The College of Business Administration is proud to announce that the school’s accounting program has earned endorsement by IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession.
IMA’s Endorsement of Higher Education initiative recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, enabling students to pursue and earn the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) credential.
“Endorsement by IMA is a great achievement that will help our undergraduate accounting students better prepare for a rewarding career in management accounting,” said Deborah F. Spake, dean of the College of Business Administration. “This is a testament to the quality of our faculty and the curriculum that will benefit the careers of our students and their future employers.”
To qualify for endorsement by IMA, 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.
3. The program must be accredited by a recognized accreditation organization (e.g., AACSB, ACBSP, EQUIS, ect.)
4. A faculty member must be designated as an IMA Campus Advocate.
“The IMA Endorsement of our BBA program helps to highlight the strength of our curriculum for preparing students for careers in management accounting, says Wendy Tietz, Accounting Department professor at the College of Business Administration and designated campus advocate. “Our curriculum aligns strongly with the content of the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam, which is a great credential for a student choosing the managerial accounting career path.”
The program offers two tiers of endorsement: full endorsement, for those university programs that meet all endorsement criteria; and provisional endorsement, for programs with minor to moderate shortcomings in meeting the criteria for full endorsement. ’s College of Business Administration was awarded full endorsement.
“It is an honor to be one of the only 23 accounting programs world-wide to receive IMA’s Endorsement,”said Linda Zucca Ph.D., CPA, department chair in accounting at the College of Business Administration. “This is evidence of ’s commitment to high quality accounting education and initiatives by IMA to support young accountants in the classroom and the workplace.”
IMA’s globally-recognized CMA program is a relevant assessment of advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in four areas: 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.
“IMA is pleased to welcome ’s College of Business Administration to the growing list of colleges that support the CMA exam program and have achieved a consistent standard of excellence,”said Dr. Raef Lawson, CMA, CPA, CFP, CFA, IMA vice president of research and professor-in-residence. “High quality, up-to-date educational programs that support the current needs of business will help future professional management accountants accomplish their career objectives and meet the competency expectations of employers.”
For more information about the IMA Endorsement of Higher Education program, visit
For more information about the College of Business Administration Accounting Department, visit
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’s College of Business Administration is one of only 180 colleges or schools of business worldwide to achieve dual accreditation in both business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the global accrediting body providing specialized accreditation at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The College of Business Administration is home to 4,502 students; the second largest college of business in Ohio. The college boasts a satellite office at ’s Career Services Center dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.
Media Contacts:
Michelle Parrish Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, mparris3@kent.edu, 330-672-2717
Bri Figley, Marketing and Communications Specialist, bfigley2@kent.edu, 330-672-1279