Accreditation/APR
ACCREDITATION
ACCREDITATIONNo matter where your Communications career takes you, earning your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) will set you apart! The APR is a national credential that positions you as a leader who is committed to excellence and ethics.
Are you ready?
To determine if you’re ready to earn your APR, answer the following questions:
- Are you proud of your PR acumen and want to show it?
- Do you want to help strengthen our profession?
- Do you want to show company leadership or potential employers that you have what it takes to safeguard the company’s reputation, build mutually beneficial relationships, and successfully manage a crisis?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you’re a candidate!
Are you eligible?
- Are you a member of PRSA?
- Are you actively practicing public relations or teaching or in administration for public relations courses at an accredited college or university?
If you answered yes to both, you’re eligible to apply for accreditation!
NOTE: The five-year waiting period to become accredited is no longer REQUIRED (though it is recommended). You may apply for accreditation at any time.
What's your next step?
- Prepare. The accreditation process has two main components:
- Panel Presentation: This step comprises a written questionnaire and a presentation with three panelists who are accredited members.
- Computer-based Exam: Once you’ve successfully completed your Panel Presentation, you may schedule your computer-based exam. You will take the exam on your own timetable, but within one year of applying to PRSA National for accreditation. Once you successfully complete the exam, you may begin using the APR designation! Accreditation is good for life, as long as you're a PRSA member and meet maintenance requirements.
The APR tells your peers, colleagues, clients, and employer that you truly understand the public relations profession. It demonstrates that you have knowledge, character and experience in the field, that you care about the profession and are dedicated to enhancing your abilities.
Here’s what some accredited Buffalo Niagara chapter members say about the value of accreditation:
“I work in an industry where licenses and accreditation are key for advancement. I’m the only person at my firm with an APR, so I believe it gives me credibility when people ask about it – and they do ask."
-Lisa Adams, APR, Associate Vice President, CannonDesign
“Because the APR is not a required credential, having it automatically places you in the top tier of PR professionals. It introduces you to recruiters and potential employers as someone who practices according to the highest professional and ethical standards.”
-Stacy VanBlarcom, APR, Cofounder, B.flo-Girls
Start your journey today!
Resources
- Contact the Buffalo Niagara Accreditation Committee Chair Stacy VanBlarcom, APR via email.
- APR Study Guide
- PRSA National
- Accreditation Application
Buffalo Niagara Accredited Members
See which Buffalo Niagara Chapter members have earned the APR mark of distinction:
Lisa Adams, APR
Anthony Astran, MPA, APR
Patricia Burgio, APR
Barbara Byers, APR
Rick Davis, APR
Lisa Eikenburg, APR
Kandis Fuller, APR
Ginger Geoffery, APR
Jacqueline Ghosen, APR
Ellen Goldstein, APR
Stanton Hudson, APR
Kevin Manne, APR
Linus Ormsby, Jr., APR
Jennifer Gleason Pratt, MBA, APR
Stacy VanBlarcom, APR
Deborah Silverman, APR, Fellow PRSA
In Memorium
Ann Carden, APR, Fellow, PRSA
Julie Kopfer-Marranca, APR
Ron Smith, APR
