We develop your ability to analyze the economic costs of important decisions within a firm. These decisions include make vs. buy, abandon vs. continue, setting transfer prices, and evaluating employee performance, to name a few. When you leave the course, you will understand key costing concepts such as overhead allocation, activity-based costing, capacity costs, customer profitability, transfer pricing, performance evaluation, and internal controls. We apply a case-based approach to learning. Cases cover both the manufacturing and service sectors. The course is highly recommended for students intending to become management consultants, entrepreneurs, managers (e.g., CEOs, CFOs, product managers), and anyone with an interest in learning how firms make product and service decisions from a cost-analysis perspective
Business 30000, 33001, 41000 (or 41100). Cannot enroll if BUSN 20101 or 30001 taken previously. Non-Booth students require faculty permission.
Cases will be available in Canvas. The textbook we will use is Fundamentals of Cost Accounting (2025 release) by Lanen, Anderson and Maher.
The course is primarily case-based; therefore, class participation is important. The final grade is based on class participation, problem sets, case write-ups, and a final exam. The course cannot be taken pass/fail. No auditors. Provisional grades (for joint degree and non-Booth students only). No early final grades.
- Allow Provisional Grades (For joint degree and non-Booth students only)
- No auditors
- No pass/fail grades
Description and/or course criteria last updated: October 21 2025
