B.Com International Finance
A path breaking program where a student can complete
US CMA along with B.Com
In association with
Jamal Mohamed College, Trichy
About FINSPIRE Academy
FINSPIRE Academy is an academy based out of Chennai that specializes in providing training to students to acquire Global Finance Certifications of the USA through a scientific learning methodology. FINSPIRE Academy believes in transforming the lives of their students for the better and hence works on the basic philosophy of ‘Transformation through Empowerment and Empowerment through Transformation.’
About Jamal Mohamed College, Trichy (JMC)
Founded in 1951, JMC is an autonomous institution affiliated to the Bharathidasan University, Trichy and the college has been accredited with A++ Grade by NAAC with CGPA of 3.69 out of 4.0 in 2023.
The college has obtained the prestigious 56th rank amongst top ranking institutions as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework. With over 25 UG and 20 PG courses handled by 17 departments of the college, this institution has been granted the status of Colleges with Potential for Excellence by the University Grants Commission (UGC) way back in 2011.
The college is reputed for its Department for Commerce and has taken the lead in bringing in many path breaking programs and it’s alumini are well established and reputed professionals across the globe.
Academic Partnership
FINSPIRE Academy and Jamal Mohamed College have joined hands together to not only enable the students to have the cake but eat it too by bringing out a Unique Path Breaking Program B. Com – International Finance.
This partnership is just a beginning and many more such programs in the field of Finance, Accounting and Data Analytics are being worked out and the students can look forward to many globally relevant programs in the years to come.
About B.Com - International Finance
What is B. Com - International Finance
In this pathbreaking novel program, where every student is an eventual winner, a student not only pursues his B. Com but also simultaneously completes the prestigious Certified Management Accountant Certification awarded by the IMA of the USA. By this a student uses the time during his B. Com judiciously and the US CMA provides a perfect platform to ensure a great start to the career.
How relevant is B. Com - International Finance to Indian Students?
A student not only completes his B. Com in the stipulated span of 3 years but also completes his US CMA simultaneously which guarantees him a great start to his career. Apart from global recognition that includes India, the US CMA offers specialization in the two most sought after global skill sets namely Financial Management and Management Accounting.
In addition, the exam structure and the high proficiency level needed to clear the exams makes the qualified professional very important from an organization’s perspective since the course and the testing pattern fosters the thinking on the feet ability and more importantly the ability to think out of the box which is very important from the perspective of the employer. Hence B. Com – International Finance is very relevant to the Indian students considering the current environment where everything is global and nothing is local.
Are employment opportunities available for Qualified B. Com - IF students ?
The answer is a simple Yes. While the opportunities for a normal B. Com student is very limited (in terms of the compensation), a student with not just a B. Com but a globally recognized US CMA, would be in great demand from all sides. While a MNC would look forward to employing such candidates, almost all Indian Companies worth their name recognize the value addition of a qualified CMA and hence are keen in recruiting them. The conceptual understanding and clarity in the areas of Financial Accounting and Management Accounting is a big plus since they prove to be an asset to any company for planning, operating and decision making areas. Hence it is only natural for a B.Com– International Finance student to be in great demand not only in India but across the globe too.
Who would be the prospective employers for a B. Com – IF student?
A Qualified CMA along with a B. Com is an asset for any company that maximizes its profits by monitoring its cost of operations. There are many Indian companies as well as MNC’s & Big 4 firms that employ candidates with such a background. To illustrate a few viz., Amazon India, Accenture, Barclays bank, BP, Capegemini, Caterpillar, Cognizant, Deloitte, EY, HP, Infosys, JP Morgan Chase, KPMG, L&T, PWC, Tata Power, TCS, Wipro and others are in continuous need for such candidates.
Unique Pass Guarantee
Based on the confidence in the methodology and the deliverables, an Unique Pass Guarantee is provided to a student. Under this Guarantee, if a student strictly adheres to the methodology, a pass guarantee is provided that the student will clear both parts of the CMA in their first attempt. For more details please contact FINSPIRE Academy.
About the US CMA
What is the US CMA?
The US CMA (Certified Management Accountant) is an advanced professional certification that serves as a global benchmark for finance professionals and management accountants. It primarily focuses on the two most sought after global skill sets namely Financial Management and Management Accounting with the certificatio governed and awarded by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) in the USA.
Brief on IMA and Prometrics
Any candidate interested in pursuing the US CMA certification would be well served if he acquaints with two organisations namely the IMA and Prometrics.
IMA stands for the ‘Institute of Management Accountants’ which is the only organization to offer the CMA (Certified Management Accountant), the highest professional qualification in Management Accounting in the USA through a two-part exam. Founded in 1919, IMA is one of the largest and most respected association of accountants and finance professionals aiming to provide a platform for research, practice development, education, knowledge sharing, and advocacy of the highest ethical and best business practices in management accounting and finance.
PROMETRIC being a leader in providing technology-enabled testing and assessment solutions, provides testing centers to USA CMA Exams. Hence, schedule your exam at a PROMETRIC Center near you once you are ready to appear for it.
What is the US CMA curriculum in brief?
The US CMA exams are conducted in two parts, wherein the student is expected to learn the concepts and practices of various subjects in the field o Costing, Accounting, Finance, Risk Management and many such important areas.
