Assistant Professor in High-level Human Cognition

University of California - San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 88,000 - 109,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California San Diego invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position focused on high-level human cognition. The role includes establishing an independent research program, teaching graduate- and undergraduate-level courses, and mentoring students within the Department of Psychology.

Ideal candidates will have strong empirical, theoretical, and quantitative skills, and a track record of scholarly impact.

Qualifications

• PhD or ABD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Decision Science, or a closely related field focused on high-level human cognition.
• Evidence of independent scholarly impact and research productivity.
• Evidence of and/or demonstrated ability to teach and advise students.
• Completed PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Decision Science, or a closely related field focused on high-level human cognition.

Responsibilities

• Establish a rigorous, independent research program on high-level cognitive processes in humans (e.g. aesthetics, attention, attitudes, decision-making, effort, inference, language, learning, memory, preferences, reasoning, self-control, social cognition, well-being).
• Teach graduate- and undergraduate-level courses and mentor students within the Department of Psychology.
• Participate in department and university service.

Education

PhD in Psychology or related field focused on high-level cognition

ABD in Psychology or related field focused on high-level cognition

Job description

Assistant Professor in High-level Human Cognition

University of California San Diego

Position overview

Position title: Assistant Professor

Salary range: A reasonable salary range estimate for this position is $88,300 - $108,900. The posted UC Academic salary scales set the minimum pay as determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table(s) for the salary scale(s) for this position: 10/1/26 Table 1 Salary Scale. The base salary range, from the salary table(s), for this position is $88,300. "Off-scale salaries" and other components of pay, i.e., a salary that is higher than the published system-wide salary at the designated rank and step, are offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience. Additional UCSD salary information can be found here: Salary Programs and Scales.

Application Window

Open date: September 9, 2026

Next review date: Friday, Oct 9, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Saturday, May 1, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)

Position description

The Department of Psychology (psychology.ucsd.edu) within the School of Social Sciences at UC San Diego invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position focused on high-level human cognition, with an anticipated start date of July 1st, 2027. We seek candidates ready to establish a rigorous, independent research program on high-level cognitive processes in humans (e.g. aesthetics, attention, attitudes, decision-making, effort, inference, language, learning, memory, preferences, reasoning, self-control, social cognition, well-being) that leverages insights from experimental research to inform formal/computational theories. Ideal candidates will possess strong empirical, theoretical, and quantitative skills, with the potential to bridge between areas of the department. Additional responsibilities include teaching graduate- and undergraduate-level courses and mentoring students within the Department of Psychology, as well as participating in department and university service.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• PhD or ABD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Decision Science, or a closely related field focused on high-level human cognition.
• Evidence of independent scholarly impact and research productivity.
• Evidence of and/or demonstrated ability to teach and advise students.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Completed PhD in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Decision Science, or a closely related field focused on high-level human cognition.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Statement of Teaching
• Publication or Preprint
• Publication or Preprint
• Publication or Preprint
• Publication or Preprint (Optional)
• Publication or Preprint (Optional)
• Misc / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3-5 letters of reference required

Apply link: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04646

Help contact: [e-mail]

About UC San Diego

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a university employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California prohibits smoking and tobacco use at all of its university-controlled properties.

The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at: https://www.police.ucsd.edu/docs/annualclery.pdf. This report provides crime and fire statistics, as well as institutional policy statements & procedures. Contact the UC San Diego Police Department at [phone] if you want to obtain paper copies of this report.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

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Misconduct means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH

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Job location

San Diego, CA

To apply, please visit: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF04646