Assistant Teaching Professor

Society for Music Theory; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 89,400 - 116,500; Full time

Job summary

The Music Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz invites applications for an appointment as Assistant Teaching Professor of Sound and Media Arts from artist educators whose practice engages creative coding, sound, and media arts through ethical and critical approaches to technology, and who demonstrate a deep commitment to pedagogical excellence.

The successful candidate would join the faculty as an Assistant Teaching Professor, and would also be a core faculty member of UCSC’s

Qualifications

• Graduate degree completed by June 30, 2027.
• Experience teaching at the college/university level.
• Proficiency with specified audio, multimedia, and coding tools.

Responsibilities

• Teach in-person, online, and hybrid courses in creative coding, sound studies, and media arts practice.
• Engage in scholarly achievement and activity with impact beyond the classroom.
• Contribute to University mission and community engagement.

Skills

Teaching at college/university level

Pedagogical excellence

Education

MA/M.M./MFA or higher in relevant field

Tools

Digital audio workstations

Real-time multimedia (Max/MSP, Pure Data, SuperCollider)

Creative coding environments (Processing, p5.js, openFrameworks)

Job description

Position Overview

Position title: Assistant Teaching Professor of Sound and Media Art
Salary range: Commensurate with qualifications and experience; a reasonable estimate for the annual salary (academic year, nine‑month basis) of this position is $89,400 to $116,500.
Percent time: Full‑time (100%)
Anticipated start: July 1, 2027, with the academic year beginning in September 2027. Degree requirements must be met by June 30, 2027 for employment effective July 1, 2027.
Open date: June 29, 2026

Next review date: Monday, Oct 12, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) – Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Final date: Wednesday, June 30, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) – Applications will continue to be accepted until this date; those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position Description

The Music Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz invites applications for an appointment as Assistant Teaching Professor of Sound and Media Arts from artist‑educators whose practice engages creative coding, sound, and media arts through ethical and critical approaches to technology, and who demonstrate a deep commitment to pedagogical excellence.

The successful candidate would join the faculty of the Music Department as an Assistant Teaching Professor, and would also be a core faculty member of UCSC’s Creative Technologies program – a multi‑departmental, online undergraduate major whose faculty are dedicated to advanced, innovative web‑based arts and design pedagogy, and a curriculum that cultivates imagination, justice, and empowered community in digital contexts.

The UCSC Music Department and the Creative Technologies program seek an Assistant Teaching Professor of Sound and Media Arts who will teach courses and mentor students in creative coding, sound studies, and media arts practice, including sound art or electronic music. Additional teaching areas may include: generative and algorithmic approaches to design and media; physical computing; interactive, participatory, and/or performance‑based digital media; music composition; ethical and critical approaches to emerging technologies in contemporary art; and other courses according to the candidate’s areas of expertise.

The position is situated within a creative community whose practice is grounded in questions of justice, equity, and social engagement – in which these concerns are central to how we make, teach, and think about art and technology.

Areas of Specialization

• Accessibility‑focused and disability‑justice‑focused media practices, including universal and anti‑ableist design
• Critical and historical approaches to sound and listening
• Spatial audio and immersive media
• Socially engaged and community‑centered practice
• Ethical and critical approaches to machine learning and artificial intelligence
• Game art and interactive media platforms

Primary Responsibilities

• Teaching: In‑person, online, and hybrid courses in creative coding, sound studies, and media arts practice.
• Professional and/or scholarly achievement and activity, including creative work that informs instruction and pedagogy, with impact beyond the classroom.
• University and public service: Contributions to the University’s mission, services, and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree – M.A., M.M., M.F.A., or higher (or equivalent foreign degree) in sound studies; music composition, music theory/perception/cognition, or musicology; media arts; media studies; computational approaches to media; or education with a specialization in one or more of the aforementioned areas. The degree must be completed by June 30, 2027.
• Record of teaching at the college or university level.
• Practical proficiencies in one or more technologies from each of the following categories: digital audio workstations (e.g., Reaper, Logic, Live, ProTools); real‑time multimedia production (e.g., Max/MSP/Jitter, Pure Data, SuperCollider, Orca); and creative coding environments (e.g., Processing, p5.js, openFrameworks). Other open‑source or custom applications are acceptable.

Application Instructions

Document Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae – most recently updated
• Cover Letter – brief summary of qualifications and interest in the position
• Teaching Statement – preliminary screening document, following UCSC Teaching Statement Guidelines
• Statement of Professional Achievement / Scholarly Activity
• Sample Course Syllabus – focus on creative coding learning outcomes, including at least one assignment prompt and assessment details
• Portfolio of Creative Work – PDF with at least three recent works, each with a brief description
• Student Evaluations (course 1 of 2)
• Student Evaluations (course 2 of 2)
• Student Evaluations (course 1 of 3) (Optional)
• Student Evaluations (course 2 of 3) (Optional)
• Student Evaluations (course 3 of 3) (Optional)
• Lecture Slide Deck (course 1 of 2) – optional
• Lecture Slide Deck (course 2 of 2) – optional
• Examples of Recent Student Work – PDF, optional

Reference Requirements

• 3–5 letters of reference. Confidential letters of recommendation are required and must be submitted through the UC Recruit System.

Additional Information

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 categories covered by the UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub‑contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E‑Verify check. The university sponsors employment‑based visas for nonresidents who are offered academic appointments at UC Santa Cruz, as outlined in campus policy CAPM 102.530.

UCSC is a smoke & tobacco‑free campus.

The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance.

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