Job Details

Assistant Professor in Photography and the History of Photography

Position Number: 6802468
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Fine and Applied Arts - Photography

Assistant Professor in Photography and the History of Photography

Requisition Number: 69130
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date:
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Department of Art and Art History at the University of Colorado-Boulder invites applications for a full-time tenure track Assistant Professor in Photography and the History of Photography. The selected candidate will teach three classes in photographic art practice and one class on the history of photography and critical issues in photography per academic year. Prospective candidates should have a minimum of two years of teaching experience in a comparable academic institution. As a department with a well-established darkroom program, we seek candidates with a deep knowledge of and practice in traditional chemical-based photography and experience with a diverse range of film cameras. Interest in alternative non-silver processes such as cyanotypes, Van Dykes, and other similar practices are also welcome. The candidate should also be well versed in diverse forms of digital photography.
The candidate should have a demonstrated interest in teaching courses in the history of photography from its nineteenth-century beginnings to the present day, emphasizing global contexts and inclusive perspectives. Candidates whose teaching, research, or creative work engages AI image-generating tools are also desirable, as we recognize the urgency of educating current and future generations in the complexities of image-making.
The department allows faculty broad latitude in designing and teaching courses that satisfy the needs of graduate and undergraduate students and encourages faculty to seek out content for new courses that promote interdisciplinary approaches. The department's long-running Visiting Scholars and Visiting Artist Programs provide faculty with additional resources to complement their classroom teaching and professional outreach. The CU Art Museum offers further opportunities for teaching from the collection. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The University of Colorado-Boulder is the flagship R-1 campus of the University of Colorado system with a student population of approximately 33,000 students. The Department of Art & Art History is an active and vibrant program with twenty-three full-time faculty working in painting, sculpture and post-studio practice, printmaking, ceramics, photography, video, digital arts, foundations and art history. The department occupies 170,000 square feet in the state-of-the-art Visual Arts Complex, located in the center of campus. It offers generous spacious studio and office space to faculty, private studios for graduate students, and shared studios for Bachelor of Fine Arts students. Our nationally ranked program provides access to labs and workshops which allow faculty to create new, experimental work. The university's Rare and Distinctive Collection of Photography houses thousands of original photographs and early photography books documenting the history of photographic processes, as well as 20th-century and modern fine art photography books. This immense and unique collection would provide a faculty with an invaluable resource for designing courses in photographic practices and the history of photography.
The University of Colorado-Boulder is located about a mile from downtown Boulder, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, offering spectacular views. The MFA program is ranked 23rd in the nation, and many faculty are highly regarded in their fields. As active artists and scholars, faculty have received prestigious grants, awards, and fellowships for their creative works and research.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Tenure-track faculty in the Department of Art and Art History are expected to maintain an active research or creative practice agenda while contributing to teaching and service at all levels of the curriculum.
The workload includes:

Teaching (40%): Teach four courses per academic year, which include 3 courses in photographic art practices and 1 course in history of photography. Faculty are expected to contribute to and strengthen the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, collaborate with faculty to expand online offerings, and advise graduate and upper-level undergraduate students.
Research / Creative Work (40%): Maintain an active career as a professional artist, demonstrated through exhibitions, publications, grants, awards, and other forms of peer-reviewed recognition.
Service (20%): Participate actively in departmental and college governance, serve on committees, and contribute to service activities at the college, campus, community, and professional levels-locally, nationally, and internationally

What You Should Know

The position will begin in August 2026
The position will be at the rank of Assistant Professor

What We Can Offer

Salary of $80,000-$92,000
Generous studio space in the Visual Arts Complex

The final candidate may be eligible to receive relocation funds, start-up library funds, and start-up research funds subject to university policy.
Tenure-track faculty are eligible for benefits, including gender-neutral paid parental leave; housing down-payment assistance programs; a relocation and dual career assistance program; and teaching, research, and professional development.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

The minimum qualification for this position is the Master of Fine Art degree or equivalent qualifications. Equivalent Degrees would include a PhD with demonstrated artistic practice, or an M.A. plus a well demonstrated exhibition history in notable national and/or international institutions.
Preference will be given to candidates with at least two years of teaching experience as the instructor of record in a comparable academic educational institution. The candidate must also have an accomplished record as an artist, including exhibitions, residencies, grants, publications, critical recognition, or commissions.

What You Will Need

An accomplished record as an artist, including exhibitions, residencies, grants, publications, critical recognition, or commissions.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
The ability to create inclusive learning environments for all students representing a range of diverse backgrounds and collaborate with faculty and staff to support student success.

Special Instructions

To apply, please see the following instructions:

SlideRoom Submission (separate from CU Boulder Job Site): Submit a portfolio of creative work and student work. Files may include images (up to 10MB each), video (up to 500MB each), and audio (up to 60MB each). You may also link to media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. Please visit: https://aahucb.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/87585 we ask that you complete this portion of your application first

Creative portfolio work (20 images)
Student portfolio work (20 images)

To complete the remainder of your application, please submit the following through CU Boulder Jobs:

Resume/CV
Cover Letter
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Syllabus/Syllabi
Artist Statement describing your research and creative practice
(optional) Professional Publications

During the application process you will need to enter contact information for three references who will be contacted to provide letters of recommendation as the search progresses.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled; however, for full consideration, please apply by February 6, 2026.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.
For questions regarding the position and the department please contact: Albert Chong (Albert.Chong@colorado.edu)For questions regarding SlideRoom image submission please contact: AAHJobSearch@colorado.edu
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Assistant-Professor-in-Photography-and-the-History-of-Photography/69130