Course Syllabus - UCLA Extension

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT
ONLINE COURSE SYLLABUS
INTERNAL AUDITING (X 423.2)
WINTER 2015
Course Title: Internal Auditing [252539]
Quarter:
Instructor:
Meeting:
Location:
Winter 2015
Professor A. M. Abohebeish, MBA, CPA, CIA
On-line, for 10 weeks
Canvas Software
OFFICE HOURS:
The instructor is available for telephone discussion and consultation. Please inform him via e
mail as to your desire to call him. The instructor will set up a time that accommodates your
and his schedules, and respond back to you. The instructor will check his e mail and the
website twice a day for six days a week). Let us all take Sundays off and enjoy the weekend.
BIOGRAPHY:
The Instructor has over 20 years of experience in internal auditing in aerospace business
(Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Lockheed Martin Corporation). In addition, and for
the past 25 years till present, your instructor is teaching several accounting subjects including
auditing at the California State University at Pomona. His experience included auditing
domestic corporations and other corporations or branches of domestic corporations in foreign
countries (Canada, China, Japan, and the Middle East). Other experience includes teaching
on line and Saint Leo University, and UCLA extension for over 10 years.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An advanced online course designed for accounting, auditing, and business students; CPA,
CIA, and CMA candidates; CPAs, CIAs, and CMAs; controllers and internal auditors;
financial and auditing managers; corporate executives; and federal and state auditors and
managers. Topics include IA fundamentals; IA standards; internal controls; managing the IA
department; IA working papers, procedures, evidences, sampling, and flow-charting; major
areas of operational auditing (covers 30 major areas, such as production, marketing, finances,
EDP, purchasing, personnel, etc.); fraud detection, including a discussion of the latest
developments in financial crimes; major areas of management auditing; IA reports; and
evaluation of the IA function.
COURSE GOALS/ OBJECTIVES:
Goals
The goal of this course is to assist students in the deepening of their understanding of internal
auditing, and internal controls. In addition, broadening their knowledge in the effective use of
internal audit and learning how to apply its concepts.
Tools to attain the goals
Examples of specific tools to achieve the stated goals are:
 An intense reading and study of the assigned chapters.
 Weekly discussion of topics identified by the instructor and shared with all students
with interaction among students using threaded discussions.
 Communicating in a professional manner the student’s personal learning experience
for one or more segment of study and share with all students.
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
Application of audit knowledge through the preparation of several discussions that
are shared with all students (at the instructor’s discretion.
COURSE FORMAT:
This is an on-line course. The entire course will be administered through Canvas software.
This is a distance learning course that offers participants flexibility and opportunities to
interact with other course participants (both students and instructor). Each participant is
independent and progresses according to the assigned weekly schedule. This course will
consist of assigned textbook readings, research and discussion questions, and other associated
assignments. All assignments are to be completed individually.
The student must realize that this is an adult learning course. Each student is responsible to
read the assigned chapters and the instructor’s supplements provided to you. If you have a
question, you owe it to yourself to raise the question and receive answers from a number of
students or from the instructor. I assure you that I monitor all the material posted on the
course website. I will comment if a student makes an error in his or her answers to your
questions.
REQUIRED COURSE TEXT AND READING:
 A Practical Guide to the Art of Internal Audit: Ahmed Abohebeish
(Preliminary Edition), Cognella Academic Publishing, ISBN 978-1-63189-715-3
or SKU 81384-1A. The book will be available through the publisher student
store: https://students.universityreaders.com/store/
Students can search by title, or by the author’s name.
The publisher of this book informed me that the preliminary edition of the
book will be available as a hard copy and as an electronic copy. What this
means is that if the student wants to purchase the electronic (digital) version
of the book, they can, and will have access to a full-color interior. Also, the
option to purchase the printed book as black and white with access to 30% of
the book digitally (which will contain all of the color areas) will still
available.
To purchase the textbook, please follow these instructions:
Step 1: Log on to https://students.universityreaders.com/store/
Step 2: Create an account or log in if you have an existing account to
purchase.
Step 3: Easy-to-follow instructions will guide you through the rest of the
ordering process. Payment can be made by all major credit cards.
Step 4: After purchasing, you can access your full or partial ebook (FREE
30% PDF) by logging into your account and clicking My Digital Materials
to get started on your readings right away.
If you experience any difficulties, please email [email protected] (Links
to an external site.) or call 800.200.3908 ext. 503.
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I hope everything goes smoothly. If I can help you in any way for any
reason, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Warm Regards,
Jennifer Bowen Levine
Administrative Program Manager, Cognella, Inc.
[email protected] (Links to an external site.), 800-200-3908
x550
3970 Sorrento Valley Blvd., Ste. 500, San Diego, CA 92121
www.universityreaders.com (Links to an external site.)
 Internal Auditing: Assurance & Advisory Services, by Kurt F. Reding et al,
published by The Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation, 2013
Third edition, ISBN 978-0-89413-7402
 Lectures posted by instructor, including any external information sources
designated
 Threaded discussion comments of instructor and all students.
 Other materials specified by instructor in his weekly assignments
GRADING CRITERIA:
Open Discussion
(2 @ 15 points each)
Group discussions
(5 @ 30 points each)
Final Examination
150
120
Total
300 POINTS
30 Points
A (A-, & A)
B (B-, B, &B+)
C (C-, C, &C+)
D (D-, D, &D+)
F
= 270 to 300 points
= 240 to 269
= 210 to 239
= 180 to 209
= Below 180
Note that all course grades are final and not subject to negotiation. The instructor will ONLY
change a grade if he makes a clerical error.
STUDENT PARTICIPATION AND CLASS DISCUSSION:
 Each student is expected to participate in class discussion. The participation is
expected to be constructive in nature and to have substance. Answers such as: "I
agree," and the alike will not count as participation. Please feel free to ask questions
or comment at any time and to give the class examples from your personal experience.
 During the next ten weeks, the instructor will post questions/issues for class research
and discussion. A total of 5 issues will be posted during the 10 week course time. You
may earn up to 30 points for each adequate answer/input. Points earned will be based
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on the depth of your research and the organization of your answers. You must read
the announcements and check the due dates.

