Basic Competency Index

Basic Competency Index by Discipline and Specialization:
Undergraduate Degrees in Music

A list of specializations for baccalaureate degrees in music 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 NAST 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 music. Only the NASM Handbook in its entirety contains all standards and guidelines applicable to and used by all phases of NASM 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 NASM Handbook.

Music: Professional Undergraduate

• Performance
• Music Theory
• Composition
• Music History and Literature
• Pedagogy
• Jazz Studies
• Music Technology
• Sacred Music
• Worship Studies
• Musical Theatre
• Music Therapy
• Teacher Preparation – Music Education

Music: Liberal Arts Undergraduate

• General

Please note the following regarding music specializations not listed above:

Competency and standards statements regarding various approaches to undergraduate study in the fields below may be found in the NASM Handbook as follows:

• Music Industry – NASM Handbook, Appendix I.E.
• Recording Technology – NASM Handbook, Appendix I.G.
• Creative Multidisciplinary Convergence and Technologies (CMCT) – NASM Handbook, Appendix I.I.

Competency and standards statements regarding undergraduate preparation for advanced professional study in the fields below may be found in the NASM Handbook as follows:

• Conducting – NASM Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XVI.B.3.; XVI.C. and XVI.D.4.b.; Appendix I.D.
• Musicology, Ethnomusicology – NASM Handbook, Standards for Accreditation XVI.C. and XVI.D.4.e.
• Opera – NASM Handbook, Appendix I.B.