AAPPA Professional Development and Certification Programs
Alabama Certified HR Professional, Alabama Certified HR Specialist, Payroll Specialist, and Risk Management Specialist

The Alabama Association of Public Personnel Administrators with support and sponsorship of the Government and Economic Development Institute, the Association of County Commissions of Alabama and the Alabama League of Municipalities provides several professional development and certification programs that maintain a focus on issues that are pertinent to public personnel in Alabama. Those eligible to achieve certification are public personnel administrators, professionals, and administrative support staff who are responsible for various phases of personnel administration and are employed in an Alabama governmental organization.

Alabama Certified Human Resource Professional:

  1. A minimum of two years of professional level administrative, managerial, or professional experience in various phases of personnel administration in an Alabama governmental agency is required before a person can become an Alabama Certified Human Resource Professional. Two years of experience in public personnel administration in another state may be included in lieu of two years of public personnel experience in Alabama. Experience in another state will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Successful completion of HR Professional Education Program.
  3. Successful completion of Certification Exam.
  4. Continuing education maintenance of 24 hours every two years.

Alabama Certified Human Resource Specialist:

  1. A minimum of two years of experience providing administrative support services in various phases of public personnel administration in an Alabama governmental agency is required before a person can become an Alabama Certified Human Resource Specialist. Two years of experience in public personnel administration in another state may be included in lieu of two years of public personnel experience in Alabama. Experience in another state will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Successful completion of HR Specialist Education Program.
  3. Successful completion of Certification Exam or Case Study.
  4. Continuing Education maintenance of 24 hours every two years.

Alabama Certified Payroll Specialist:

  1. A minimum of two years of experience in payroll administration is required before a person can become an Alabama Certified Payroll Specialist. Two years of experience from another state may be included in lieu of the two years in Alabama. Experience in another state will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Successful completion of four tested courses in the Payroll Education and Certification Program.
  3. Continuing Education maintenance of 12 hours every two years.

Alabama Certified Risk Management Specialist:

  1. A minimum of two years of experience in risk management administration is required before a person can become an Alabama Certified Risk Management Specialist. Two years of experience from another state may be included in lieu of the two years in Alabama. Experience in another state will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Successful completion of five tested courses in the Risk Management Education and Certification Program.
  3. Continuing Education maintenance of 12 hours every two years.

HR Professional:

Required courses include:

  1. Overview of Alabama Public Personnel Administration (16 hours);
  2. Federal and State Laws in Human Resources (16 hours); and
  3. FLSA and Other Federal Laws Administered by the DOL (16 hours)

    4. Other course requirements:
  4. Minimum 12 coursework hours from Group 2: Personnel Administration Track.
  5. Minimum 12 coursework hours from Group 3: Human Resource Management Track.
  6. Minimum 6 coursework hours from Group 4: Selected Issues course offerings
  7. Minimum 12 elective coursework hours from Group 2, 3, or 4.
Total Required Hours: 90

HR Specialist:

Required courses include:

  1. Overview of Alabama Public Personnel Administration (16 hours);
  2. Federal and State Laws in Human Resources (16 hours); and

    3. Other course requirements:
  3. Minimum 18 coursework hours from Group 2: Personnel Administration Track or Group 3: Human Resource Management Track specialization.
  4. Minimum 6 coursework hours from the Group 4: Selected Issues course offerings
  5. Minimum 30 elective coursework hours from Group 1, 2, 3, or 4
. Total Required Hours: 86

Curriculum Requirements
Application to Candidacy
Exam Application

Margaret Casey Scholarship Application for HR Professional and Specialist Only

Payroll Specialist:

Four required courses include:

  1. The Legal Foundation of Payroll Processing
  2. Payroll Processes Course 1
  3. Payroll Processes Course 2
  4. Accounting Foundation of Payroll Processes

Application to Candidacy

Risk Management Specialist:

Five required courses include:

  1. Legal Foundations of Risk Management
  2. Risk Management Basics
  3. Workers’ Compensation
  4. Benefits Administration
  5. Occupational Safety and Health

Application to Candidacy

Registration:

Please find course offerings for Fiscal Year 2024 listed below. All classes are offered in Auburn, Alabama, and online through a Zoom platform. If you would like to attend a class through an online platform, please select the “Virtual Registration Fee” option instead of the “Registration Fee” option, which indicates in-person attendance. While in-person registrants are responsible for their own lodging and meal arrangements, a listing of nearby hotels can be found on the AO Tourism Bureau Site.

If paying by check, please make payable to Auburn University for class registration fees. Note that registration fees for classes within the Alabama Association of Public Personnel Administrators’ Certification programs are separate from AAPPA membership fees and AAPPA conference registration fees. However, AAPPA membership is required for certification and certification maintenance (continuing education).

