Two Public Relations credentials offered through FPRA include Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC).

APR is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice. Candidates earn accreditation based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment. The APR designation signifies a high professional level of experience and competence and is administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of 9 leading industry organizations, including FPRA.

There are five steps in the Accreditation process:

1. ELIGIBILITY

Your first step is to submit an application to the UAB, which can be found on the UAB Web site (www.praccreditation.org). You are asked to submit payment at this time. You can pay one payment of $385 (or two payments of $205, the second due after passing readiness review). FPRA offers $150 in rebates to its members who participate in preparation workshops and pass the computerized exam within 30 days of completing the workshops. UAB will notify you of your eligibility within four weeks and you will have one year from your date of eligibility to complete the APR process.

2. PREPARATION

Local APR workshops begin each September and February. These are free, hour-long sessions that occur once a week for about 8-10 weeks. Workshops focus on the fundamental knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that you will need to know in order to earn Accreditation. The workshops are not mandatory. A selection of recommended texts is available on the UAB Web site. The primary, recommended text is Effective Public Relations by Cutlip, Center and Broom. In addition, there is a free Study Guide downloadable from the UAB Web site, and an available UAB Online Study Course for $195. The APR Online Study Course is designed to help public relations professionals study at their own pace. This course is ideal for candidates who travel frequently, cannot attend in-person study sessions, are not located near in-person study sessions, or simply want another opportunity to practice their skills.  Visit the UAB Web site for more information.

3. READINESS REVIEW –WRITTEN SUBMISSION

In preparation for your Readiness Review, you will submit a Readiness Review Questionnaire. It should reflect your own experience in the public relations profession and is submitted to your APR coach prior to scheduling your Readiness Review Panel Presentation.

4. READINESS REVIEW – PANEL PRESENTATION OF YOUR PORTFOLIO

After completing your written submission, you will then prepare a portfolio of your work to present to a panel of three accredited professionals. Your portfolio should reflect your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) as a public relations professional, should feature the same campaign or program from your written submission and follow the 4-step public relations process. The panelists will score your KSAs and help you identify any gaps in your readiness to take the computerized exam. It is the panel’s primary goal to determine if you are prepared to successfully take the computerized exam. The UAB will notify you to advance/not advance to the computerized exam.

5. COMPUTER-BASED EXAMINATION

Once you have successfully completed the first four steps, and within a year of your eligibility, you may schedule an appointment to take the computerized exam at a Prometric testing center (www.prometric.com).

Visit the official Web site of the Universal Accreditation Board www.praccreditation.org for more information or e-mail Stefanie Macfarlane, APR.

CPRC is a credential unique to FPRA. It was developed to recognize professional growth and achievement of senior members who have already earned the APR designation. Candidates for CPRC must be a member of FPRA and have a minimum of 10 years of professional practice in public relations.

Earning the CPRC credential involves passing a written exam (16 essay questions) and an oral exam (presentation of a public relations program or project). The exam is designed to determine a candidate’s ability to draw from his or her experience to solve problems and present solutions. CPRC is now required for new members joining FPRA’s Counselor’s Network and will be required for current members of the Counselor’s Network by November 20011. For more information about CPRC, visit the certification section of the FPRA state Web site (www.fpra.org) or e-mail Stefanie Macfarlane, APR.