Art & Design
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) (http://nasad.arts-accredit.org) identifies standards for student learning outcomes in both practice and research-oriented degrees in a variety of specializations in the arts (e.g., film/video, sculpture, theatre design). The 2003-2004 Handbook that outlines these measures is found at http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/site/docs/NASAD%20Handbook%202003-2004%20PDF/NASAD%2003-04%20Handbook.pdf .

Dance
The National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) publishes the booklet, Outcomes Assessment and Arts Programs in Higher Education to examine the issue of outcomes assessment in arts education with an emphasis on skill and artistic ability. [The 2003-2004 Handbook for accreditation and assessment is not available online, but may be purchased.]

Music
The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) (http://nasm.arts-accredit.org) supports the use of student competencies for both learning and accreditation through documents that demonstrate how “the institution’s curricula, processes, and evaluation systems ensure the development of basic competencies for all students enrolled in a specific program.” The 2003-2004 Handbook at http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/site/docs/NASM Handbook 2003-2004 PDF/D1539-NASM 03_04 Handbook.pdf provides descriptions of standard competencies for all music students.

Theatre
The National Association of Schools of Theatre’s (NAST) (http://nast.arts-accredit.org) Handbook 2003-2004 http://nast.arts-accredit.org/site/docs/Misc/Handbook NAST 2003-2004.pdf discusses the essential competencies in both general and sub-discipline-specific terms for undergraduate through doctoral degrees. Supporting documents include the organizational philosophy on accreditation.

Literature & Writing
The National Council of Teachers of English have provided on their website twelve inter-related “Standards for the English Language Arts”. These are outcomes students should be able to demonstrate on completion of their program which reflect information literacy and competency. http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm

History
The American Historical Association (http://www.historians.org/) has developed criteria for Standards in History/Social Studies/Social Sciences to compliment accreditation standards being developed in many states. An emphasis is on analytical and critical thinking skills with a global perspective of the entire human experience. A suggested reading for History Faculty is A Competency-Based Approach to Teaching History Surveys by William W. Cutler III in the April 2002 issues of Perspectives at http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/Issues/2002/0204/0204teach1.htm