An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Certified Public Accountant, or Registered Public Accountant. Such professionals are granted certain responsibilities by statute, such as the ability to certify an organization's financial statements, and may be held liable for professional misconduct. Non-qualified accountants may be employed by a qualified accountant, or may work independently without statutory privileges and obligations.
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United States, the CPA is a license to provide accounting services to the public. It is awarded by each of the 50 states for practice in that state. Additionally, all states except Hawaii have passed mobility laws to allow CPAs from other states to practice in their state. State licensing requirements vary, but the minimum standard requirements include passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, 150 semester units of college education, and one year of accounting-related experience.
Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is a professional certification credential in the management accounting and financial management fields. The certification signifies that the person possesses knowledge in the areas of financial planning, analysis, control, decision support, and professional ethics. There are many professional bodies globally that have management accounting professional qualifications. The main bodies that offer the CMA certification are:
- Institute of Management Accountants USA;
- Institute of Certified Management Accountants (Australia); and
- Certified Management Accountants of Canada.
CISSP is an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as (ISC)².
Project Management Professional (PMP) is an internationally recognized professional designation offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As of 31 July 2020, there are 1,036,368 active PMP-certified individuals and 314 chartered chapters across 214 countries and territories worldwide.
The Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation is a professional certification mark for financial planners conferred by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards in the United States, and by 25 other organizations affiliated with Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB), the owner of the CFP mark outside of the United States. The certification is generally viewed as the gold standard designation in the financial planning industry. The certification is not a government designation, nor an accredited degree, but is managed by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. which was founded in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) is a credential awarded by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) since 1989. The ACFE association is a provider of anti-fraud training and education. Founded in 1988 by Dr. Joseph T Wells. The ACFE established and administers the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential.
The Oracle Certification Program certifies candidates on skills and knowledge related to Oracle products and technologies.
Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) is a professional certification for professionals in the field of Information Technology. The CITP credential recognizes technical expertise across a wide range of business-technology practice areas.
The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination is the examination administered to people who wish to become U.S. Certified Public Accountants. The CPA Exam is used by the regulatory bodies of all fifty states plus the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Professional in Human Resources (PHR) is a certification in the human resource management profession. The certification, awarded by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), signifies that individuals possess the theoretical knowledge and practical experience in human resource management necessary to pass an examination demonstrating a mastery of the body of knowledge in the field. The Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) is the senior-most human resources certification for those who have also demonstrated a strategic mastery of the HR body of knowledge.
Following is a partial list of professional certifications in financial services, with an overview of the educational and continuing requirements for each; see Professional certification § Accountancy, auditing and finance and Category:Professional certification in finance for all articles. As the field of finance has increased in complexity in recent years, the number of available designations has grown, and, correspondingly, some will have more recognition than others. Note that in the US, many state securities and insurance regulators do not allow financial professionals to use a designation — in particular a "senior" designation — unless it has been accredited by either the American National Standards Institute or the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
The Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA) is Canada's national human-resources body. It is responsible for establishing and maintaining national core standards for the human-resources profession; fostering communication among participating associations; serving as the recognized resource on equivalency for human-resources qualifications across Canada and providing a national and international voice on human-resources issues.
The International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB) e.V. was founded in Fürth in Germany in October 2006. IREB e.V. is as a legal entity based in Germany.
Certified MBA (CMBA) was a professional certification designed as an "objective measure of a student's grasp of the MBA skill set". It was offered by the International Certification Institute.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1960 with the purpose of awarding and maintaining credentialing for Respiratory Therapists in the United States. The NBRC is the only organization in the United States which develops certification examinations for Registered Respiratory Therapists and Certified Respiratory Therapists. The NBRC also offers additional specialization credentialing for respiratory practitioners that hold its certifications. The CRT and RRT designations are the standard credential in respiratory care for licensure requirements in the portions of the United States that have enacted a Respiratory Care Act. States that license respiratory therapists sometimes require the practitioner to maintain their NBRC credentialing to maintain their license to practice. The NBRC is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. It has been in the Kansas City metropolitan area since 1974. The NBRC is located at 10801 Mastin St, Suite 300, Overland Park, KS 66210.
Chartered financial consultant (ChFC) is the "advanced financial planning" designation awarded by The American College of Financial Services. Charter holders use the designation ChFC on their resumes and are qualified to provide comprehensive advanced financial planning for individuals, professionals, and small business owners. The authority to use the ChFC mark is granted by the Certification Committee of the Board of Trustees of The American College, and is contingent on adherence to a set of ethical guidelines. According to the American College, "[a]ll ChFC advisors are required to do the same for clients that they would do for themselves in similar circumstances, the standard of ethical behavior most beneficial for their clients." Since 1982, approximately 40,000 people have earned the ChFC through regionally accredited program courses and exams. Successful completion of the ChFC qualifies designees to register as an Investment Adviser Representative (IAR) with FINRA without sitting for the Series 65 examination.
The Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) it is a globally recognized professional credential offered by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) It is one of the largest supply management association in the world as well as one of the most respected.” Being certified as a CPSM indicates the holder has achieved mastery of supply management’s core competencies. The certification program’s emphasis on strategic supply chain integration, along with procurement and Supply Chain Management, prepares the practitioner to move beyond tactical thinking in order to generate strategic solutions and to evolve continually in the rapidly changing supply management environment.
The Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics(BCPE) was established in 1990 in Bellingham, Washington as an independent nonprofit organization, and is the certifying body for individuals whose education and experience indicate broad expertise in the practice of human factors/ergonomics. To date, over 1,000 professionals have successfully met BCPE's certification criteria and been awarded one of the following distinguished credentials: Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE), Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP), Certified User Experience Professional (CUXP), Associate Ergonomics Professional (AEP), Associate Human Factors Professional (AHFP), or Associate User Experience Professional (AUXP).
