Instructors of professional courses such as advertising copywriting need to exercise caution in assigning grades to their students' creative work. Some alternative assessment methods can equally emphasize process and product. One successful technique is "praiseworthy grading," which shifts the focus from fault-finding to appreciation of positive features. In this approach, the more praiseworthy the student's work, the higher the grade that is awarded. The instructor could also develop multiple criteria, for use with "prescriptions," in which numerical scoring quantifies and objectifies the evaluation of creative work. A second technique is peer evaluation in which students criticize the performance of other students. This format focuses on the learning process and is tailor-made for creative work. The burden on the student to please only the instructor is lifted. Perhaps the optimal opportunity to estimate student progress is the self-assessment method. A contractual self-assessment involves letting students set their own goals, with the instructor facilitating both the learning to which the student aspired and the assessment by students of their learning. The instructor can also create an individualistic sequential criterion format, based on course objectives and outcome expectations. This provides the student with regular feedback on having acquired specific skills or content. (Students' comments and three figures providing a sample assessment sheet for each evaluation method are included.) (KEH)