Certified Management Accountants

What is the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation?

Recognized and respected around the world, the CMA designation is a business credential like no other. It is the calling card of a strategic management professional with proven expertise in strategic financial management, business knowledge, and leading-edge management skills. That's why over 50,000 members are providing real world strategic direction, business management, and leadership globally today.

In today's competitive marketplace, more and more individuals are pursuing a professional designation in order to position themselves strategically against other graduates and business professionals.

The CMA Strategic Leadership program integrates studies in leading-edge business management issues with practical application of acquired principles and knowledge in the real-world environment.

Leadership competencies are gained in diverse areas such as change and risk management, international competitiveness, strategic planning, human resources management, information systems, interpersonal communications and team building skills, as well as business ethics and relationships.

What makes CMAs unique is their ability to look beyond the financial aspect to focus on what really drives business - the products, the people, the strategy and the market.

CMA Canada represents an influential and diverse group of over 50,000 members worldwide.

What do CMAs do?

CMAs are able to apply contemporary and emerging accounting practises in a wide array of business functions including strategic planning, sales and marketing, information technology, human resources, finance, accounting, and operations.

Recent graduates are often hired as financial analysts, business analysts and accountants. These positions are excellent springboards for advancement to fulfilling lucrative careers in senior management. CMAs more advanced in their careers often hold manager, controller, or management consultant roles. Ultimately, many CMAs attain vice president, CFO and CEO roles.

Currently, half of all CMAs in British Columbia are at the senior management level within their organizations. Many also choose a more entrepreneurial path and currently lead successful ventures of their own.

CMAs are employed in a diverse range of industries and sectors - from manufacturing, government, consulting, technology, and communications - but the opportunities do not stop at our borders. Increasingly, CMAs are working overseas as highly respected managers, directors, or consultants within the USA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Chile, United Arab Emirates, China, Thailand and New Zealand among others.

How to become a CMA?

There are a number of ways to pursue the CMA designation:

1. Have a recognized university degree with four key prerequisite courses. These prerequisites can be completed at any college or university in BC or Canada. Alternatively, they can also be completed through the CMA QuickStart program. The next steps would be to complete the CMA Accelerated Program which covers 12 of the 16 prerequisite courses in a 9 month period, write the CMA National Entrance Exam and then go into the two-year CMA Strategic Leadership ProgramTM.
2. If you have a recognized university degree and have completed all 16 prerequisite courses, you will then write the CMA National Entrance Exam and then enrol in the CMA Strategic Leadership ProgramTM.
3. The third option is called the Accredited Pathway. Students who complete all 16 prerequisites through an accredited BBA or BComm degree program with a specialization in Accounting combined with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher will be able to bypass the CMA National Entrance Exam and enter directly into the CMA Strategic Leadership Program. Currently, this program is available for BBA graduates from Capilano University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Okanagan College, or Simon Fraser University, and BComm graduates from the University of British Columbia.

The Strategic Leadership Program is a two-year program which is completed part-time while you are working full-time. Upon completion of the CMA Strategic Leadership Program, students will be able to obtain their CMA designation.

The first step however, is to have a review of your post-secondary transcripts. You must send us the CMA British Columbia Transcript Evaluation Form (available at www.cmabc.com) along with your official (sealed) post-secondary transcripts. This evaluation is absolutely free.

If you have any further questions about the CMA program, want to find out more about becoming a CMA, or need any further information; please feel free to contact Shanal Prasad (Shanal@cmabc.com), CMA Campus Representative at Kwantlen.

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