For the second consecutive year, the University of Ulster has been named Best Tuition Provider for Northern Ireland and Tom McStraw, a lecturer in the Department of Accounting voted Best CIMA Tutor.

The consistently high quality of teaching at Ulster’s Department of Accounting at Jordanstown - which ranks globally as one of the top CIMA tuition providers - was recognised at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ annual awards dinner in Belfast’s City Hall.

Ulster was named as the Top NI CIMA Tuition Provider, on the basis of marks attained by its students in CIMA exams and Accounting lecturer Tom McStraw was named Best CIMA Tutor, as voted by students and CIMA members.

Maurice Smyth, CIMA Course Director at Jordanstown, said Ulster’s dedicated CIMA team deserved to be recognised at the awards.  

“We continue to improve our teaching team and in 2011/12 we will be even better. One of the main strengths of Northern Ireland is our people and management accountants can play a pivotal role in re-building a successful local economy. An appropriately skilled workforce will help the economy grow and prosper,” he said.  

Tom McStraw said it was good to know that students appreciated what he was doing and he was delighted that they had named him Best CIMA Tutor for a second consecutive year.

He added: “This professional development programme is tailored to meet their needs and the students are finding that it is improving their employment prospects and career options.”

The CIMA programme, which is offered on a part time basis at the Jordanstown campus, leads to membership of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The structure and delivery of the programme with its emphasis on strategic management, makes it suitable for those already employed in industry or the public sector and who wish to obtain a business orientated accountancy qualification.

CIMA is the world’s leading and largest professional body of Management Accountants, with 183,000 members and students operating in 168 countries. It is the only international accountancy body with a sole focus on business and its members and students work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit organisations.

 The Northern Ireland Branch has been active for 64 years and has been helping its members to play a leading part in the Financial Management of organisations across all sectors of the Northern Ireland economy. In Northern Ireland the Institute has over 1,500 members and student members. It works closely with employers and sponsors to conduct leading-edge research, constantly updating its qualification, professional experience requirements and continuing professional development.

 For further information on CIMA professional qualifications offered by the University of Ulster, please contact Course Director, Maurice Smyth email m.smyth2@ulster.ac.uk  telephone 028 9036 6658 

CAPTION: Tom McStraw, left and Maurice Smyth celebrate the CIMA award