Accounting (301-0-20)

Instructors

Robin J Bakal
r-soffer@northwestern.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment
Robin Soffer teaches Accounting in the Business Institutions program. She has also taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dominican University, Concordia University, Kellogg, and Keller Graduate School of Management. Robin is co-author of a textbook, Financial Statement Analysis - A Valuation Approach. Robin also consults with both large and small businesses, specializing in business strategy and training development and execution. Previously, Robin was a vice president at The Quaker Oats Company, where she worked in strategic planning, general management and finance. Robin holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, with concentrations in Finance and Marketing, and a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana. She is a Certified Public Accountant and received the Illinois Silver Medal on the CPA exam.

Meeting Info

Schapiro Hall 101: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

*INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*

The instructor for "Accounting" is: Robin Soffer (née Bakal).

This is an introductory survey course in accounting. The course covers both financial and managerial accounting. Students will learn to understand the financial statements of an organization, with emphasis on the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. Students will gain the ability to understand, analyze and explain the financial performance of a company and to make managerial decisions using this information. Students will prepare an in-depth financial analysis of a company.

This course is taught with an active learning approach. We use in-class cases, exercises and demonstrations to learn the material. Class attendance is crucial. The grade in the course will include homework, cases, two exams and a final project.

Registration Requirements

Prerequisites:
ECON 201: Intro to Macroeconomics
ECON 202: Intro to Microeconomics
*Any combination of ECON 201/ ECON 311/ AP-IB Macro and ECON 202/ ECON 310/ MMSS 211-1/ AP-IB Micro credit is required to register for this course.

Attendance at first class and fist TA session is mandatory.

Evaluation Method

Exam 1: 33%

Exam 2: 37%

Homework, cases and class contribution: 10%

Project: 20%

Class Materials (Required)

Information below is for last year's textbook. Please do not purchase textbook until it is confirmed by Professor Soffer.

This course requires a textbook and homework software (which comes with a new textbook or the electronic book). Estimated price for course materials is $150.

Accounting What the Numbers Mean, 13th edition, Marshall, McManus, Viele.
You must have the thirteenth edition.
The cost listed here is for the electronic book version. A hard copy version with the homework software is another option, but it is more expensive. All options can be viewed online, but you must purchase an option with Connect: https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/1264126743.html

Accounting What the Numbers Mean (e-book) + Connect, 13th edition, Marshall, McManus, Viele.
ISBN13: 9781265645151
$149.13 (Approx. Price)

*Please note that if you choose to purchase a used hard copy book, you will still need to buy the homework software, which is packaged with the electronic book at a cost of $149.13. You cannot buy the homework software alone.

Class Materials (Suggested)

Case pack from Harvard includes Chemalite
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/65200479
$4.25 (Approx. Cost)

Class Notes

There are no wait lists for BUS_INST courses. If the class closes before your registration time, please check back.

Students are required to enroll in the discussion section. If you're unable to attend the discussion section, please enroll in BUS_INST 301: Accounting in another quarter.

For more information, please view sample syllabus: https://businessinstitutions.northwestern.edu/courses/course-descriptions/index.html

*IMPORTANT DATES for WINTER 2025:

First two days of class are mandatory (including TA session): Tuesday, January 7 & Wednesday, January 8

First Exam: TBD

Second Exam: TBD

Last Day of Lecture: Thursday, March 6

Final Project Due: TBD

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: PRE-REG:Reserved for Business Institutions Program majors & minors. Prerequisite: Any combination of ECON 201/ECON 311/AP-IB Macro AND ECON 202/ECON 310/MMSS 211-1/AP-IB Micro credit is required to register for this course.