The IMA Higher Education Endorsement Program continues to attract colleges and universities from around the world looking to integrate the content of the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) exam into their curriculum.
To date, approximately 100 colleges and universities—institutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania— have been endorsed under the IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) program. Since April 2020, IMA has endorsed:
- Assumption College (Worcester, Massachusetts)
- Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)
- NEOMA Business School (Reims, Rouen, and Paris, France)
- Utah Valley University (Orem, Utah)
- Colorado State University Global (Aurora, Colorado)
- Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce, Texas)
- Most recently: Suffolk University (Boston, Massachusetts)
This summer, IMA also endorsed Morgan State University, in Baltimore, the first HBCU (Historically Black College and University) to earn this distinction.
The IMA endorsement program recognizes college and university programs that provide the rigorous curriculum needed for students to prepare for the CMA exam and successful careers in management accounting. To qualify for endorsement, schools must meet the following criteria: (1) the program must substantially cover the CMA exam content; (2) the program must have adequate faculty resources to deliver this content; and (3) the program must be accredited by a recognized accreditation organization.
“High-quality educational programs like those at these endorsed institutions help future management accountants achieve their career goals and meet the competency expectations of today’s employers,” said Raef Lawson, Ph.D., CMA, CPA, CFP, IMA vice president of research and professor-in-residence. “We continue to encourage qualified programs to apply for IMA endorsement and earn this distinctive recognition.”
Schools looking to apply for endorsement can find instructions on how to become endorsed on the IMA website. The application process, as described, “is mostly a coordination effort to collect syllabi, homework assignments, and tests that show the rigor of a school’s curriculum, as well as completing a few questions about the program.”
IMA recently held a one-hour Faculty Friday webinar, Differentiate Your Accounting Curriculum Through the IMA Higher Education Endorsement Program, on how to navigate the endorsement process. The webinar, led by Roopa Venkatesh, of University of Nebraska at Omaha; and Mike Easterday, of The Ohio State University, provides detailed guidance on the application and review process. They also discuss how becoming an IMA-endorsed school can allow a university to gain recognition as a leader in accounting/management accounting education, as well as benefit stakeholders.
For more information, please visit IMA Higher Education Endorsement Program. Questions regarding the endorsement program can be sent to Loreal Jiles, liaison to the IMA Committee on Academic Relations.