Thee AICPA just announced that its members who are CPAs holding the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) credential are now automatically eligible to receive the Certified Information Technology professional designation. The CITP is one of three special designations offered by the AICPA. The other two are ABV in valuation and PFS in financial planning.
The announcement is part of continuing initiatives to get the numbers up for the three designations. A couple of years ago when the AICPA was thinking and talking about killing the designations, the AICPA Council stymied those efforts. A resolution was passed that set individual benchmarks for the designations that if met would ensure their future survival.
These initiatives are going well, and if any of the designations don't end up surviving, it won't be because of a lack of either effort or financial support. And that is very important, as CPAs who spend considerable time qualifying and maintaining their qualification for these certifications deserve this maximum exertion. They are trailblazers who probably already had CVA, CFP, and CISA professional designations, but decided to add similar certifications that were only available to CPAs to distinguish the unique expertise CPAs offer in these areas and enhance the value of the profession. They are to be commended.
The AICPA has now shown it too will make as strong a commitment to specialized CPA designations as those CPAs are doing. You can't ask for anything more of the organization that represents the profession. I am hopeful that all three designations will meet the numbers established for them.
