Basic Competency Index by Discipline and Specialization:
Undergraduate Degrees in Theatre
A list of specializations for baccalaureate degrees in theatre follows, with each linked to a parallel downloadable PDF enumerating detailed competencies for that specialization. In this way, users of these resources may download only the specific information of interest.
As a reference, the “Basic Competency Index by Discipline and Specialization” and an “Operational Standards Index by Discipline” for NASAD, NASD, and NASM may be found on the Council of Arts Accrediting Associations website.
Important Notes:
- The lists of competencies are derived from accreditation standards for the professional and liberal arts undergraduate degrees in theatre. Only the NAST Handbook in its entirety contains all standards and guidelines applicable to and used by all phases of NAST membership reviews.
- In the competencies texts for each specialization, “H.” indicates the location of the excerpted text in the Handbook; the term “(All)” indicates standards applicable to all professional or liberal arts undergraduate degrees in the specified field including the specialization; “([Area of Specialization])” indicates specific standards for that major.
- To see the full list of specializations, you may review or print the Table of Contents excerpt from the latest edition of the NAST Handbook.
Theatre: Professional Undergraduate
Theatre: Liberal Arts Undergraduate
Please note the following regarding theatre specializations not listed above:
Focused professional study in the fields of directing, history and criticism, or playwriting is usually pursued at the graduate or advanced level after appropriate undergraduate preparation. Competencies for these fields are found in the NAST Handbook as follows:
- Directing – NAST Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XI.A.; XV.A.3.; XV.B.2.; Appendix I.D.
- History and Criticism – NAST Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XI.B.; XV.C.
- Playwriting and Dramatic Writing – NAST Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XI.C.; XV.A.3.; XV.B.3.
Drama Therapy. Drama therapists are professionally educated at the graduate level. Undergraduate prerequisites for drama therapy may be found in the NAST Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XI.D.
Creative Multidisciplinary Convergence and Technologies (CMCT). Competency and standards statements regarding various approaches to undergraduate study in these fields may be found in the NAST Handbook, Appendix I.F.