IMA’s Higher Education Endorsement Program recently reached a major milestone, endorsing its 100th school since the program began in 2013. Schools receiving endorsement are recognized for their high educational standards and for aligning their curriculum to cover the content of the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) certification.
Al Ain University (AAU), a longtime IMA partner, earned the distinction as the 100th endorsed school in August 2021. It is one of the most respected universities in the UAE, established in 2004 and licensed by the UAE’s Ministry of Education. Among its distinctions, AAU is notable for its dedication to empowering Emirati female students.
To acknowledge AAU’s accomplishment, IMA Middle East and India hosted a special event on October 12. Pictured below are (from left to right): Rishi Malhotra, IMA academic and community relations manager, Middle East and Africa; Hanadi Khalife, IMA senior director, MEA and India operations; Prof. Ghaleb El Refae, AAU president; and Prof. Amer Qasim, vice president, AAU Abu Dhabi campus.
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AAU joins six other schools that have been endorsed under the IMA program since February 2021:
- Drexel University (Philadelphia)
- Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.)
- University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
- Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Ariz.)
- Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.)
- The British University in Egypt (Cairo, Egypt)
“High-quality educational programs like those at these recently endorsed institutions are essential in enabling future management accountants in these regions achieve their career goals and meet the competency expectations of global employers,” said Loreal Jiles, IMA vice president, research and thought leadership. “We continue to encourage qualified programs to apply for IMA endorsement and earn this distinctive recognition.”
Noted AAU Professor Ghaleb El Refae, “Endorsement by IMA is a great achievement and a testament to the quality of our curriculum that is helping our undergraduate accounting students to better prepare for a rewarding career in management accounting.”
He continued, “IMA’s globally recognized CMA program is a relevant assessment of advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in areas such as financial planning, analysis, control, and decision support—each of which is increasingly critical in meeting the changing needs of business, and therefore, essential learning for students of accounting and finance. This will benefit both the future careers of our students and the organizations where they will work in the future.”
Get Your School to Join the Growing List
Applying for endorsement is a process that takes three steps, primarily a coordination effort to collect syllabi, homework assignments, and tests that show the rigor of the curriculum, as well as completing a few questions about the program.
For complete details about the steps involved, as well as the application form that must be submitted, please visit the IMA website at How to Become Endorsed.
In addition, IMA offers several resources to help you through the process and understand how it can benefit your school and students:
- Take Your Program to the Next Level: Learn about the steps and process of becoming endorsed.
- Education at the Root of Accounting Excellence: Find out how partnering with IMA can benefit your school and students.
- IMA's Higher Education Endorsement Program: Learn how to differentiate your accounting curriculum through IMA's Higher Education Endorsement Program.
For a list of all institutions across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania that have been endorsed under the IMA program, please see the How to Become Endorsed page.