ICMA Australia qualification is becoming increasingly popular amongst the non finance professionals especially in the Asia-Pacific & Middle East regions including countries like Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Middle East and India. This has been clearly evident with the increasing number of qualified bankers, marketers, engineers and lawyers joining the programme during the recent past in Sri Lanka.

Kapila Dodamgoda, Programme Director

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants in Australia has three levels of membership explains Dr Nalaka Godahewa - President of the Sri Lanka branch. They are Graduate Member, Associate Member and Full Member. Those students who complete the Graduate Conversion Programme with the institute or those who have completed a professional qualification in finance can become a GMA level member. Depending on the work experience they are eligible to apply for AMA Membership he continued.

The pinnacle of the qualification is CMA Membership, awarded on completion of the seven day intensive workshop on Strategic Cost Management and Strategic Business Analysis. The value of this programme was evident with more than thirty non-CMAs joining the programme in last August, who were CEOs, Directors and very senior professionals from reputed companies.

Dr Nalaka Godahewa, Branch President

"This was one rare occasion where we had such a diverse senior group of participants who were very participative" added Professor Janek Ratnatunga after completing the programme. Prof Ratnatunga was the Head of the faculty of finance and accounting at Monash University.

Mr Kapila Dodamgoda, Programme Director-Sri Lanka branch commented that one main reason for the increasing popularity of the programme is the unique exemption scheme available with the institute for a number of recognized professional and academic qualifications. These include the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Bankers, the Law College, Institute of Engineers, Institute Personnel Management and standard University degrees to name some. More importantly these exemptions under the Graduate Conversion Programme are offered at no cost at the moment. Under the Graduate Conversion Programme the candidates are required to complete only four subjects and the CMA Workshop.

Further certain selected MBA holders will get additional exemptions from two more subjects at the final level. With this they can complete the formal academic sessions within a six month period said Mr Dodamgoda.

You could get further information by calling on 2591122 or e-mailing on info@academy.lk