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.

There are five steps in the Accreditation process:
 
1. ELIGIBILITY
Your first step is to submit an eligibility form to the UAB, which can be found on the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) Web site (www.praccreditation.org). You are asked to submit payment of $385 (or two payments of $205) at this time. (Note: FPRA offers partial rebates to its members.) 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
APR workshops begin each September and February. These are free, hour-long sessions that occur once a week for about 10 weeks and they 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.

3. READINESS REVIEW – YOUR WRITTEN SUBMISSION
You will be required to submit a Readiness Review Questionnaire, which can be found on the UAB Web site. It should reflect your own experience in the public relations profession and is due to your APR coach.

4. READINESS REVIEW – PANEL PRESENTATION OF YOUR PORTFOLIO
You are required to prepare a portfolio of your work to present to a panel of 3
accredited professionals. Your portfolio should reflect your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) as a public relations professional. The panelists will score your KSAs and help you identify any gaps in your readiness to take the Accreditation 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 Accreditation exam at a Prometric testing center. UAB will notify you of the results of your exam within four to eight weeks.

Visit the official Web site of the Universal Accreditation Board www.praccreditation.org for more information.

APR COACH
Kelly King, APR
Fulcrum Business Solutions
Work / Cell: 407.963.5936
kelly@yourfulcrum.com