Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA)

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Adam Hayes
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Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

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Updated February 20, 2023
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Colleen Ramos
Colleen Ramos
Reviewed by Colleen Ramos
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Dr. Ramos works with leadership teams to hire talent that aligns with business strategies, creating alignment between selection and hiring. She helps unlock unique insights that facilitate high-performing teams that meet the organization's strategic goals. She holds a doctoral degree in Human Resource Development, a master's in Counseling Psychology, and certifications as a Gallup Strengths Coach, in Emotional Intelligence and holds her SHRM-CP.
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Chartered Marketing Analyst

Investopedia / Theresa Chiechi

What Is the Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA)?

The Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA) is a professional certificate awarded by the GAFM Global Academy of Finance and Management (formerly the American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM)).

The Chartered Marketing Analyst™ Program is designed to train individuals in current marketing strategies and technologies that are essential for success in the global changing competitive landscape of marketing. These goals include understanding customer behavior, segmentation, and market and pricing strategies. The CMA program also focuses on the financial sector and the integral role of marketing in the development of new banking products and services.

Key Takeaways

  • The Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA) is a professional certification for marketing professionals, especially those situated in the field of finance.
  • The CMA program requires self-study via an in-depth curriculum followed by a series of exams.
  • The program is designed to be largely practical, and aimed at those already in the profession at the management level.

Understanding the Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA)

The CMA curriculum has been designed to teach the practical marketing techniques and skills required by marketing and customer relationship professionals.

It covers nine major subject areas and utilizes a variety of training techniques. The key areas of the agenda include:

  1. The competitive environment
  2. The role of marketing
  3. Customer behavior
  4. Developing new products and services
  5. Pricing strategies
  6. Promotion and communication
  7. Distribution and multi-channel considerations
  8. CRM and marketing strategy and planning
  9. Ethics

The emphasis is practical and pragmatic rather than theoretical, with real case studies from some of the world’s leading institutions.

Earning the CMA Designation

In addition to holding a relevant bachelor’s degree, and a minimum of four years of qualified professional experience, Chartered Marketing Analyst (CMA) candidates must pass of series of three challenging six-hour exams.

The first focuses on basic financial concepts and can only be taken in June or December. The second explores analysis skills and accounting procedures, and the third attacks decision-making and portfolio management skills. All three also tap into ethics. The final two exams are only offered in June, so if candidates fail either, they’ll have to wait an entire year for a second chance.

Chartered Marketing Analyst Topics

The study program to become a CMA covers topics such as profitability analysis, valuation techniques, pricing options, and fixed-income derivatives, using software to solve financial problems, and more.

Successful applicants earn the right to use the CMA designation with their names, which can improve job opportunities, professional reputation, and pay. Every year, CMA professionals must also complete 15 hours of continuing education (CE).

Once all those hurdles are crossed, there are several roles available within the marketing strands of the financial industry, including marketing manager, PR executive, customer relations manager, product line managers, retail banking managers, etc. CMAs can work as independent contractors for large financial firms or be on the payroll of one.

A sense of status is associated with a CMA designation. It assumes that this professional will follow the same industry-wide ethical standards as the thousands of charter holders in over 135 countries.

Article Sources
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  1. GAFM. "CHARTERED MARKETING ANALYST CERTIFICATION." Accessed June 24, 2021.