Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) Bachelor in Business Administration's concentration in accounting has earned endorsement by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. AUB is the first university in Lebanon to receive the IMA endorsement, which recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, enabling students to pursue and earn the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) credential.
The certification opens doors, builds confidence, closes skills gaps, and lets students tap into a network of 100,000 professionals around the globe. The collaboration also creates exciting opportunities for business students to engage in related professional activities and interact with leading professionals both during their OSB academic career and in their lifelong pursuits. The two organizations have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will enable them to collaborate in promoting the profession and communicating its value.
Ibrahim Jamali, associate professor of finance and convener of the Finance, Accounting, and Managerial Economics Track noted that in order to achieve this endorsement, OSB faculty had to demonstrate excellence in teaching accounting principles. “Students learn unique skills from their classroom experience with recognized experts and can later translate those to benefit their careers and companies."
“As a leading business school whose accounting graduates occupy prominent positions with leading firms, the IMA endorsement serves as a further testament of the quality of our accounting concentration that will benefit both the future careers of our students and the organizations where they will work," said Rania Uwaydah Mardini, CPA, LACPA, CFE, MBA and lecturer at OSB. For a student to earn an accounting concentration, he/she completes seven accounting courses. The required courses are financial accounting, management accounting, intermediate financial accounting I, and intermediate financial accounting II. The electives can be any of the following: cost accounting, introduction to external auditing, fraud examination and internal audit, taxation, and accounting information systems among others.
“IMA is pleased to welcome Suliman S. Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut 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, CSCA, CPA, CFP, CFA, IMA vice president of research and policy 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 the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business
The American University of Beirut has a long distinguished 152-year history as one of the world's foremost universities, a reputation that has not eclipsed the school of business, even as one of its most recently created schools. OSB is held in high regard in the international community with rankings consistently placing it as a MENA leader and of international caliber with the best worldwide. The school currently enrolls over 1,200 of the most selective students in the region within its various undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, business analytics, finance and in human resources management, in addition to its extensive activity in providing executive education throughout the region to leading organizations. The school has long been AACSB international-accredited; it boasts several research hubs and areas of excellence; and it manages global initiatives covering a wide range of areas such as data analytics, executive education, family business, entrepreneurship, and corporate social responsibility.
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 IMA website.