APR: A Journey Toward Accreditation in Public Relations

After earning tenure, I felt like it was time for more professional development. Public relations (PR) practitioner-scholars whom I admire have earned their APRs (accreditation in public relations) and I want to remain competitive in my field. An APR designation signifies an investment and belief in our profession as a profession. Additionally, I want to model lifelong learning and industry commitment to my students. 

As part of the process, you present a campaign you have implemented. Timing worked out perfectly because I was launching a Women's History Month campaign for Tarleton's Women's Mentoring Network. Members’ research efforts were the focus, as this fulfilled the university’s mission to increase our research profile and institutional prominence. We celebrated a Month of Research on LinkedIn. The campaign was a success and provided an campaign for my panel presentation.

After many hours of preparations and studying, I sat for my panel presentation (think dissertation defense). I truly learned a few things along the way. For example, my objectives needed to be pushed beyond output measures. 

After passing the panel presentation (thank you to the APRs who gave their time for the evaluation and feedback), I prepared for the written exam. The PRSA-provided study guide is a great starting point. Many of the suggested textbooks are ones I've used as a teacher over the past 20 years. Nonetheless, I studied and studied. 

Next, it was test time. I spent hours glued to my chair taking an online exam while a proctor watched over my webcam and screenshare. It was a beast. The moment I hit submit, I held my breath and hoped for the PASS notification. I had to re-read it several times before my brain would believe that I had passed. 

I have many thank you notes to issue. To my APR mentor Dr. Kay Colley, APR, you are the best! Last year, she presented at a monthly PRSA meeting and forced us to consider one-year and five-year goals. I put APR on the notecard she handed me for my one-year goal. To Dr. Julie O'Neil, APR, who shared about her experience that same day and helped me make the leap. To Jeremy Agor, APR, our APR chair, who shepherded the process. To Jessamy Brown, APR, for her expertise on my panel. To all the APRs who came before and may not even know that they influenced my decision -- Kim Brown, APR, our PRSA chapter president, Dr. Amiso George, APR, Dr. Katie Place, APR, Dr. LaShonda Eaddy, APR, Jeff Wilson, APR, and many more -- thank you!

If you are thinking about pursuing your APR, I'm happy to share my experiences.