Certified Management Accountants (CMA) of Alberta salutes the 2009 graduating
class

CALGARY , Nov. 14 /CNW/ - Two hundred and nineteen graduates will add "CMA" to the end of their name after CMA Alberta's convocation ceremony today at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton . These graduates are now armed with a unique skill set that will help them Create Possibilities for their careers and the organizations they work for.

The graduates successfully completed the rigorous CMA Strategic Leadership Program (SLP), the hallmark of the CMA designation. Completing the SLP is no small feat - students had to complete assignments, attend interactive group sessions and successfully pass two national evaluation points, the CMA Case Exam and the CMA Board Report, all while trying to balance full-time jobs, family obligations and personal commitments.

Graduates, along with their family, friends and other special guests, will celebrate their achievements by walking across the stage at the Shaw Convention Centre this afternoon and attending a gala dinner and dance this evening.

In addition to handing out CMA certificates to graduates at the convocation ceremony, CMA Alberta will present the CMA Gold Medal Award to Jillian Morissette . The CMA Alberta Gold Medal Award is presented to the graduate who achieved the highest overall academic standing in the CMA Program.

The path to the CMA designation is challenging yet rewarding. To earn their CMA designation, aspiring CMAs must have a university degree or equivalent, combined with prerequisites acquired either through post-secondary courses or the CMA Accelerated Program, to be eligible to write the CMA National Entrance Exam. Upon successfully completing the Entrance Exam, candidates then enter into the CMA Strategic Leadership Program. The CMA Strategic Leadership Program is completed concurrently with full-time employment, allowing candidates to apply the knowledge acquired through the program to their career. Once the CMA Strategic Leadership Program is completed, graduates earn their CMA designation.

With a CMA designation, anything is possible. CMAs Create Possibilities for organizations in more than 100 countries worldwide. They go beyond the status-quo and transform innovative ideas into business-changing solutions. And with a solid foundation in strategy, management and accounting, combined with creativity and innovation, CMAs are the most respected and sought-after professionals in the strategic management accounting profession.

To learn more about the CMA designation, visit www.cma-alberta.com.

About CMA Alberta

As an integral partner of CMA Canada , CMA Alberta is the self-governing professional organization responsible for the training, accreditation and continuing professional development of CMAs in Alberta.

Of CMA Canada's 50,000 members across Canada and around the world, more than 6,600 CMAs are accredited in Alberta.

Certified Management Accountants are strategic financial management professionals who have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to provide leadership, innovation and an integrating perspective to organizational decision-making in the global marketplace. Our accreditation process is rigorous, but richly rewarding. It leads to the most respected and highly sought-after designation in business: the CMA.

For further information: Shannon Pestun, Director, Marketing and Communications, Certified Management Accountants of Alberta, [phone], [phone] cell, [email protected]