AMOUD FACULT OF

UNIVERSIT BUSINESS &

Y PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATI
ON
COURSE OUTLINE
Course Code: XXXXXXXX
Course Title: Accounting for Governmental & Nonprofit Entities
Contact Hours: 45 Credit Units: 3 Duration: 15 Weeks
Facilitator: Name: Hibak A. Nouh Phone 0634560995: email address;
hibaaqahmed499@gmail.com

Course Background

This course introduces the fundamentals of accounting for nonprofit and

government organizations. It emphasizes the issues related to fund accounting,
including general and revenue funds, debt service funds, capital project funds,
internal service funds, enterprise and fiduciary funds, long-term debt and fixed-asset
accounting, and planning and control of cash and temporary investments. Other
topics include budgeting, budgetary control and reporting, management control,
financial reporting, budgeting and controlling operations, cost determination,
strategic planning, program analysis, measurement of output, reporting on
performance, full-accrual and modified-accrual accounting, cost determination, tax
levies, auditing, and preparation of financial statements.

Course Aims

This course aims to provide students with depth understanding for governmental
accounting & nonprofit issues. Upon completion of this course, students should be
able to:

1. Introduce students to the governmental accounting process, nonprofit

entities, basic concepts and practice. The course teaches students how
successful governmental units may conduct governmental accounting over
their control.
2. Provide students with a basic introduction to governmental accounting
environment, and public budgets.

3. Encourage students to analyze governmental accounting with best accounting

treatments.

1
Course Objectives

The learning objectives of the course are:

1. To evaluate transactions, prepare and analyze financial statements, write

financial briefings, and apply accounting rules and procedures. Topics
include the evaluation and preparation of reports required for governmental
and not-for-profit entities. 

Course Description

This course students learn about accounting and reporting requirements used by
government entities. The class focuses on the categorization of the major
government fund types and the terminology associated with Governmental
Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP). A study of the specialized accounting principles applicable to state and
local governments and other non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on fund
accounting principles used in the recording of assets, liabilities, equity, revenues and
expenditures. Also covers the analysis and interpretation of financial statements of
such governmental and nonprofit entities.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the class the student will be able to:

1. The characteristics and differences of the government environment that
necessitate the unique accounting and financial reporting.
2. The process of setting accounting and financial reporting standards for
government entities.
3. The bases of accounting and measurement focuses used by governments.
4. Fiscal accountability.
5. Exchange and no exchange transactions.
6. Budgeting in government.
7. Accounting and reporting in local governments, including: 
a. Fund accounting and reporting.
b. Government wide accounting and reporting.
c. Accounting and reporting for specific transactions.

Course Content Plan

Content Specific Content Duration

Introduction to Identify and explain the characteristics that Week 1
Accounting distinguish governmental and not-for-profit (3) Hours
and Financial entities from for-profit entities. Identify the
Reporting for authoritative bodies responsible for setting
Governmental financial reporting standards for (1) state and
and Not for local governments, (2) the federal government,
Profit Entities and (3) not-for-profit organizations. Contrast

2
Content Specific Content Duration
and compare the objectives of financial
reporting for (1) state and local governments,
(2) the federal government, and (3) not-for-
profit organizations. Explain the minimum
requirements for general purpose external
financial reporting for state and local
governments and how they relate to
comprehensive annual financial reports.
Explain the different objectives, measurement
focus, and basis of accounting of the
government-wide financial statements and
fund financial statements of state and local
governments.

Principles of Week 2
Accounting (3) Hours
and Financial Explain the nature of the three major activity
Reporting for categories of a state or local government:
State and governmental activities, business-type
Local activities, and fiduciary activities. Explain the
Governments components of GASB’s integrated accounting
and financial reporting model, including: The
reporting entity. Government-wide financial
statements
Fund financial statements. Definition of fund
and principles of fund accounting. Types of
funds in each fund category and characteristics
of each fund type. Discuss the nature of major
fund reporting and the criteria used to
determine whether a fund should be reported Week 3&4
Governmental as a major fund. (6) Hours
Operating
Statement Explain how operating revenues and expenses
Accounts; related to governmental activities are classified
Budgetary and reported in the government-wide financial
Accounting statements. Distinguish, at the fund level,
between Revenues and Other Financing
Sources and between Expenditures and Other
Financing Uses. Explain how revenues and
expenditures are classified in the General Fund.
Explain how budgetary accounting contributes
to achieving budgetary control over revenues
and expenditures, including such aspects as:
Recording the annual budget. Accounting for
revenues. Accounting for encumbrances and
expenditures. Accounting for allotments.
Reconciling GAAP and budgetary amounts.

