Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)

I did APR later in my career and when I started I wondered if it would be worth the effort. It absolutely was. I have no formal qualifications in PR; I’ve learned on the job. So, doing APR ensured I had had the basics in my ‘skill toolkit.’ The programme also gave me confidence that the advice I was giving clients early in my consulting career was sound.

Completing APR gave me a good understanding of successful communications strategies and a strong foundation in public relations ethics. The programme covered the body of knowledge including government relations, investor relations, marketing communications, incident management and internal communications. It was an excellent balance of the theory and the practical using recent case studies presented by some of New Zealand’s leading practitioners. I believe the skills and knowledge from APR have been crucial in developing my career in communications.

After moving to New Zealand, I was looking at studying again as part of my continuous professional development. I graduated in Advertising & Marketing, and wanted to do a qualification in PR and Internal Comms, something I really enjoy doing. APR gave me the foundation that I needed to formalise my on-the-job training, whilst providing a comprehensive view of the PR industry.

We work in a fast-paced environment where we often have to rely on instincts honed from our previous experiences – both good and bad. The value of APR for me was that the assignments forced me to take the time to deconstruct and challenge these instincts, and present arguments and strategies in a considered, academic manner. The science that underpins the art. While I loved the journey of discovery that the assignments took me on, was also pretty cool to sit an exam for the first time in over 20 years!

APR is an invaluable professional study experience. I came to it after working for many different agencies and participating in a range of in-house training. What I found with APR is its industry leading approach, that is internationally recognised and most importantly, not brand specific. It challenged my existing thinking and approach, built up over many years. It gave me access to experts who were eager to share their knowledge to help public relations grow and develop as a profession. I would recommend APR to anyone wanting to take their career to the next level.

APR is a great opportunity to look at the PR profession's many angles and tie together different parts of the job to achieve a meaningful result based on research and best practice. It encouraged me to reflect deeply on my work and become a better professional. The lessons learned are absolutely applicable, so every workshop, assignment and mentoring session improved my projects even before I completed the programme.

APR secures you a respected seat within the industry. It represents competence, strategic perspective, professionalism and commitment to ethical practice. It’s an opportunity to learn directly from industry experts, develop high-level thinking, and increase your knowledge across the entire public relations spectrum.

I found it very stimulating to be working whilst studying, as I could link the theory to experiences at work. Through the sessions with APR colleagues and the lecturer/tutor, I got a range of views on tackling PR-specific problems and on best practice. The APR programme structure led me to read a variety of material. Plus, I found the essays incredibly useful, as I could direct my study into new areas, and ask detailed questions of industry specialists. Today I feel I have a better foundation of knowledge and have future-proofed my CV with an industry-recognised certification.

APR is a great opportunity to do study that is directly relatable to your work, as well as ensuring your knowledge of other areas of practice is current. I personally enjoyed the learning APR facilitated and continue to enjoy sharing my learnings with colleagues. I am a huge advocate of APR and would recommend it to any communications professionals who want to extend their knowledge and skills, keep up with trends in the industry and reflect on their practice. I gained so much learning alongside my peers and getting access to some of New Zealand’s top PR professionals. It’s built my confidence, honed my approach and helped me grow my client base. It was definitely hard work, but very worthwhile! –

I’d highly recommend the APR qualification to any PR or communications practitioner looking to take the next step in their career. It draws together all the main aspects of the profession, and covers best practice from around the world. Meeting a broad range of practitioners from around New Zealand and being able to further build a professional network were also highlights.

The communications industry is rapidly changing. The PRINZ APR qualification ensures practitioners have a broad understanding of the many skills required in the modern industry and, therefore, the benefits they can bring employers.

APR is a mark of distinction. At Wright Communications we are committed to PR and the communications profession and to its ethical practice in New Zealand. APR accredited consultants provide our clients with the added assurance they are getting strategic communications advice from a professional that has reached a certain level of competency across the body of knowledge.

Choosing to become accredited is a real commitment, not only to your own development, but also to the professional reputation of the PR industry.

Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) provides practitioners an opportunity to demonstrate and verify the breadth and scope of their professional knowledge, experience and ethical judgement across the entire body of knowledge of public relations and communications practice. APR is a recognised industry qualification in the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa and Australia. On achieving APR, PR professionals are entitled to use the postnominal APR.

It is recommended that candidates have at least five-eight years’ experience working in public relations and communications management industry and have managed people and/or projects. As a guide, candidates should be working at or above a communication adviser (in-house) or account manager (consultancy) position.

Our APR programme runs for six-months (May-October) and typically requires a time commitment of 50-60 hours including attendance at seminars, coursework (three written assignments) and exams.

Want to know more?

Read the APR FAQs to find out what this internationally recognised programme involves.

If you have any further questions, please contact us +64 9 358 9808 or email us.

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Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)