Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (also known as CMA Ontario) has 17,000 certified members and 7,000 student members currently working toward the CMA designation. One out of six recent CMA graduates in Ontario has an international background.

You must be an accredited member of CMA Ontario to use the title Certified Management Accountant and the CMA designation in Ontario.

What Kind of Work Do Certified Management Accountants Do?

The CMA professional program gives CMA students knowledge about accounting, professional management practices, and business strategy. CMAs use their strategic focus to position an organization for success, their management skills to lead its growth, and their accounting skills to track its progress.

CMAs specialize in analyzing financial and non-financial information to help organizations set and achieve objectives. They help organizations make important business decisions such as identifying new market opportunities and improving the allocation of resources, and they work to maximize the shareholder value of an organization.

CMAs work as employees in companies or as independent consultants. They work in every sector of the economy and provide leadership in all kinds of organizational decision-making. They work in strategic planning, sales and marketing, information technology, human resources, finance, and operations. CMAs hold a variety of positions, from department manager to president of a company.

Requirements to Become a CMA

The requirements for accreditation as a CMA include:

• a degree from a recognized university
• CMA prerequisite studies (17 specific topics in accounting and management at the university level)
• CMA Entrance Examination
• two-year, part-time CMA Strategic Leadership Program
• 24 months of practical work experience as a management accountant

Depending on your accounting affiliation, you may be eligible for advanced standing for some of these requirements.

Employment Support for CMA Students

CMA Ontario provides resources to help its student members find positions in management accounting. These resources include:

• the CMA Employment Connection website, where you can post your résumé and view positions posted by employers 
• CMA Ontario’s Member Services Centre; this centre can provide you with information to support your job search, such as industry and company profiles
• one-on-one employment search counselling and résumé critiquing services
• a career and networking fair held each fall in Toronto