If you are currently a member of PRSSA, or a full-fledged member of PRSA, you may already be familiar with the organization’s APR designation. If you are not a member of our esteemed professional society, shame on you! Just kidding. Seriously, though, there is a great deal of confusion among PR practitioners, young and old alike, regarding the APR designation offered by PRSA, and how it may benefit professionals like you — now, and in the future. As a current APR candidate, I would like to offer my personal perspective on this very important certification program.

For starters, let us begin with some very simple questions and answers provided by PRSA:

What is APR Accreditation?
Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) is a voluntary certification program for public relations professionals, administered by the Universal Accreditation Board. The APR Accreditation is the only professional certification program open to public relations professionals.

Who administers the Accreditation program?
The Accreditation program is administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of 10 leading industry organizations, including PRSA.

Who can pursue the APR?
Any PRSA member in good standing can take on the challenge of earning Accreditation. However, it is recommended that candidates have at least five years’ experience in the full-time practice or teaching of public relations, and who have earned either a bachelor’s degree in a communication-specific field (e.g., public relations, journalism, mass communication) or have equivalent work experience, which includes public relations principles, public relations writing, public relations campaigns, research, ethics and law and internship (practical experience under supervision).

What is the purpose of Accreditation?
The purpose is to unify and advance the profession by identifying those who have demonstrated broad knowledge, experience, and professional judgment in the field. The program seeks to improve public relations practice. The designation Accredited in Public Relations (APR) signifies a high professional level of experience and competence.

Why become Accredited?
Increasingly, job listings are specifying APR preferred. Senior public relations professionals have been outspoken in support of Accreditation. “APR is a symbol of professionalism. It demonstrates that individuals have the knowledge, ethics and experience that set them apart. It also demonstrates that they care about their own profession and that they are dedicated to enhancing their own personal abilities.” Joe S. Epley, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chairman and CEO, Epley Associates, Charlotte, NC.

What steps are involved?
You must complete an application that lets the UAB gauge your full-time public relations experience.

1. Once your application is approved, you must schedule a Readiness Review, which is a face-to-face review by three APRs to determine whether you have a grasp of the knowledge, skills and abilities required to pass the comprehensive examination.
2. Prior to the Readiness Review, you must complete a Readiness Review Questionnaire — that addresses: your organization and position in public relations; overall experience; and assessment of readiness to pass the computer-based written examination.
3. Successfully pass a comprehensive examination that is administered at numerous testing centers around the nation.

Is Accreditation good for life?
Yes, with fulfillment of Maintenance of Accreditation requirements and continued membership in a participating organization. Every three years, PRSA members Accredited after January 1, 1993 and participating organization members Accredited after January 1, 1998, must accumulate the required number of points in continuing education, professionalism or service categories as part of the Maintenance of Accreditation Program. This further strengthens the value of the APR credential and keeps professionals actively involved in the currents of the public relations profession.

Think of the APR designation just as you would any other professional designation: CPA, CFP, RN, or an attorney who is required to pass the bar in the state in which he/she practices. As PRSA mentions above, obtaining APR status is really about unifying and advancing the profession by identifying those who have demonstrated broad knowledge, experience, and professional judgment in the field, and adhere to professional standards, best practices, and codes of conduct espoused by the industry as a whole. Certainly, our profession relies on a great deal of creativity, and there is no way of standardizing that. However, the APR designation signals to your clients, peers, and colleagues that you care enough about this industry to obtain professional certification, and that you support PRSA in its efforts to make all of us more effective and thoughtful practitioners of our craft by adhering to certain common practices, behaviors, and thought processes.

So now you’re probably asking: Keith, why are you doing this? For numerous reasons, actually. First, it is simply time for me to do it. I have 14 years of experience in this business, and a MBA in marketing. However, apart from my resume and my portfolio, I have nothing that tangibly differentiates me as a full-fledged, card-carrying PR pro. Secondly, it is tried and true method for improving my stature among my peers, especially those involved with PRSA. Most PRSA chapter officers already have the APR designation, and PRSA recommends that one serve in chapter leadership positions as one way to maintain their APR status. I have attended meetings where some members actually have looked down on me because I was not a APR. Indeed, this is rather unfair, but that is the way it goes. Third, it really does not require all that much work or money. I am expecting that the remainder of the summer in my office will be slow, so now is the perfect time for me to take care of this. Fourth, it will be make me even more marketable before. Although hiring managers may not always know what APR means, you can explain it to them, and any certification or additional education always helps in the job search process. Finally, I want to derive the personal satisfaction of having completed this process. For those of you who just graduated, it is that same feeling of accomplishment and pride. That is what I am gunning for.

To obtain more details on PRSA’s APR program, please read all of the information which the association has posted here.

P.S. I apologize for being incommunicado on Forward so long. I have been absolutely buried with my current position, and I am just now coming up for air. I hope to be more active and communicative henceforth.

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