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Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Business has announced its 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. Information about the program is available at www.imanet.org/educators.

“Endorsement by IMA is a great achievement for our accounting program. It affirms the quality of our curriculum, in terms of both content and rigor, benefitting our students in their future careers and the organizations where they will work,” said Dr. Trish Isaacs, EKU School of Business associate dean and professor. “IMA’s endorsement of our BBA in Accounting is particularly meaningful given IMA’s status and leadership as an international professional organization. This endorsement helps us further distinguish EKU’s accounting program.”

To qualify for IMA endorsement, schools must meet the following criteria:

  • The program must substantially cover the CMA exam content
  • The program must have adequate faculty resources to deliver this content 
  • The program must be accredited by a recognized accreditation organization (e.g., AACSB, ACBSP, EQUIS, etc.)
  • A faculty member must be designated as an IMA Campus Advocate. The Eastern Kentucky University IMA Campus Advocate is faculty member Dr. J. P. Stearns, assistant professor of accounting.

“IMA is pleased to welcome Eastern Kentucky University to the growing list of schools 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 businesses will help future professional management accountants accomplish their career objectives and meet the competency expectations of employers.”

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.

About Eastern Kentucky University
EKU’s School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). The Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting offers a management accounting concentration and a public accounting concentration. The program is available in both the traditional classroom setting and online. IMA’s endorsement is for the BBA in Accounting, which includes both the management and public accounting concentrations. The public announcement of the IMA endorsement took place at the annual Meet the Firms event on Sept. 19, 2019 at the EKU Business and Technology Center. Find out more about EKU’s Accounting program at https://accounting.eku.edu.

About IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants)
IMA®, named 2017 Professional Body of the Year by The Accountant/International Accounting Bulletin, is one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Globally, IMA supports the profession through research, the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) program, continuing education, networking and advocacy of the highest ethical business practices. IMA has a global network of more than 100,000 members in 140 countries and 300 professional and student chapters Headquartered in Montvale, N.J., USA, IMA provides localized services through its four global regions: The Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Middle East/India. For more information about IMA, please visit www.imanet.org.

For more information, please contact: Dr. Trish Isaacs, Eastern Kentucky University, 859-622-1590 or Trish.Isaacs@eku.edu.