US CMA Experience Requirement
Becoming a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) requires more than passing the exams; you also need to fulfil a work experience requirement to earn the designation. Here’s what you need to know:
What Qualifies as Work Experience?
The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) requires CMA candidates to have:
- 2 continuous years of professional experience in management accounting and/or financial management.
Your work experience can be before or after passing the CMA exams.
Qualifying roles include:
- Financial Analyst
- Cost Accountant
- Budget Analyst
- Internal Auditor
- Finance Manager
- Management Accountant
- Business Analyst (with financial responsibilities)
Accepted industries: Any! As long as your role involves:
- Financial planning & analysis (FP&A)
- Budgeting, forecasting, or cost analysis
- Internal controls and audit
- Corporate finance or treasury
- Supporting decision-making using financial data
Note: Full-time roles count directly. Part-time work (minimum 20 hrs/week) is acceptable if it totals 2,500 hours across 2 years.
What If You Work Part-Time?
Good news, part-time work can count toward your CMA (US) work experience requirement!
But here’s what you need to know:
- It must be at least 20 hours per week.
- You need to accumulate a total of 2,500 hours of relevant experience.
This typically means 2+ years of steady part-time work, depending on how many hours you work weekly.
Example:
If you work 25 hours/week, you’ll meet the 2,500-hour requirement in about 2 years.
Just like full-time work, your part-time role must involve:
- Budgeting or cost analysis
- Internal financial reporting
- Supporting business decisions through financial insights
Submission is the same: you still log the experience through your IMA profile and provide a supervisor’s contact for verification.
Do Internships Count as Work Experience for CMA (US)?
No, internships typically do NOT count toward the CMA (US) work experience requirement.
Here’s why:
- The IMA requires “professional-level” experience in management accounting or financial management.
- Internships are usually considered pre-professional or training roles, and often don’t involve the level of responsibility or decision-making required by IMA.
Exception?
If your internship was:
- Paid
- Part-time (20+ hrs/week) or full-time, and
- Include core CMA-relevant responsibilities like budgeting, financial analysis, or internal reporting – then you can try submitting it for IMA’s review. But acceptance is not guaranteed.
Pro Tip:
If you’re still a student, focus on landing a relevant entry-level job after graduation that meets IMA’s criteria—it’ll officially count and help you get CMA-certified faster.
Is CA Articleship Accepted for CMA (US) Work Experience?
Yes, CA Articleship can be accepted by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) as valid work experience for CMA (US), provided it meets certain conditions.
Conditions for Acceptance:
- The articleship must be full-time and paid (stipend is fine).
- The work must include relevant financial/management accounting tasks, such as:- Budgeting and forecasting
– Cost analysis
– Internal auditing
– Financial planning or reporting
– Decision support work using financial data - The duration must be at least 2 continuous years (most articleships meet this easily).
- You must be able to provide:
– A detailed description of responsibilities
– Supervisor contact information for verification
When to Fulfill It?
You must complete your work experience within 7 years of passing the CMA exams.
How to Submit Work Experience to IMA
- Log in to your IMA account:
Go to www.imanet.org and sign in. - Go to ‘My Profile’ → ‘CMA Experience Requirement’
- Fill in details about your job title, organisation, duration, and description of responsibilities.
- Provide supervisor contact details for verification.
- Submit the form.
IMA may contact your supervisor for confirmation
Pro Tips:
- Be detailed yet concise in describing job responsibilities.
- Avoid vague terms link your tasks to financial decision-making or accounting clearly.
- If your current job doesn’t qualify, consider shifting to a relevant role soon
Final Word
Meeting the CMA work experience requirement is as important as passing the exams. So don’t wait—start tracking your experience now and be ready to get certified and globally recognised!
