Assistant Professor - Music - Musicology

CSU Careers • San José, CA

30d • $86,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The School of Music at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for an Assistant Professor of Music, Musicology, beginning in August 2026. We seek a dynamic scholar-teacher committed to inclusive excellence in research, teaching, and mentorship within a diverse university community. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in musicology, develop innovative curricula that engages diverse musical traditions and methodologies including collaboration across fields in the College of Humanities and the Arts, and maintain an active research agenda appropriate to an R2 institution, and demonstrate interest. This position plays a vital role in the School’s mission to prepare reflective, culturally responsive musicians and scholars. Duties include teaching undergraduate music history survey sequences in Western and/or global traditions, developing and teaching graduate seminars in area(s) of specialization, supervising graduate student research, and integrating inclusive pedagogies and diverse repertoires into curriculum. This is a 10-month term assignment. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. The School of Music and San José State University value inclusive excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll nearly 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve. The School of Music and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve. We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines .

Requirements

• Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Musicology or closely related field; ABD considered with doctorate completed by start date.
• Teaching experience at the college or university level.
• Evidence of scholarly promise demonstrated through publications, conference presentations, or dissertation research.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Nice To Haves

• Research specialization in areas including but not limited to world music traditions, popular music studies, music and social justice, American music, contemporary music, music and technology, feminist/queer musicology, or underrepresented musical traditions
• Demonstrated commitment to decolonizing music curricula and centering diverse voices in music scholarship
• Experience with community-engaged scholarship or public musicology
• Expertise in interdisciplinary approaches to musicology
• Fluency in languages relevant to research specialization

Responsibilities

• The candidate will participate in shared governance in School, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Benefits

• Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector.
• See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree