Chief Financial Officer Certification

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Includes: Business Office, Transportation, Personnel, Food Service, Facilities
Required Degree: BA/BS
Required Class Hours: 85
Required Accounting Hours: 18 semester hours
Grandparent Provision: No
Continuing Education Requirement: 180 hours over five years, which must include the Group Solutions seminar.

Hours required can be met via: college classes, workshops, conference participation, and specialized workshops.

This voluntary certification program is sponsored by Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO). This section contains brief descriptions of certification courses that will be offered through MSBO and the Michigan Institute for Educational Management (MIEM). In some circumstances courses from other sources may be counted toward MSBO certification. Please be aware that some courses and/or requirements may change. MSBO and the committees that created this program are continuing to evaluate plans and make minor modifications as deemed appropriate.

This program and the courses listed have been created and reviewed by the Professional Development Committee of MSBO. An applicant for certification must be a member of MSBO, and hold a Bachelor's Degree including 18 semester hours of accounting.

The overall purpose of this certification is: 1) to provide access to information and training for Chief Financial Officers that is specific to Michigan law and regulation; and 2) to provide a basis for advancing professionalism of Chief Financial Officers in Michigan schools.

MSBO certification courses provide a great deal of information in a short time. Most courses are "bulleted" information rather than in-depth training. They are intended to cover major points about their respective topics, offer an opportunity for questions and discussion, and provide resource information for future use.

The starting course for Chief Financial Officer certification is Introduction to School Business. Although anyone may benefit from this or other individual certification courses, the full program is generally intended for Chief Financial Officers in their first 1-5 years of employment. However, any person employed in school business operations who meets the stated requirements may receive Chief Financial Officer certification. There is no requirement for holding a particular position in a school district.

Questions? Contact Debbie Kopkau at MSBO (517) 327-2587 or e-mail dkopkau@msbo.org.