APR: Accredited in Public Relations
Make your mark and stand out from the crowd.
You have worked hard to establish yourself in the bustling world of public relations. Experience, education and passion have led you to where you are now: ready to take the next step and earn your APR. Embraced throughout the industry as a mark of distinction and testament to your knowledge, ethics, and commitment to lifelong learning and growth within the public relations profession, the APR credential is a career milestone.
Earning your APR is a personal and professional achievement. The process itself, from submitting your application to passing the exam, is a journey steeped in reaffirming your expertise and expanding your knowledge base to keep pace with the constantly evolving professional landscape. The APR process encompasses relevant issues and situations today’s PR professionals encounter on a continuous basis including: ethics and law, crisis communications, managing relationships with internal and external audiences, leading the PR function, and using the RPIE (Research, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation) model to develop successful campaigns.
Five Steps to Accreditation
Apply: Review and complete the application.
Prepare: Map out your study strategy. Review resources and sign up for chapter study sessions.
Panel Presentation: The first formal step in the process.
Exam: Administered at a Prometric testing center or through remote proctoring.
Renewal: Earn CEUs to maintain your APR (Three-year cycle)
Additional Tips
Fee: The exam fee is $385, due at the time of application. FPRA, through the Florida Public Relations Education Foundation, provides a $100 rebate upon successful completion of the APR exam.
Readiness: A minimum of five years diverse PR experience is recommended, although not required. Each candidate should evaluate the depth and breadth of their experience to determine if they are ready.
Support/Resources: Our chapter provides numerous resources to support APR candidates from mentors/coaches to in-depth study sessions twice a year (one in the spring and one in fall).
APR Resources
Chapter Contact: Jessica Bohlman APR, VP of Credentialing, Jessica.Bohlman@travelandleisure.com
FPRA (state): Additional information, rebate, resources
Universal Accreditation Board (UAB): Oversight organization, application, resources
Fall and Spring Chapter Workshops
“Earning my APR was one of the best professional decisions I’ve ever made. This process completely changed my mindset from tactical to strategic via an emphasis on the knowledge, skills and abilities it takes to be a true leader in our profession. Now, I have the confidence to lead, counsel and build better relationships with conviction versus assumption.”
— Ali Beemer, APR
“Going through the APR process served as a great reminder of the impact we can have within our organization as PR professionals, by reinforcing the importance of guiding our day-to-day practice by industry standards to ensure a strategic and results-oriented approach. The resources available for those that decide to take on the certification – from the online course to mentorship from your peers – are fantastic, and will transform the experience into a collaborative, inspiring learning journey.”
— Juliette Gebken-Mayí, APR
“For me, the APR accreditation process was more than just validating my skills as a knowledgeable and professional PR practitioner, I found it to be a tremendous learning experience as well. I believe it helped enhance my abilities to develop successful and strategic campaigns, as well as provided me with the necessary tools I needed to grow my career. It was truly a proud and rewarding feeling for me personally to eventually accomplish this designation. I think for those considering or who may be on the fence about the commitment and focus this undertaking requires, the journey is most-definitely worth it.”
— Michael Lawrence, APR