in Spain - 2.1 The Public Sector Information System - 2.2 Structure and Concept of budget - 2.3 Factors giving rise to public expenditure - 2.4 Factors giving rise to public revenues Chapter 3: Accounting Plan for Public Sector - 3.1 Structure of Public Sector Accounting System - 3.2 Conceptual Framework - 3.3 Chart of accounts - 3.4 Financial statements Chapter 4: The accounting method - 4.1 Accounting transactions - 4.2 Instruments for recording transactions - 4.3 The accounting system - 4.4. The accounting cycle - 4.5. Illustrating how to record basic transactions Chapter 5: Financial Statements for Public Sector - 5.1 Financial statements - 5.2 Balance Sheet o Assets o Liabilities o Borrowing capacity - 5.3 Income statement - 5.4. Budget information in Financial Statements - 5.5. Statement of owners ¿equity - 5.5. Cash flow statement - 5.6. Notes to the financial statements Chapter 6: Analysis of Financial Statements for Public Sector - 6.1 Usefulness of information presented in the notes to the financial statements - 6.2 Budgeting information - 6.3 Financial and budget indicators - 6.4 Information in relation to cost of activities - 6.5. Management indicators

This course is appropriate for first year students where the lecturer¿s main role is to act as a guide and a tutor of the learning process. With this system, the student is encouraged to have a more dynamic and participative attitude in class. The student will learn to organize and schedule his/her own timetable. Team work is also an important part of this course. The overall content of the course comprises: 1. Material to follow the lectures: basic reference book and slides 2. Set of exercises related to each chapter which is to be solved at the tutorials. This material will be provided to the student at the beginning of the course. 3. Set of tasks which are part of the continuous assessment process. These have to be solved in class by the students in groups and handled to the lecturer in one of the practical classes. A course timetable is also provided to the student which includes a detailed description of the dates for submission of tasks and the contents to be covered in each lecture and tutorial. The course consists of two one-hour and a half lecture, and a one-hour and a half tutorial per week.