Accreditation
Overview
The APMAA has developed a series of professional designations
and accreditation standards based on a combination of formal
education, work experience, and transactional history of the
applicant. APMAA Members are eligible to apply for the
following three different levels of professional recognition:
PMAA - Professional Merger & Acquisition Advisor
AMAA - Accredited Merger & Acquisition Advisor
MMAA - Master Merger & Acquisition Advisor
The goal of the APMAA is to provide APMAA Members recognition for their significant involvement and experience in the Business Brokerage and Merger & Acquisition industry.
Additionally, the APMAA designations and associated standards provide an important step in assisting the general public (or potential corporate employer) in evaluating the professional credentials of our Members and the quality of work within our industry.
Fee Structure
| Designation | Initial Fee | Renewal Fee |
| PMAA - Professional Merger & Acquisition Advisor | $100 | $75 |
| AMAA - Accredited Merger & Acquisition Advisor | $125 | $75 |
| MMAA - Master Merger & Acquisition Advisor | $150 | $100 |
To apply for accreditation, applicants must be either a
Professional or Corporate APMAA Member in good standing. The
designation is good for a 12 month period beginning on the first of
the month in which the applicant’s designation was approved. Members are allowed a 30-day grace period after the end of their
annual designation period in which to renew their designation. After 30 days, the Member must reapply, at the Initial Fee, for
designation.
An Accreditation/Designation application is available to Members on
the private APMAA Member web site.
Designation Standards
Designations are awarded on a point system based on the following
criteria:
| Designation | Points | |
| PMAA - Professional Merger & Acquisition Advisor | 5 | Must be from at least 2 categories. |
| AMAA - Accredited Merger & Acquisition Advisor | 10 | Points must come from 3 categories. |
| MMAA - Master Merger & Acquisition Advisor | 15 | * Plus 1 year at AMAA Level and pass peer- review of 2 submitted Information Memorandums. |
In addition to the points, all applicants must:
1.Agree to APMAA Code of Ethics
2.Maintain a professional web site (Professional Members only)
The PMAA or Professional Merger & Acquisition Advisor designation
was created to recognize newer Members in the field working towards
full Accreditation and committed to providing high quality services
and work product within the industry. The APMAA point system is
designed to balance an applicant’s education, work experience, and
transactional history. To become Accredited an applicant, must
be a well-rounded, seasoned Business Broker or M&A professional.
Any questions on Accreditation should be addressed to information@apmaa.com.
APMAA “Point” System
| Education | |||
| *Maximum total 5 pts. From Education & Professional Designation | |||
| Base Education: | Pts. | ||
| BS - Any | 1 | ||
| BS - Any Business Discipline | 2 | ||
| BS - Accounting or Finance | 3 | ||
| Plus Points From Advanced Education: | |||
| Advanced business courses (no degree)* | 1 | ||
| MBA or JD | 2 | ||
| *Minimum 3 Master level business classes from an accredited university | |||
| Plus Points From Professional Designations: | |||
| CPA designation | 1 | ||
| CFA designation | 1 | ||
| Series 7 license | 1 | ||
| CBI designation | 2 | ||
| Work Experience | |||
| *Maximum total 6 pts. From Work Experience | |||
| Business Broker/Intermediary Work Experience: | |||
| Full-time work experience as a business broker/intermediary | |||
| <12 months | 0 | ||
| 12 - 23 months (1-2 years) | 1 | ||
| 24-35 months (2-3 years) | 2 | ||
| 36-47 month (3-4 years) | 3 | ||
| 48-59 months (4-5 years) | 4 | ||
| 60-73 months (5-7 years) | 5 | ||
| 84+months (7+years) | 6 | ||
| Corporate Work Experience: | |||
| Full-time work experience in charge of acquisitions for public, private companies, private equity, or investment banking related jobs. | |||
| Must submit list of relevant work experience along with job title, description | |||
| <24 months (<2 years) | 0 | ||
| 24-35 months (2-3 years) | 1 | ||
| 36-47 months (3-4 years) | 2 | ||
| 48-59 moths (4-5 years) | 3 | ||
| 60-73 months (5-7 years) | 4 | ||
| or (highest title/level obtained; must be related to M&A) | |||
| Manager | 2 | ||
| Director | 3 | ||
| Vice President, Managing Director | 4 | ||
| Transactional Experience | |||
| Transaction experience (must provide transaction summary sheet): | |||
| The lesser of transaction dollars or # of deals: | |||
| Total Transaction Dollars | # Deals | Pts. | |
| <$0.5 million in transaction value | < 5 | 0 | |
| $0.5-1.0 million in transaction value | 5-7 | 1 | |
| $1.1 - 2.5 million in transaction value | 8-10 | 2 | |
| $2.6 - 5.0 million in transaction value | 11-13 | 3 | |
| $5.1 -7.0 million in transaction value | 14-16 | 4 | |
| $7.1 - $15.0 million in transaction value | 17-20 | 5 | |
| $15.1 - $25.0 million in transaction value | 21-25 | 6 | |
| $25+ million in transaction value | 26+ | 7 | |
| Designation Tenure | |||
| Designation Tenure | Pts. | ||
| <12 months | 0 | ||
| 12 - 23 months (1-2 years) | 1 | ||
| 24-35 months (2-3 years) | 2 | ||
| 36-47 month (3-4 years) | 3 | ||
| 48-59 months (4-5 years) | 4 | ||
