Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT ) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA ) have announced a joint partnership whereby business students will now be able to access internationally recognised CIMA accredited courses. AIT, the Midlands’ only higher education institution, will offer CIMA tuition to business students and managers studying for the CIMA Diploma in Management Accounting.
CIMA members are qualified chartered management accountants who apply their business skills in many different areas and industry sectors. Typically CIMA members go on to achieve senior positions as strategic managers in public and private sector organisations. The courses will be open to business managers and graduates of the Institute and surrounding business schools.
The CIMA accredited courses offer a combined approach of face to face lectures and one to one e-tutorials and are compliant with the CIMA 2010 syllabus. This approach maximises the learning experience by facilitating distance learning with direct one-to-one support from lecturers as well as a lecture programme at the Institute. The three modules offered will cover enterprise operations, performance operations, and financial operations, each of which will be available through AIT in two-week tranches commencing with an information session on August 31 with lectures starting on September 6.
Announcing the newly accredited CIMA courses, Eoin Langan, head of Department of Accounting, Financial Services and Business Computing, at AIT, said: “Athlone Institute of Technology has built a strong reputation in terms of empowering business students with the necessary skills to succeed in business. AIT is known for encouraging businesses and already ranks in the top three HEIs nationally in driving innovation among small Irish firms through our participation in the Enterprise Ireland-supported innovation voucher scheme. The addition of blended tuition relative to the CIMA Diploma further reinforces our offering to business managers and students. In the current climate, the CIMA courses provide enhanced learning and skills to better position individual managers to access the best career opportunities and to play a pivotal role within their specific organizations. The accessibility of our location as a gateway to both the east and west means that a large number of CIMA students will be able to avail of the opportunities for blended tuition.”
According to Denis McCarthy, divisional director, CIMA, chartered management accountants are the first choice for financially qualified business leaders. “Because CIMA members are management accountants they have broad ranging business and management skills to complement their financial training. In terms of career development, a CIMA qualification provides students with a sustainable competitive advantage by equipping them with both professional accounting and strategic business management skills thus widening career options both within and outside financial management. Our members work in 165 countries and we have developed strong relationships with employers and regulators in each,” he said.
Students interested in learning more about the courses should contact CIMA’s Dublin office at [email protected] or phone (01 ) 6430405.
