Assistant Professor of Journalism

California State University, Fullerton; Fullerton (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University, Fullerton invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in journalism beginning August 2027. The faculty member will teach core and elective journalism courses, mentor the Daily Titan, CSUF's student-run newsroom, and contribute to research and service within the department.

Ideal candidates will demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching, journalism practice, and the ability to engage diverse student populations while advancing

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or terminal degree by time of appointment.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
• Demonstrated journalism experience.
• Ability to teach the Daily Titan capstone course and either digital news reporting and writing or principles and ethics of journalism.
• Ability to balance teaching, scholarship and/or creative activities, and service with colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Teach core and elective journalism courses.
• Mentor the Daily Titan, CSUF's student-run newsroom.
• Advance the field through research, scholarship, or creative work in journalism and mass communication.
• Collaborate across the department and university to support diverse student populations.

Skills

Teaching

Journalism experience

Undergraduate teaching

Daily Titan capstone

Scholarly balance (teaching, research,

Education

Ph.D. in journalism or mass communication

Job description

Assistant Professor of Journalism

Department of Communications
College of Communications
Assistant Professor of Journalism
Fall 2027

The Department of Communications at California State University,Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure-track AssistantProfessor position in journalism, with an appointment beginning inAugust 2027. This is your opportunity to bring your passion andexpertise to a dynamic, future-oriented faculty where you willdirectly impact nearly 1,500 diverse students across our premiermass communications programs. Situated in the second-largest mediamarket in the United States, CSUF offers an unparalleled ecosystemfor collaboration and innovation—complete with state-of-the-artlaboratory facilities, an elite internship center, award-winningstudent media, and our signature annual COMM Week. If you are eagerto lead impactful scholarship, mentor driven storytellers, andthrive within a deeply supportive academic community, we welcomeyour application to join us in shaping the future ofjournalism.

Position

In this role, you will teach core and elective courses within ourjournalism concentration, bringing real-world insights into theclassroom. Additionally, you will have the unique opportunity totransition into a mentorship role as the advisor to the Daily Titan, CSUF's editorially independent, student-runmulti-platform newsroom. Your instructional portfolio will includeessential courses such as digital news reporting and writing, theprinciples and ethics of journalism, and the Daily Titan news capstone.

You will have the opportunity to advance the field throughimpactful research, scholarship, or creative work in journalism andmass communication, aligned with our tenure milestones. Beyond theclassroom, you'll become an integral part of our vibrant campuscommunity—mentoring students, helping shape the future of ourdepartment, and collaborating across the wider university andacademic discipline. To support our diverse student body,candidates should also expect to teach evening and graduate-levelcourses occasionally.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in mass communications,journalism, or a related field by time of appointment.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in undergraduateteaching.
• Demonstrated journalism experience.
• Ability to teach the Daily Titan news capstone courseand either digital news reporting and writing or principles andethics of journalism.
• Ability to balance teaching, conducting scholarship and/orcreative activities, and working collaboratively with colleagues ondepartment and university service activities.
• Ability to interact effectively orally and in writing with awide and culturally diverse range of students and colleagues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of successful college-level teaching.
• Evidence of scholarly research or creative accomplishments injournalism or related fields.
• News industry and/or college news media advisingexperience.
• Experience with and ability to incorporate emergingcommunications technologies and tools, such as AI and datavisualization, into teaching, news media advising, scholarship,and/or creative activities.
• Ability to contribute to accreditation self-study, curriculumdevelopment, and assessment of student learning.
• Evidence of a professional network, including participation inindustry and/or academic associations in journalism and masscommunications.

NOTE

Representatives from the Department ofCommunications will be at the 2026 AEJMC Conference in August. Ifyou will be attending the conference, please indicate that in yourcover letter.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex,color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California lawand federal civil rights laws, California State University,Fullerton (CSUF) provides equal opportunity in education andemployment without unlawful discrimination or preferentialtreatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, and national origin.Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that everystudent and employee has access to the resources and support theyneed to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in theircommunities. CSUF complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americanswith Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act,the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California'sProposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the CaliforniaConstitution), other applicable state and federalanti-discrimination laws, and CSU's Nondiscrimination Policy. Weprohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation basedon race or any other protected status, and all forms ofdiscrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all universityprograms, policies, and practices.

