The Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) offers two credentialing opportunities for public relations professionals – Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) and Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC).

Accreditation and Certification offer credentials that designate you as a competent PR leader, strengthen your skills and abilities associated with the profession, and provide you with a professional designation that can be meaningful to both current and future employers.

Below is an overview of each credentialing program.

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)

The APR credential certified your drive, professionalism, and principals, setting you apart from your peers and positioning you as a leader and mentor in the public relations field. While preparing for your examination is an exercise in itself, the process generally takes 7 – 12 months to complete.

The Accreditation process can be completed in four steps:

  1. Request the APR Study Guide and join a chapter study group session* or study independently.
  2. Review and complete the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations Application.
  3. Prepare and sit for your two-part examination: a Panel Presentation and computer-based Examination.
  4. Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning through your APR Renewal.

The fee for examination is $385; however, both FPRA and the Capital Chapter offer rebates of up to a total of $200. Please note that examination fees are non-refundable or transferable. Examination fees will be forfeit if a candidate does not cancel or reschedule his/her computer-based examination appointment by noon at least two (2) business days before the appointment date.

If a candidate misses their appointment, they will not be rescheduled and will forfeit all fees paid.

*The FPRA Capital Chapter regularly holds study group sessions. For more information, contact Lauren Helm, APR at [email protected].

Certified Public Relations Counselor (CPRC)

The CPRC is the second-tier credential offered by FPRA. The certification process was developed to recognize senior members’ professional growth and achievement 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.

The exam, which is administered throughout the year, consists of two sections. First, candidates must give a 20-minute presentation to a panel of certified evaluators, to be followed by a 10-minute Q&A. Second, candidates must complete a 14-question written exam with essay topics drawn from case studies.

For the oral portion of this exam, candidates choose one of several fictitious scenarios that pose a PR challenge for a company and then make a presentation, approximately 20-minutes in length, as if to make a recommendation to the company’s leadership. Candidates receive the scenarios seven (7) days before their scheduled presentation to prepare.

FPRA members who are certified are invited to join the Florida Public Relations Counselors’ Network (CN) for additional professional development and networking opportunities.

The cost of the CPRC exam is $350. To take the CPRC exam, download an application from the State Association Office of FPRA.

For more information, contact Lauren Helm, APR at [email protected].