Educators
The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations is an entry-level certificate designed to demonstrate a fundamental level of knowledge for graduates entering the public relations profession and related fields. The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) administers the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations. Earning the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations gives new graduates an advantage in a competitive job market. It also helps university public relations programs with their internal assessment efforts.
It is easy for universities to participate in the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations program. Frist, designate a faculty coordinator to administer the university's Certificate program. The coordinator's responsibilities are to:
- Certify that students are majoring in a public relations or related program, junior status (or completion of a minimum 60-credit hours) AND prior to six months after the date of receipt of an undergraduate or master’s degree.
- Certify that students are a dues-paid member of the Public Relations Student Society of America or dues-paid student member of another UAB Participating Organization, such as the Florida Public Relations Association or the Southern Public Relations Federation.
- Organize the university’s preparatory course or ensure students have access to the online course.
- Certify that students have taken the preparatory course or online course.
- Collect all student applications and payments from the students in school.
- Forward all student applications and payments to accred@prsa.org or mail to the UAB at PRSA, 120 Wall Street, 21 Floor, New York, NY 10005.
If an in-person preparatory class is offered, the UAB has no specific requirement as to how the preparatory course is administered. Some schools offer the Certificate program course for academic credit (S/U), while some rely on Accredited members of the local Chapter to conduct the study sessions.
The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations Study Guide is available from which to build a prep course on basic knowledge of public relations principles with particular emphasis on the four‐step process of public relations and on ethics.
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