UMass Lowell Joins Babson College as Only Schools in New England to be Endorsed
Image by Ed Brennen
04/11/2018
By Ed Brennen
The Manning School of Business鈥� accounting program has earned the endorsement of the Institute of Management Accountants (), making UMass Lowell the first public school in New England 鈥� and just the second institution in the region 鈥� to receive the recognition.
Dedicated to advancing the management accountant profession, IMA is a global association of more than 100,000 accountants and financial professionals. It has over 300 professional and student chapters in more than 140 countries around the world.聽
IMA's initiative recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, preparing students to enter into the profession of management accounting.聽
The Manning School鈥檚 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Science in accounting programs both received endorsement by the IMA. Babson College is the only other institution in New England to be endorsed.
Accounting Department Chair Khondkar Karim, who submitted the school鈥檚 application, says the endorsement reflects the Manning School鈥檚 commitment to equipping students with the necessary professional skills for the job market.
鈥淢anning accounting programs provide high-quality academic and applied education that is relevant to the profession,鈥� Karim says. 鈥淲e are honored to be recognized.鈥�
Earlier this semester, the accounting program was accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
鈥淎chieving ACCA certification and IMA endorsement are great examples of how we elevate and build the value of our degree programs,鈥� says Manning School Dean Sandy Richtermeyer. 鈥淭hanks to Karim鈥檚 leadership and the support of faculty teaching in the content areas of accounting, finance, information systems and ethics, we are now in good company with other IMA-endorsed universities.鈥�
More than 50 universities around the world are endorsed by the IMA, including Michigan State University, Temple University, Baylor University and Penn State University.
Richtermeyer has been an IMA member for nearly 25 years, serving as IMA鈥檚 Global Chair in 2010-11. Several Manning School students attended the IMA Global Student Leadership Conference the past two years, while many other students and faculty have joined the organization.
To qualify for IMA endorsement, schools must show that they 鈥渟ubstantially cover鈥� the content of the organization鈥檚 Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam, which assesses advanced accounting and financial management knowledge in four areas: financial planning, analysis, control and decision support.
鈥淚MA is pleased to welcome UMass Lowell to the growing list of schools that support the CMA exam program and have achieved a consistent standard of excellence,鈥� says Raef Lawson, IMA vice president of research. 鈥淗igh-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.鈥