NS
Nicole Smart
  • Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville, Tennessee Native Receives Certificate in Public Relations

2015 Mar 10

Nicole Smart of Nashville, Tennessee (37211) recently earned the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations, confirming knowledge of basic principles necessary for entry into the public relations profession.

In total, six students earned their certification and participated in the 1-credit preparation course piloted at Belmont in the fall. The Public Relations Department has since incorporated the preparation material into a remodeled 3-credit senior capstone course that began this semester.

"This is a tremendous achievement for the students, and their success is a testament to the high-quality education they have gained from the courses and instruction in our department," said Public Relations Professor Dr. Kevin Trowbridge. "This inaugural success has set the bar high while also providing some valuable data to help us further develop our undergraduate program to meet the demands of the strategic communication landscape."

The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations is administered by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), compromised of eight professional organizations that oversee the world's largest certification program for public relations professionals, Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).

"The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations launched in 2014 and is designed to differentiate new college graduates in public relations from peers who have not earned the Certificate, said John E. Forde, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, UAB chair. "I congratulate all the students who earned the Certificate in the first year of the program, and I encourage them to pursue their Accreditation in Public Relations after they have attained some professional experience in the field."

The UAB coordinates all activities related to the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation. The UAB was established in 1998 by a coalition of public relations professional organizations, including the Agricultural Relations Council, Asociacion de Relacionistas Profesionales de Puerto Rico, Florida Public Relations Association, Maine Public Relations Council, National School Public Relations Association, Public Relations Society of America, Religion Communicators Council and Southern Public Relations Federation. Each organization contributes resources and senior-level volunteer members representing all segments of the public relations profession.

To learn more about the certification, click here.