In addition, California State University, Fullerton is a leadingpublic university known for its strong academic programs andcommitment to student success. As one of the largest campuses inthe CSU system, Cal State Fullerton fosters innovation,collaboration, and professional growth. The university valuesteaching, research, and service, creating an environment wherestudents, staff, and faculty can thrive. Cal State Fullerton is adesignated Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American andNative American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution. Theuniversity also received the prestigious Seal of Excelencia in 2021and 2024 from Excelencia in Education, the nation's leadingauthority on Latinx student success. Cal State Fullerton is anequal opportunity employer with a diverse student population ofover 45,000 and a faculty and staff population of 4,000. Cal StateFullerton is firmly committed to helping students achieve academicexcellence, career success, and economic mobility. Joining CalState Fullerton means becoming part of a dynamic team dedicated tomaking a meaningful impact. We continuously seek individuals fromvarious disciplines who share the university's mission and corevalues. We welcome you to consider joining the Titan community.

CSUF is committed to retaining all faculty and has establishedaffinity groups you can join to support your success.

Application Deadline

To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by October 1, 2026. The anticipatedappointment date is August 16, 2027.

The College and Department

The Department of Communications is one of the largest and mostdiverse mass communications programs in the United States, situatedin the second-largest media market in the country. Nearly 1,500students are enrolled in four concentrations (advertising,entertainment/tourism, journalism, and public relations) withnearly 50 full- and part-time faculty members. The Departmentoperates international programs, a graduate program, numerouslaboratory facilities, an internship center, award-winning studentmedia, a student advertising and public relations agency, aweek-long signature university event called COMM Week, and manyother student organizations, clubs, and competitions. For moreinformation about the department, please visit: http://communications.fullerton.edu/comm.

The Department of Communications is one of four departments inthe College of Communications along with Cinema and TelevisionArts, Communication Science and Disorders, and Human CommunicationStudies.

Compensation

The Assistant Professor (Academic Year) classification salary rangeis $6,221 to $13,224 monthly (12 monthly payments per academicyear). The anticipated hiring range is $6,851 to $6,985 permonth.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience andqualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibitsemployers from paying its employees less than those of the oppositesex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work(https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm).

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start-up funds, and areduced teaching load may be available.

CSUF Benefits

An excellent comprehensivebenefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse,domestic partner, and dependent fee-waiver; access to campuschild-care; and a defined-benefit retirement through the statesystem and optional tax-sheltering opportunities. For a detaileddescription of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/.

New employees hired by the CSU for the first time who firstbecome CalPERS members on or after July 1, 2017, are subject to a10-year vesting period for retiree health and dental benefits.

Additional Information

At the time ofappointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, musthave authorization from the Bureau of Citizenship and ImmigrationServices to work in the United States. For information on theUniversity policy on support for non-immigrant probationary facultyvisa acquisition, please visit the Faculty/Staff Visas andPermanent Residency page: https://hr.fullerton.edu/risk-management/faculty-staff-visas-permanent-residency/default.php.

Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based onthe strength of the applicant pool.

CSU Policies

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandatedreporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect ReportingAct and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSUExecutive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition ofemployment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must becompleted satisfactorily before any candidate can be formallyoffered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily completethe background check may affect the application status ofapplicants or the continued employment of current CSU employees whoapply for the position.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualifiedapplicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Notice ofNon-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Informationfor Title IX Coordinator.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU)Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whosebusiness operations reside within the State of California. Itrequires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within theState of California. The employee must be able to accept on-campusinstruction, be assigned, and come to campus when needed. The CSUalso prohibits hiring and retaining employees working permanentlyfrom a business location outside of the United States.

Applicants will be required to disclose whether they havereceived a final administrative decision or final judicial decisiondetermining that they have committed sexual harassment within thelast 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet theminimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer ofemployment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages ofthe application process must also sign a release form thatauthorizes the release of information by the applicant's currentand/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiatedallegations of misconduct.