The Universal Accreditation Program was formed January 1, 1998. Nine public relations organizations now participate in the program. It is administered by PRSA, which began operating its own Accreditation program beginning in 1964.
Members with at least five years of full-time, paid professional public relations experience may become Accredited (APR) by submitting an application to the national office; participating in a Readiness Review (committee reviews your work and your experience); and, if advanced by the committee, by passing a computerized examination at a local testing site. To be considered, please check the national PRSA Web site at www.prsa.org for an application. On this site, you will also find helpful information about the process, a study guide, and recommended books to prepare for the exam. Once your application is accepted, the national office will contact the APR Chair to arrange a Readiness Review. For additional information, please contact the local APR Chair: Jan Gusich, President, Akhia Public Relations at 330.463.5650 or by emailing your request to jan@akhia.com
PRSA Members who were Accredited after January 1, 1993 are required to maintain their APR status every three years by completing professional development activities.
For more information, please see www.accreditationboard.org.