3
Content Specific Content Duration

Describe computerized accounting systems.

Explain the classification of revenues and
expenditures of a public-school system.
Week 5,6 &7
Accounting for Analyze typical operating transactions for (9) Hours
Governmental governmental activities and prepare
Operating appropriate journal entries at both the
Activities- government-wide and fund levels. Prepare
Illustrative adjusting entries at year-end and a pre-closing
Transaction and trial balance. Prepare closing journal entries
Financial and year-end General Fund financial
Statement statements. Account for interfund and intra-
and inter-activity transactions. Account for
transactions of a permanent fund. Distinguish
between exchange and nonexchange
transactions, and define the classifications used
for nonexchange transactions.

Describe the nature and characteristics of

Accounting for
general capital assets. Account for general Week 8,9&10
General
capital assets, including: acquisition, (6) Hours
Capital Assets
maintenance, depreciation, impairment, and
and Capital
disposition. Explain the purpose,
projects
characteristics, and typical financing sources of
a capital projects fund. Prepare journal entries
for a typical capital project, both at the fund
level and within the governmental activities’
category at the government-wide level. Prepare
financial statements for capital projects funds.
Explain the concepts and accounting Week 10,11
procedures for special assessment capital &12
projects. (6) Hours
Accounting for
General Long- Explain what types of liabilities are classified as
Term general long-term liabilities. Make journal
Liabilities and entries in the governmental activities general
Debt Service journal to record the issuance and repayment of
general long-term debt. Prepare note
disclosures for general long-term debt. Describe
the reasons for statutory debt limits and explain
the terms debt margin and overlapping debt.
Explain the purpose and types of debt service
funds. Describe budgeting for debt service
funds and make appropriate journal entries to
account for activities of debt service funds.

4
Content Specific Content Duration
Week 13,14&
Accounting for 15
the Business- (6) Hours
type Activities Distinguish between the purposes of internal
of State and service funds and enterprise funds. Describe the
Local characteristics of proprietary funds, including
Government those unique to internal service and enterprise
funds. Explain the financial reporting
requirements, including the differences
between the reporting of internal service and
enterprise funds in the government-wide and
fund financial statements. Describe accounting
procedures and prepare journal entries and
financial statements for an internal service
fund. Describe accounting procedures and
prepare journal entries and financial statements
for an enterprise fund.

Methodology
Individual, paired, and class room competition, with regular instructor feedback and
coaching. Class lectures will define, analyze and resolve issues and raise subsequent
ones. Students will study the book and other readings, attend lectures, participate in
class lectures, solve problems from the book, perform other assignments.

Evaluation
The course evaluation will comprise of Course and end semester examination.
Course will constitute 40% of the midterm, attendance, and assignment while the
end semester exams will constitute 60% of the total marks.

Attendance
Students are required to have attendance of lectures to be able to sit for end semester
examination.

Participation
Students are encouraged to participate in class discourse which will play a
significant role in assessing the course work.

Plagiarism
The university, in its examination policy, has specific regulations on plagiarism. This
should be emphasized in each course.

References
1. Earl R. Wilson, Jacqueline L. Reck, Susan C. Kattelus, 2010, Accounting for
Governmental and Nonprofit Entities 17 Edition

Effective Date

5
1/3/2021

Signed
A course outline must be signed the course lecturer and by the dean before it can be
accepted as a teaching tool. Note that a course outline is an official university
document.
……………………………………….
Facilitator

……………………………………….
Dean, Faculty of Business and Public administration

Filing
Once duly signed and stamped by the dean, the course outline will be made into
four (4) copies for (i), the Dean, (ii) the Coordinator; (iii) Library; and (iv) the
Lecturer. It is the duty of the lecturer to share the course outline with the students.