ACC-411-OL


	Syllabus for ACC-411-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Welcome to Auditing and Assurance Services (ACC-411-OL). This course is designed to provide you with the foundation needed to develop the skills required of an auditor. It focuses on the tools and processes necessary to complete an audit and includes a review of references and resources available on the Internet. It also emphasizes the skills necessary for auditors to make sound judgments and recommendations.

You will review the auditing process by examining internal controls and audit evidence that helps auditors to render an opinion on the financial statements as a whole. Furthermore, you will learn to evaluate such controls and evidence in order to make a documented conclusion on the evidence reviewed. The role of the Certified Public Accountant on a certified audit engagement is covered in detail.

Advisory: It is advisable to have completed ACC-401 Advanced Accounting Concepts I or knowledge in a course equivalent to ACC 201-Intermediate Accounting I with a grade of C or better to succeed in this course.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

Explain the role of the audit and auditor in business and society.

Define the auditor’s professional and legal responsibilities.

Apply analytical procedures for planning and analysis purposes.

Assess and define the internal controls of an organization.

Perform a variety of audit sampling techniques, including statistical sampling methods.

Plan and apply audit procedures to a variety of auditing situations, review audit evidence and make professional determinations based on the information obtained.

Identify audit issues that an auditor may face and how such audit issues can be resolved.

Discuss the different types of auditor opinions that a Certified Public Accountant can render during a certified audit engagement.

Differentiate between the variety of audit and assurance services that an auditor can provide to a client or to their employer.

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COURSE MATERIALS

The following textbook is required to do the work of the course. This textbook is available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook:

Alvin Arens, Randal J. Elder, and Mark Beasley, Auditing and Assurance Services: An Integrated Approach, 13th ed. (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Auditing and Assurance Services is a three-credit online course that is organized into six assignment modules.

Each module includes a reading assignment together with two discussion questions, self-test exercises so you can check your mastery of the material, and a written assignment that you must submit for grading.

This course also features a Case Study that you must complete and submit for grading progressively over several modules. (For details relating to this assignment, see below, "Case Study".)

You are required to take a midterm examination and a final examination.

For the course's assignment modules (reading, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

In addition to an ungraded but required discussion in module 1 titled "Introductions," Auditing and Assurance Services features twelve graded online discussions. Each module contains two of these discussion questions. All discussions take place on the class Discussion Board.

The Discussion Board also includes a "Class Lounge," which you can use throughout the semester to converse, post comments, ask questions, and share information about course-related topics and issues.

Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Auditing and Assurance Services requires you to submit a written assignment to your mentor for evaluation and grading in each module. The written assignments consist of financial analysis problems taken from your textbook.

Take the time to familiarize yourself with the written assignment questions before you begin each module. Conversely, be sure to complete all relevant readings before answering the questions. Before you begin to write, you might find it helpful to outline your answers, listing points you wish to make and the examples that support your ideas.

Do not copy answers from the textbook. Creative thinking and your own wording are important aspects of an effective answer. When you have completed an assignment, proofread your answers for correct grammar, spelling, etc., and be certain you have answered the questions completely.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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CASE STUDY

In addition to your written assignments Auditing and Assurance Services requires you complete a case study that you must submit for grading.

Based on an audit of Pinnacle Manufacturing, this case study has six parts which you will complete as part of your work for Modules 2, 3 and 4.

The Pinnacle Manufacturing Case Study, which is based upon the procedures found in an actual certified audit, will allow you to apply auditing theory to a real-life practical audit.

Files that you will need for the project are provided in the appropriate modules. They should be completed and uploaded according to the directions given.

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EXAMINATIONS

Auditing and Assurance Services requires you to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination during Week 7 and an unproctored, online final examination during the last week of the semester.

Midterm Examination
You are required to take a proctored midterm examination during Week 7 of the semester. The examination is a closed-book, comprehensive examination that covers material from modules 1, 2, and 3. The exam is two hours long and consists of multiple-choice questions and essay questions.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your examination and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm examination, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final is a closed-book, unproctored online examination. It is two hours long and covers all material assigned in modules 4, 5, and 6 of the course. The final examination consists of multiple-choice questions and essay questions.

The final examination is taken online in Blackboard. An examination link will be activated and made available to you at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the examination at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final examination.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.

Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.

Plagiarizing answers.

Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the examination.

Copying any part of the examination to share with other students.

Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your examination, the examination will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the examination is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the examination. If you exceed the time limit on the examination, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Online Discussions (12)	20%
Written Assignments (6)	15%
Case Study	15%
Midterm Examination	30%
Final Examination	20%

Letter grades for online participation and written assignments are based on the following numerical grades:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

Note: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have the material required for the course.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

We encourage you to go beyond the required learning activities in this course and to explore the different Web links provided in the various modules.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Course Materials

Course Structure

Online Discussions
Written Assignments

Case Study

Examinations

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success