Most of the questions/issues do not have a correct and/or incorrect answer. However,
your opinion must be properly supported by published articles and other resources of
research. Please note that after grading the group discussion, the instructor will post
a number of administrative and technical comments. The administrative comments
will help you to improve your grades for the next group discussions. The technical
comments will add a number of points from his experience to your input.

Each member of the class is required to comment on other members input and learn
from each other’s experience and research.

The instructor has designated two “Open Discussion” sessions. They are intended to
give each one of you an opportunity to either share with the class your personal
experience in the subject field or raise question for other students to comment on. You
will earn up to 30 points (15 points each) for your active participation.

The purpose of the research questions is to
 Delve deeper into a specialized topic.
 Gain experience in researching a new topic and writing a paper that can be
used by others to quickly enhance their knowledge.
THE LEARNING PROCESS
There are a number of common situations in the business world that the internal auditors
frequently encounter. Communicating complex topics in understandable terms to
management and others is a requirement that each auditor must develop.
Based on my past experience, students may raise questions about the learning process
in this course. This course covers a text book, and several researches and group
discussions. The final exam is in an essay format. Let me state several facts so you
can understand where I am coming from.
 The number of text books written on internal audit (not just auditing or
external auditing) is very limited. Consequently the choice is very limited to a
small number of books.
 Most if not all the books on internal audit do not address the real life problems
that we, internal auditors, have experienced in our practice.
 If the student is interested in "how to audit", then he/she should buy an
internal audit manual. Just do not be disappointed when you face the fact that
there is no "How to audit" system that applies to all companies and/or all
industries.
Given the facts stated above, I am taking the approach of selecting a text book, and
supplement the material in the book by researching several selected topics based on
my long time experience in auditing and accounting. The topics will be discussed
under the title “Group Discussion".
Each student is expected to participate in class discussion. The participation is
expected to be constructive in nature and to have substance in the participant’s
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writing and share his/her positive and negative experience. Comments and answers
should not be limited to "I agree" and the alike. This will not count as participation.
Please feel free to ask questions or comment at any time and to give the class examples
from your personal experience.
Please note that I do not offer personalized feedback. My technical comments
cover all personalized feedback and more issues without mentioning names or
who wrote what.
EXAMINATION:
The instructor will administer a final examination. The final exam is comprehensive and will
cover all assigned chapters and material discussed during the course of instructions and in
group discussion. This is intended to be an independent effort, so please work on the exam
alone. Each student may receive a different exam.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:
Telephone numbers: Office (909) 980-7986
INSTRUCTOR EXPECTATIONS:
The instructor expects each student to:
 Abide by all rules of conduct of UCLA Extension;
 Act professionally in all interactions with the instructor and other students, especially
as to respecting the views and opinions of others.
 Be prepared each week and actively participate in threaded discussions.
 Follow the instructor’s directions fully for all assignments.
 Respect copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights in use of material
of others.
 Ensure all work submitted is your own, or properly footnoted and documented (i.e.,
no plagiarism).
 Contribute enthusiastically to the advancement of all students’ learning; including
sharing relevant personal experiences (be sure to protect any confidential information
when doing so).
COURSE APPROACH:
This course is designed to be completed within 10 weeks. Since most participation is
asynchronous (not in real time), you may log in at any time during each week and can also
return back to previous weeks to review materials and discussions.
There are weekly threaded discussions. In each weekly discussion forum accessed through
