Assistant Professor in Applied Psychology, Tenure-Track

Santa Clara University•Santa Clara, CA

1d•$88,526 - $98,272•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Psychology at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic university, seeks applicants for a full-time tenure-track position in Applied Psychology (Open Area). Specifically, we seek a teacher-scholar whose research engages with psychological processes, outcomes, or interventions relevant to the lives and experiences of underserved or marginalized populations, including but not limited to Latiné, Black or African American, or Indigenous or Native communities; LGBTQIA+ populations; disabled or neurodivergent individuals; unhoused populations; immigrants or refugees; and others affected by structural inequities. We welcome applicants who employ a wide range of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and epistemological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, participatory, and community-based approaches. SCU is a welcoming and inclusive community of teaching scholars, grounded in the University’s fundamental values. These values—including academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement—are infused with a culture of care that emphasizes the dignity of all. The University draws on the many resources of the greater Bay Area, including Silicon Valley, where we are located. SCU is home to faculty and students of many religious and spiritual traditions and secular worldviews, and the University’s Jesuit identity emphasizes intellectual freedom, pluralism, ethics, and social responsibility. The successful candidate will join a collaborative department that values mentorship, collegiality, and shared responsibility for student success. The Psychology Department includes 14 continuing full-time faculty. Faculty expertise spans a wide range of subfields, including educational, social, cultural, personality and affective science, clinical, developmental, behavioral analysis, cognitive neuroscience, health, cognitive, and neuropsychology. With the largest major in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), we serve over 550 undergraduate majors and offer more than 50 different courses. A defining strength of the department is its strong culture of undergraduate research mentorship. Faculty actively engage students in faculty-led research across all stages of the research process, frequently resulting in presentations and peer-reviewed publications. This model is designed to broaden access to research experiences for students from diverse backgrounds. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2027 and be expected to teach, engage in scholarship, and offer service for the department, college, University, and profession. SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-stream faculty typically teach six courses per year (two each quarter), assuming they are actively engaged in scholarship. The College of Arts and Sciences is currently conducting a cluster hire in the area of Inequality & Social Justice. If the person hired for this position has research and teaching interests that are aligned with this program, they may be included in the Fall 2027 cohort. Participants in the cluster hiring program join a cohort of faculty whose work centers inequality and social justice and receive mentoring, frequent peer-support sessions, and access to an interdisciplinary intellectual community that supports their scholarly and creative work.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Psychology or a related field by appointment start date of September 1, 2027.
Experience with high-quality, evidence-based teaching and mentoring practices for undergraduate students.
Demonstrated potential for effective and inclusive teaching and mentoring of a diverse undergraduate student population.
Demonstrated engagement with community-based research and/or research meaningfully involving undergraduate students in multiple stages of the research process.
Ability to perform work within California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, or Illinois if approved to telecommute.
Verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Research and teaching interests aligned with the cluster hire in Inequality & Social Justice.

Responsibilities

Teach lower- and upper-division courses in the psychology major and the University Core Curriculum, including General Psychology, Statistics and Methods, and upper-division courses in the candidate’s area of expertise.
Develop an active program of scholarship at Santa Clara University that aligns with the Psychology Department’s clearly articulated standards for tenure and promotion.
Provide effective service to the Department of Psychology, the College of Arts and Sciences, the University, and the profession through contributions beyond teaching and scholarship.
Engage undergraduates meaningfully in multiple stages of the research process.
Engage meaningfully with students both inside and outside the classroom.