Accreditation
What is Accreditation in Public Relations?
Accreditation in public relations is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment.
What does accreditation accomplish?
- Emphasizes the science of Public Relations
- Legitimizes and lends credibility
- Standardizes our knowledge
- Holds practitioners accountable
How does accreditation benefit the individual?
- Increases industry knowledge
- Enhances reputation
- Enhances self-esteem
- Increases value and marketability to clients/employers/media:
Accredited professionals earn nearly 20 percent more than non-accredited professionals, according to PR Week 2005 survey
Contact the 2010 Blue Ridge-PRSA accreditation chair:
Don Egle, APR
James Madison University
egledk@jmu.edu
(540) 568-5322
Future Blue Ridge-PRSA accreditation
chairs:
Ray Atkinson, APR, 2011
Thomas Becher, APR, 2012
Join the public
relations conversation and get connected with expert insight from PRSA
guest bloggers.
http://comprehension.prsa.org/
Frequently-Asked Questions
Are you eligible?
The APR process is targeted to someone with five years of paid experience in the full-time practice or in teaching public relations and a bachelor’s degree in a communications-specific field (e.g., public relations, journalism, mass communication). It is not a requirement, however.
What are the costs?
The fee is $385, plus a $25 application fee (waived for those candidates who pay in full at the time of application). You will get a $110 rebate upon passing the APR examination.
How long does it take?
Figure on six months to one year. Once your APR application is accepted, you have one year to take the examination.
How can I make the most of the PR accreditation process?
Focus on “active learning,” the practical applications of the various topics of APR study. You want to constantly apply what you learn to your professional practice.
Additional FAQs...
The APR process
Pursuing the APR has been compared to the graduate school commitment. Expect it to take from six months to one year.
- Complete APR application – Notice of eligibility comes within two to four weeks.
- Complete Readiness Review questionnaire and portfolio
- Request Readiness Review Panel
- Participate and pass the Readiness Review Panel
- Study for the examination
- Schedule Prometic computer-based examination
- Take examination.
APR Resources
For Current APRs
Blue Ridge Chapter Accreditation News:
October 19, 2009
Chuck
Lionberger Earns Accreditation Designation
February 18, 2008
Laura L. Neff-Henderson Earns Accreditation Designation
June 15, 2007
Ray Atkinson Earns Accreditation Designation
April 25, 2007
Don Egle Earns Accreditation Designation
December 14, 2006
Thomas Becher Earns Accreditation Designation
October 18, 2006
Donna Wilson Earns Accreditation Designation
Who's Accredited in the
Blue Ridge Chapter? See Members Accreditation Directory
Experiencing the Value of APR
Ray Atkinson, ABC, APR
Director of Corporate Communications
Pilgrim's Pride Corp.
Achieving the APR designation was extremely rewarding, but the true value of pursuing accreditation for me personally was the experience of going through the process.
Much of the preparation material for the accreditation exam was information I had already learned in an academic setting (communication theory, models, research, planning, etc.), but reviewing for the exam really forced me to think more about how to apply these principles in my work. In other words, I began to think more about why I'm doing things in the first place – what I am trying to accomplish – rather than simply how to get things done. This has had a big impact on my thought process, because I’m always reminding myself to focus on achieving goals and objectives, even if I’m not writing a full-blown PR plan for every project.
The accreditation process was a lot of work, but it was worth it. From a professional development perspective, I enjoyed being able to tackle a new challenge and achieve a personal goal. From a career development standpoint, the APR indicates a high level of competence and gives us professional credibility among our peers.
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Teresa Gereaux, APR
Director of Public Relations
Roanoke College
"When I was president-elect for the Blue Ridge Chapter, I attended a leadership rally for PRSA in New York City. At that meeting I learned that many positions in the national PRSA structure require APR designation to make you eligible for those positions. I realized then if I ever wanted to purse a position in PRSA beyond the chapter, I would need APR.
My educational background is a business administration degree from Roanoke College. Although I had gone through the liberal arts experience and earned a marketing concentration along with my business degree, I did not have formal training in public relations. I learned most of public relations skills on the job. That worked well for me but I was interested in learning more about the field and the many areas within public relations.
I started the accreditation process in 2001 and was accredited in February 2003. I bought the textbook and attended study sessions with accredited members of the chapter. Through the preparation for the APR exam, I learned a great deal about many aspects of public relations that were different from the public relations work I do on the job. That information has been valuable in my work.
APR designation gives me a mark of professionalism and it opens many doors to my future in public relations,both professionally and in the PRSA organization itself."
