Assistant Professor - School of Media Arts and Design

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Harrisonburg (VA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

James Madison University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD), beginning in August 2027. The role focuses on teaching visual literacy, media culture, and related areas, with SMAD offering four concentrations: Creative Advertising, Digital Video and Cinema, Interactive Design, and Journalism.

The teaching load is three courses per semester, and tenure-track faculty must maintain an active scholarly or creative agenda plus

Qualifications

• MFA, Ph.D., or other terminal degree required; ABD near completion will be considered with degree conferred no later than August 2027.

Responsibilities

• Teach a core course in visual literacy and culture.
• Possibly teach in SMAD’s four concentrations or in a General Education course.
• Maintain a 3-course-per-semester teaching load.
• Develop an active scholarly or creative agenda and contribute to service within the department and college.

Skills

Visual literacy

Media analysis

Teaching

Education

MFA/PhD/terminal degree

ABD near completion considered

Job description

Working Title: Assistant Professor - School of Media Arts and Design

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Arts and Letters

Department: 100018 - School of Media Arts

Pay Band: N/A

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 10/22/2026

About JMU

Mission

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision

To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are

Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty. JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information

The School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD) at James Madison University (JMU) invites applications for a tenure track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning in August 2027. We seek a teacher-scholar whose instructional interests and research or creative practice engage visual communication, media literacy, mass media, audiences, storytelling, and culture. SMAD’s distinctive undergraduate major prepares students to become well-rounded multimedia storytellers and offers four concentrations: Creative Advertising, Digital Video and Cinema, Interactive Design, and Journalism. SMAD also boasts one of the nation’s finest media production facilities that offers instructional workspaces for creating video, audio, graphics, animation, websites, and apps. The school has about 700 undergraduate majors and more than 20 faculty members, who represent a blend of professional and academic interests. For more information, go to http://www.jmu.edu/smad. The School of Media Arts and Design is part of JMU’s College of Arts and Letters, which enrolls more than 3,100 undergraduate majors and about 150 graduate students across ten academic units. Home to several interdisciplinary centers and institutes, the College embraces the teacher-scholar model and encourages excellent applicants within our disciplines, as well as scholars and teachers eager to work across them.

Duties and Responsibilities

SMAD seeks a student-focused colleague to teach a core course in visual literacy and culture, as well as some combination of foundations and critical analysis courses. Depending on the successful candidate’s experience, this position could also allow for teaching in one of SMAD’s four concentrations or in a media-centric General Education course. The teaching load is 3 courses each semester. Tenure-track faculty must have an active creative or scholarly agenda that may include juried production activity or peer-reviewed academic research. Tenure-track faculty also have service responsibilities and opportunities within the department, college, and institution.

Qualifications

An MFA, Ph.D., or other terminal degree is required; ABD applicants with the degree near completion will be considered with the requirement that the terminal degree be conferred no later than August 2027. The preferred candidate will have college-level teaching as well as professional industry experience in media or related fields.

Conditions of Employment

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: [phone].

Reasonable Accommodation

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at [phone] or [e-mail]. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.