IMCA Brings CIMA Certification Program to Chicago’s Booth Business School

The Investment Management Consultants Association announced Monday that the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has signed on to offer IMCA’s Certified Investment Management Analyst certification starting in July.

In addition to providing education for CIMA certification, the Booth School offers coursework for IMCA’s Certified Private Wealth Advisor designation.

“As one of the world’s leading business schools in finance, Booth has the faculty capabilities, cutting-edge application, and research to thoroughly cover the CIMA curriculum and bring it to life,” said John Heaton, professor of finance and faculty director of the CIMA certification program at Booth, in a statement. “Participants who select Booth for their CIMA education should be prepared for an intense, challenging week of instruction.”

IMCA Executive Director and CEO Sean Walters (left), in New York on Tuesday for IMCA’s annual conference there, said competition has grown among continuing education providers for credentialing programs. But, he predicted, those many programs will be reduced to a handful of designations as regulators take a closer look at what is and isn’t a credible program.

Chicago Booth’s associate director of executive education, Mark Lewis, said the school was initially skeptical about offering the CPWA when IMCA approached it. The program’s success, however, led Booth to also offer CIMA certification, Lewis said Tuesday in New York.

“It was an experiment, and we think we’ve put together an excellent program,” Lewis said.