IMA Introduces Micro-credentials to Help Finance Professionals Build Practical, Future-Ready Skills

Article content

New learning pathways help professionals strengthen AI readiness, data fluency, and strategic decision-making.

Article content

MONTVALE, N.J., May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) announces the availability of its micro-credential offerings, a series of specialized programs designed to help finance teams and professionals build practical, career-ready skills for a rapidly changing business environment.

Article content

Article content

As geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility, and rapid technological acceleration reshape the business environment, finance professionals are being asked to do more than report on what already happened. They are increasingly expected to deliver sharper analysis, stronger insights, and strategic judgment that organizations need to navigate uncertainty. IMA’s micro-credentials respond to that need with focused learning pathways that help professionals build high-demand skills they can apply in real time. They also give employers a scalable way to strengthen talent across their organizations and support more consistent capability development across teams.

Article content

Article content

“Finance professionals are being measured against a new standard—one that requires them to turn data into insight, and insight into action,” said Michael DePrisco, the President and CEO of IMA. “Our research continues to show that AI-readiness in finance isn’t just about technology. It’s about judgment, process, and human competencies that drive better decisions. These micro-credentials are designed to help professionals build those skills in ways they can apply immediately in their work.”

Article content

Article content

IMA’s micro-credential portfolio is designed to complement broader professional development and certification pathways by offering targeted instruction in areas including AI readiness, data literacy, AI use cases in forecasting, FP&A, audit, financial modeling and visualization, ethical considerations, and business decision support.

Article content

IMA’s AI in Finance Micro-credential, for instance, is a self-paced online program that helps accounting and finance teams understand and apply AI in real-world finance functions. The program consists of 15-20 hours of training and a final assessment, earning learners up to 20 NASBA credits and seven digital badges that indicate the holder’s proficiency in skills. While the programs are geared toward finance teams, their value extends across industries where stronger data fluency, AI literacy, and decision-making skills are becoming essential.

Article content

Article content

“I knew that because it was specific to finance, I was going to get real value out of it,” said Craig Heller, the Cost Accounting Manager at Janus International. “The use cases were especially helpful once I built that foundation. After completing the credential, I’ve been able to automate data-cleanup workflows that used to take me 15 to 20 minutes per report and cut that down to about five minutes. More importantly, I now feel much more confident evaluating AI outputs and applying these tools to forecasting, variance analysis, and other day-to-day finance work.”

Article content

Building on its AI in Finance pathway, IMA will expand its portfolio in early June with its Advanced Data Analytics for Financial Decision-Making Micro-credential —recognizing that effective AI adoption depends on strong data foundations, analytical rigor, and the ability to turn insights into action. Badges will include Data Storytelling and Visualization Foundations, Visualization and Design with Automation, Enterprise Business Intelligence and Data Modeling, Predictive Analytics and Forecasting, Turning Analytics Into Business Recommendations, and Advanced Financial Modeling.