Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Globalization and standardization, combined with more stringent financial reporting requirements, have resulted in a continuum of change in the practice, rules, regulations, ethics, and execution of managerial accounting and financial strategy in all areas of an organization. Over the past several years, the roles of management accountants and financial managers have evolved significantly. Today's managerial finance and accounting professionals are internal consultants and business analysts. They work on cross-functional teams, are involved in strategic decisions, and are active business partners.

The CMA designation addresses the needs of managerial finance and accounting professionals as they meet the challenges of the new corporate accounting environment. The CMA provides an objective measure of the skills and abilities that professionals must possess to effectively contribute to the strategic success of an organization today.

There are four parts to the CMA exam: Part 1 – Business Analysis, Part 2 – Management Accounting and Reporting, Part 3 – Strategic Management, and Part 4 – Business Applications. To be certified, one must pass all four parts of the CMA exam, be a member of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), hold a bachelor's degree, and have two years of professional work experience in management accounting and/or financial management.

Cleary University is currently the only school in Michigan to offer instructor-led courses for the IMA's CMA Learning System, a set of review courses designed to prepare individuals to sit for the CMA exam. To learn more about these courses, please see the course descriptions or visit the program page at Cleary.