As referred to in the Fall 2010 SBSF-7100 Mentees’ Discussion 1: Research Questions requirements on 30 September, 2010, the following is the LinkedIn IMA Group discussion on CMA vs. CPA as

at

today:

The specific discussion to which I am referring is actually one that began over three months ago in the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Official LinkedIn site. Although everyone in the IMA group has some interest in the CMA programme, CPAs, CMAs who are also CPAs, and aspiring accountants of both ilks comprise its membership.

Although, as I mentioned, the discussion is somewhat amok, rehashing some points even a third time around–particularly the issue of whether perpetuating the [misconception] that the prestige of

a CPA as the “penultimate” accounting designation for all roles in all situations is more detrimental or what is seen by some as the lowering of the standards by the IMA as digging its own grave, for a qualitative undertaking, I am sure you will find the nearly 100 pages of discussion by accounting professionals to be both enlightening and disheartening. Indeed, the delineation between accounting and finance is quite clear in my mind, but even so, an increasing number of job descriptions are stipulating accounting designations for finance positions regardless of what competencies and roles the position actually calls for.

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