the Canvas Module as part of the assignment students are required to participate in these
discussions by posting comments in response to the topic/s posted by the instructor. Again
these discussions are asynchronous (not in real time), so students can participate at any time
during the week for the assigned chapter.
1. Policies regarding Academic Integrity and Services for Students with
Disabilities
UCLA Extension is committed to creating a fair and equitable learning experience for
all students. As such, please ensure that the following language appears in your course
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syllabus regarding UCLA Extension policies on Academic Integrity and Services for
Students with Disabilities:
Academic Honesty Policy
Academic dishonesty covers behavior in cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication
of information. These behaviors are not tolerated. Students are encouraged to
familiarize themselves with the UCLA Extension Student Conduct Code and
the official statements regarding cheating and plagiarism at:
https://www.uclaextension.edu/Pages/str/StudentConduct.aspx
Services for Students with Disabilities
In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, UCLA Extension provides
appropriate accommodations and support services to qualified applicants and
students with disabilities. These include, but are not limited to, auxiliary
aids/services, such as note takers, audiotaping of courses, sign language
interpreters, and assistive-listening devices for hearing-impaired individuals,
extended time for and proctoring of exams, and registration
assistance. Accommodations and types of support services vary and are
specifically designed to meet the disability-related needs of each stude3nt based
on current, verifiable medical documentation.
Arrangements for auxiliary aids/services are available only through UCLA
Extension Disabled Student Services at (310) 825-4581 (voice/TTY) or by email
at [email protected]. Please request such arrangements with at least
five working days’ advance notice. All assistance is handled in
confidence. Accommodations must be pre-approved. Requests for retroactive
accommodation will not be accepted.
You may also access a syllabus template (which includes the aforementioned policies)
at the new Instructor portal for UCLA Extension instructors, available at:
https://my.uclaextension.edu/courses/82
2. Conditions Governing Exams and Formal Evaluations
When reviewing and revising your course content for the upcoming quarter, please
ensure that you have plainly communicated all policies and conditions regarding the
use of assistive technologies, notes, references, and other materials during exams (e.g.,
calculators, encyclopedias, textbooks, charts, tables, etc).
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It is ESSENTIAL that policies surrounding the use or prohibition of assistive
materials allowed during exams and assignments are clearly presented in the course
syllabus as well as in the prompt for each exam and/or assignment.
***Notice for courses that are already underway: please notify your students of any/all
updates that occur in your syllabus as a result of these reminders. For any questions or
concerns, please contact your course manager***
Thank you in advance for helping us provide a more just and equitable learning
environment for our students. We appreciate your help in communicating these
expectations.
Best Regards,
The Office of Instructional Enhancement
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UCLA
WINTER 2015
Internal Auditing
X423.2
[252539]
Meeting
2015
Readings/Chapter
Topics
Assignments
Commenting on
Introduction to
Internal Audit.
Due 01/20/2015
Group discussion #1
Due 01-27-2015
Group discussion #2
Due 02-03-2015
Open Discussion #1
Due 02-10-2015
Group discussion #3
Due 02-17-2015
Group discussion #4
Due 02-24-2015
Meeting 1
01/14
1A and 2A
Introduction, and
Planning for
audits
Meeting 2
01/21
Meeting 3
01/28
Meeting 4
02/04
Meeting 5
02/11
Meeting 6
02/18
3A and 4A
Preparations for
audits.
Audit program and
field work
Exit conference
and audit report
Internal control
systems
Issues related to
internal audit
Meeting 7
02/25
Meeting 8
03/04
Meeting 9
03/11
Meeting 10
03/18
5A and 6A
7A and 8A
9A and 6B
10A and 3B
4B and 5B
Risk in business
7B and 8B
Risk in business
10B and 11B
Review of all
material.
Collecting evidence
and sampling
Group discussion #5
Due 03-03-2015
Open Discussion #2
Due 03-10-2015
(Get ready for the
final exam)
Final Exam.
Due 03-18-2015
A= A Practical Guide to the Art of Internal Audit, by Ahmed Abohebeish
B = Internal Auditing: Assurance & Consulting Services, by Kurt F. Reding
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