To register for the Annual AAPPA Conference or find information about AAPPA Membership, please visit their website at https://aappahr.net/

Online Registration

FY 2024 SCHEDULE

ACPS: Legal Foundations of Payroll Processing
April 19, 2024 (6 hours); Auburn, $230

ACPS: Payroll Processes I
May 3, 2024 (6 hours); Auburn, $230

AAPPA Exam
June 7, 2024; Auburn, $125

ACPS: Payroll Processes II
July 12, 2024 (6 hours); Auburn, $230

AAPPA Problem Sharing Forum – (CE Only)
(TBD), 2024 (6 hours); (TBD), $230

ACPS: Accounting Foundations of Payroll Processes
July 19, 2024 (6 hours); Auburn, $230

AAPPA: Developing Personnel Policies and Procedures
August 22-23, 2024 (12 hours); Auburn, $290

AAPPA: FLSA, FMLA, USERRA and Other DOL Laws
September 12-13, 2024 (16 hours); Auburn, $320

ACRMS: Risk Safety & Health
October 11, 2024 (6 hours), Auburn, $230

ACRMS: Risk Benefits
November 1, 2024 (6 hours), Auburn, $230

AAPPA: Federal & State Laws
November 14-15, 2024 (16 hours), Auburn, $320

AAPPA Exam
December 6, 2024; Auburn, $125

Continuing Education Reporting

After completion of the certification program and awarding of the certification designation, participants must maintain their certification by continuing education. The continuing education reporting is due on September 1st. The CE Reporting Portal will be available from the first Friday in August until the last Friday in October. Those who are reporting continuing education for HR Professional, HR Specialist, Payroll Specialist, and/or Risk Management Specialist, will only report on the year in which their certification is due. All hours reported must be taken prior to the September 1st deadline of the reporting year. Please complete the form at the Continuing Education Portal below and be sure to list all relevant CE taken outside of GEDI and upload all proof of attendance.

Report Continuing Education

Continuing Education Requirements

HR Professional and Specialist
Twenty-four hours of approved courses must be successfully completed by September 1st every two years to maintain certification. These hours may consist of any courses described in the AAPPA, Payroll Certification, or Risk Management Certification curriculum, which have not already been taken within the last five years, and attendance and participation in the Annual Conference (six hours), and attendance and participation in the pre-conference courses/workshops (six hours).

For re-certification purposes, 12 hours of course credit must be completed through courses offered by the AAPPA, in accordance with guidelines as noted in the AAPPA Education Description. Participants may receive up to 12 hours of credit from courses recognized by the following national organizations: HRCI, SHRM, IPMA, CLE.

Payroll Specialist
Twelve hours of approved courses must be successfully completed every two years to maintain certification. These hours may consist of any courses described in the AAPPA, Risk Management or Payroll Certification curriculum, which have not already been taken within the last five years, or attendance and participation in the Annual Conference (six hours), and attendance and participation in the pre-conference courses/workshops (six hours).

For maintenance of certification purposes, 6 hours of course credit must be completed through courses offered by the AAPPA, the AAPPA Conference attendance or Pre-Conference attendance.

Participants may receive up to 6 hours of credit from courses recognized by the following national organizations: SHRM, HRCI, IPMA-HR, as well as approved CPE courses recognized by the American Payroll Association, National Association of State Boards of Public Accountancy, Government Finance Officers Association, Government Finance Officers Association of Alabama, and CLEs approved by the Alabama State Bar Association.

Risk Management Specialist
Twelve hours of approved courses must be successfully completed every two years to maintain certification. These hours may consist of any courses described in the AAPPA, Payroll or Risk Management curriculum, which have not already been taken within the last five years, or atendance and participation in the AAPPA Annual Conference (six hours), and atendance and participation in the pre-conference courses/workshops (six hours).

For maintenance of certification purposes, 6 hours of course credit must be completed through courses offered by the AAPPA, the AAPPA Conference atendance or Pre-Conference atendance.

Participants may receive up to 6 hours of credit from courses recognized by the following national organizations: HRCI, SHRM, IPMA-HR, PRIMA, NSC. Also, these programs will be accepted: Alabama Workers Comp Update, ACCA Safety Incentive Discount Program, ALM Loss Control Division Program, and the Governor’s Safety & Health Conference.

Policies

  • Written registration cancellations received 15 working days prior to the course’s beginning will receive a partial refund of the registration fee, less an administrative fee of $50.00. Note that refunds are only allowed for credit card payments, as Auburn University will not refund check payments unless the agency is a registered vendor of the university.
  • Due to commitments with instructors and meeting facilities, late cancellations or non-attendance will not be refunded. However, substitutions for registered participants may be made any time before the course’s registration deadline.
  • Participants must attend the entirety of the course to receive its associated credits. A participant who misses any portion of the course will be required to retake it in its entirety to receive credit.
  • Online participants must activate their anterior camera through Zoom for the entirety of the course, ensuring that they are present and visible for all sessions.

Last Updated: April 2, 2024