Professional Development Accreditation in Public Relations Renewing Your APR Four Simple Steps to Renew Your APR

By Danielle Airey, APR, southwest region representative to the NSPRA Accreditation Committee I December 2024

As an accredited public relations practitioner, you've proven your expertise in the field and set yourself apart in the industry. But like most great achievements, maintaining your APR requires a bit of upkeep. Luckily, the process is manageable if you stay on top of it.

Here's what you need to know to sail smoothly through your APR renewal and reap the benefits of being a lifelong PR professional.

What’s the Process Like?

Renewing your APR is designed to be straightforward, not tricky. If you haven’t done so, you’ll need to log in where you’ll see a dashboard detailing your APR renewal date and the requirements for professional development, known as Continuing Education Units or CEUs. 

Here's how it works:

1. Check Your Renewal Date
   Not sure when your APR renewal is due? Log into your MyPRSA account to find your renewal date. If you’re having trouble logging in, simply click “Forgot My Password,” and you’ll receive a link to reset it via email. This renewal portal is your best friend in this process.
2. Know the Numbers
   One CEU equals 10 hours of participation in UAB-approved training or other professional development activities. You need 15 total over three years to complete your renewal. Of these, at least seven CEUs must come from continuing education and professional development and one CEU must be dedicated to ethics.
3. Track Your Activities Online
   Log your professional development activities as you complete them—whether it’s attending webinars, speaking at conferences, mentoring, serving on a panel or completing online courses. Think of it as a digital piggy bank for your credits. The system is user-friendly, and once you’ve uploaded your activities, it calculates how close you are to meeting the renewal criteria. If you’re not sure how many CEUs everything is worth, there’s an easy cheat sheet where you can view the qualifying activities and their values once you log into the site.
4. Submit with Ease
   When you’ve got your credits lined up and in the system, the rest is as simple as a few clicks, including a $75 payment. The renewal payment button will be enabled on the site approximately three months before your due date.

Tips to Make It Stress-Free

• Start Early, Finish Early: Don’t wait until the last six months of your renewal cycle to scramble for credits. The site makes it easy to log credits as you go, so get in the habit of adding to it every time you complete an activity.
• Diversify Your Activities: Attend conferences, earn another certification, win a Gold Medallion, mentor an aspiring APR, serve on a panel, teach a class, host a webinar, attend a webinar or even publish an article. Mixing it up keeps the process interesting and it all counts!
• Set Reminders: Pop a recurring reminder on your calendar to check your progress every quarter. A little accountability goes a long way.
• Lean on the NSPRA APR Community: Connect with other APR professionals for advice, shared resources, and maybe even co-hosted projects that count toward your credits. There are so many incredible APRs in NSPRA who are here to collaborate and lift you up.

Think of your APR as more than just a credential; it’s a professional commitment that reinforces your dedication to excellence and the highest ethical practice. Renewing your accreditation provides a credibility boost, signaling to your district and colleagues that you’re serious about staying at the top of your game. It also ensures that you’re staying relevant, continually learning and adapting to the latest trends and best practices in the ever-evolving PR industry. 

So, log your credits, submit your renewal, and keep making an impact in #SchoolPR world with those prestigious three letters. Your future self—and your career—will be glad you did.