Faculty & Leadership Blog / Innovative Curriculum

Institute of Management Accounting Endorses Accounting Curriculum At Babson

Wellesley, MA – Babson College is proud to announce that the school’s accounting curriculum 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.  Babson students learn to understand and use accounting to think entrepreneurially and take action globally to create economic and social value. 

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 http://www.imanet.org/educators. This endorsement signifies that Babson provides the rigorous curriculum needed for successful careers as entrepreneurial leaders who create economic and social value in roles such as financial planner and analyst (FP&A), controller or chief financial officer everywhere.

“Receiving endorsement by IMA as the first academic institution in the Boston area, even the state of Massachusetts and all of New England is a great achievement,” said Undergraduate Dean Ian Lapp. “This is a testament to the quality of our accounting curriculum that will benefit both the future careers of our students and the organizations where they will work.”

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, etc.); and (4) a faculty member must be designated as an IMA Campus Advocate.

“Having a certification beyond a college degree is important in the employment marketplace,” said Dr. Paul Juras, CMA, CPA, Babson professor and Chair of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants.  “We expect more accounting careers will start in private or corporate accounting, and helping our students position themselves for this trend is what motivated the application for endorsement.”

“Accountants play an important role in business that may be compared to the role of co-pilots flying planes with entrepreneur pilots.  Certification is not required for co-piloting a business, but it is reassuring,” said Dr. Brigitte Muehlmann, CMA, CPA, CVA, CFM, Professor and Chair of the Division of Accounting & Law at Babson. She is one of five CMA credential holders on the faculty.

“IMA is pleased to welcome Babson College 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 Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds®. The top-rankedcollege for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

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.