Certified Management Accountant

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the United States, the profession of accounting includes the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation. A CMA is granted a certificate from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), provided that the candidate passed a rigorous examination of four parts, and met educational and practical experience requirements. Due to the non-statutory status in United States, a CMA generally provides their services directly to their employers rather than to the public. A CMA may also provide services to the public, but to a much lesser extent than a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The CMA credentials differ significantly from the CPA designation, and the decision to pursue one over the other depends entirely on one’s career goals. More than 80% of accounting professionals in the U.S. work within organizations, building quality financial practices into the organization through decision support, planning, and control over the organization’s value-creating operations. For these managerial finance and accounting professionals, the CMA may be more appropriate as a best selection. Many professional accountants hold both CPA and CMA designations.

The profession of accounting in Canada also includes Certified Management Accountants (CMAs), who belong to the Society of Management Accountants of Canada. A similar title of Chartered Management Accountant exists in the United Kingdom and is awarded to members of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Other professional organizations which specialize in management accounting include the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India , Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan.

In order to earn the CMA designation in the United States, an accountant must have mastered a comprehensive body of knowledge by demonstrating six key skill levels -- knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation -- in the following areas: - Business Analysis (economics, internal controls, quantitative methods, financial statement analysis) - Management Accounting and Reporting (budget preparation, cost management, performance measurement, external financial reporting) - Strategic Management (strategic planning, corporate finance, decision analysis, investment decision analysis) - Business Applications (all of the above, plus organization management, behavioral issues, ethical considerations)