The following table spells out the Part 1 and Part 2 curriculum with respective weightages.
| Module | Part 1 Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics | Weightage | Part 2 Strategic Financial Management | Weightage |
| A | External Financial Reporting | 15% | Corporate Finance | 20% |
| B | Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting | 20% | Business Decision Analysis | 20% |
| C | Performance Management | 20% | Enterprise Risk Management | 25% |
| D | Cost Management | 15% | Enterprise Risk Management | 10% |
| E | Internal Controls | 15% | Capital Investment Decisions | 10% |
| F | Technology and Analytics | 15% | Professional Ethics | 15% |
| Module | Part 1 Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics | Weightage | Part 2 Strategic Financial Management | Weightage |
| A | External Financial Reporting | 15% | Corporate Finance | 20% |
| B | Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting | 20% | Business Decision Analysis | 20% |
| C | Performance Management | 20% | Enterprise Risk Management | 25% |
| D | Cost Management | 15% | Enterprise Risk Management | 10% |
| E | Internal Controls | 15% | Capital Investment Decisions | 10% |
| F | Technology and Analytics | 15% | Professional Ethics | 15% |
What is the US CMA Examination Structure?
The exam structure comprises of 75% marks for Multiple Choice Questions and 25% marks for Descriptive Questions. Each exam part consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and two essay questions. You have three hours to complete the MCQs and an hour to complete the essays.
Please note that the essay type questions will appear after you have submitted the MCQs or three hours, whichever is earlier. However, if you are able to finish the MCQs before the allotted time, the time saved by you will be available for answering the descriptive questions.
Remember to revise the MCQs before you submit since you cannot return upon exit. Once you enter the essay section, you will need to read two business scenarios and answer approximately 10-12 questions based on the scenarios given.
Structure of the Program
B. Com - International Finance
It is important to note that the B. Com classes and the CMA classes would go together and hence the structure of the CMA program only is enumerated below. Thus during all 6 semesters, the classes for the respective B. Com semester would be conducted and the classes for the CMA would be supplemented or substituted wherever necessary.
Semester 1 :
Preparatory Program
Considering that the gap between the studying fo classes 11 and 12 and learning for a globally recognized US CMA is steep, a student starts with a preparatory program in Semester 1 to narrow the gap and get into a learning mode rather than a studying mode which he or she is normally used to until then. The student gets into the Stop Studying and Start Learning mode and this preparatory program initiates him into this mode by making a right beginning. Conceptual learning begins and a student is oriented towards understanding the basics of what they had already studied along with the concepts that would be a part of the CMA and hence serve as a strong foundation at a later stage of the program.
Semester 2 & 3 :
One Paper of the US CMA Certification
Once the preparatory program base is set for a student he becomes reasonably ready for learning for the US CMA certification. Classes, Mentoring Sessions, Module Tests and Mock Exams comprise of the sessions during the 2nd and 3rd semester before a student takes up one paper of the US CMA exams.
The classes are essentially classified into 3 categories comprising of Concept Classes, Problem solving classes and Tests / Exams review sessions. As the name indicates concepts are taught in the concept classes, problems relating to the concepts taught are solved in the problem solving classes and on an average about 12 Module Tests and 3 Mock Exams are conducted for each paper before a student takes up the main exams of the US CMA.
Every student is provided with an authorized learning software to help in his preparations and the Faculty would be able to take meaningful reports from the same (based on the student working and solving questions in the software) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the student and take necessary corrective action.
Semester 3 & 4 :
Second Paper of the US CMA Certification
The schedule and the methodology is the same as what was done for Semesters 2 & 3 but in this semester it would be done for the second paper of the US CMA. The software would again be used to take meaningful reports to guide the student in his preparation and taking up the examination.
Semester 6 :
Communication & Interview Skills Training
Communication is very important in today’s context and hence training on Communication and Interview skills is provided to the student in Semester 6. Campus recruitment happens in Semester 6 and hence this training would include possible expected questions that would be asked and also training them in the aptitude tests that are normally conducted by companies before the interview. This will ensure that they are interview ready and will be able to face the same with lots of confidence to enable them get the right break through.
About the US CMA Exams
Is the US CMA exams difficult to pass ?
Any professional exam requires utmost dedication and discipline in preparation. This is more so true when it comes to the CMA. Consistency in preparation is the key and there are absolutely no shortcuts. Moreover, since the minimum pass mark is 360 out of 500 (on a scaled basis), one has to stay focused throughout the preparation stage. But as they say, ‘Nothing in this world is difficult, but thinking makes it seem so. Where there is true will, there is always a way.’
When are the exams administered ?
There are 3 examination windows when a student can take up any part of the CMA exams. The 3 examination windows are as under:
- Months of January & February every year - Registration for this window closes by the 15th of February and post that a student cannot register to take up the exams during this window. Exams are conducted in prometric centers on all days except on weekends and public holidays during these months
- Months of May & June every year - Registration for this window closes by the 15th of June and post that a student cannot register to take up the exams during this window. Exams are conducted in prometric centers on all days except on weekends and public holidays during these months
- Months of September & October every year - Registration for this window closes by the 15th of October and post that a student cannot register to take up the exams during this window. Exams are conducted in prometric centers on all days except on weekends and public holidays during these months
Where are the Exam Centers?
There are multiple exam centers in India from where a candidate can take up the CMA exams. This can be done through the Prometric centers that are available in these exam centers. The student pursuing pursuing his B. Com – International Finance in Trichy can take up the exams in Chennai, the closest examination center.
Upon successful completion of the program (clearing both B. Com and the US CMA both parts) a student would be assisted in getting placed with leading companies through campus recruitment at JMC. As we have seen already, training is provided for communication and interview skills in Semester 6 and a student would be placed at an appropriate level based on his performance in the interview.
