Assistant Teaching Professor of Art History

Penn State University • University Park, IL

17h • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Art History at The Pennsylvania State University seeks to appoint an Assistant Teaching Professor of Art History (Generalist) for a 1-year term, with possibility of renewal. The appointment will begin on August 1, 2026. This is a non-tenure line, 36‑week position offering a balanced 3–3 teaching load with light service responsibilities. The successful candidate will enjoy full university benefits and be welcomed as an active, valued participant in the life of the department. The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging. We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive. We value belonging as a core strength and an essential element of the university’s teaching, research, and service mission. Penn State is a comprehensive, multi-campus research university serving all regions of the Commonwealth, as well as the nation and the world in instruction, research, and service roles that require responsiveness to and support from society's public and private sectors. As a land-grant university, Penn State has responsibility for providing a wide array of programs in the professional and technical disciplines, as well as a balanced offering of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences. Penn State shares with other major research universities the traditional responsibilities to discover, develop, preserve, and disseminate knowledge. Penn State's Art History Department is housed in the College of Arts and Architecture. The College proudly serves as one of the major cultural centers between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The college is a comprehensive arts community committed to artistic and scholarly creativity, research and the preparation of specialized practitioners in all of the arts and design disciplines; to undergraduate general arts courses for all students; and to community engagement in its programs. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the Department of Art History, the H. Campbell and Eleanor R. Stuckeman School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, the School of Music, the School of Theatre and the Penn State School of Visual Arts. The college also includes the Center for the Performing Arts, the Palmer Museum of Art, and Penn State Centre Stage, which serve as important cultural resources that provide educational outreach programs for Penn State and area communities. In addition, the college is home to research centers and institutes, which help to foster a vibrant culture of inquiry that promotes excellence within the arts and design disciplines, while at the same time leveraging the potential of a comprehensive research university. The college is housed in sixteen buildings that include performance and exhibition spaces as well as specialized studios and labs. The Department of Art History is a collaborative community made up of an innovative group of scholars and students at the forefront of computer vision research and material studies with longstanding research strengths in American Art History. The Center for Virtual and Material Studies, a university-level research center housed in the department, supports research into the materiality of historic objects and the virtual means of conveying that materiality. Faculty frequently collaborate with the Palmer Museum of Art, which boasts a strong collection of American Art. The department offers BA, MA, and PhD degrees in Art History, undergraduate minors in art history and architectural history, and a museum studies certificate. Our graduates report high satisfaction with the quality of instruction they receive and their sense of preparedness for future careers and studies.

Requirements

• PhD in the history of art or architecture or a related discipline (Candidates who are ABD will be considered but must have a PhD by the start date)
• Evidence of a commitment to excellence in teaching including a willingness to teach a large enrollment survey and lead an online class
• Evidence of equitable considerations, awareness, and practice regarding curriculum development, and inclusive practices in educating student bodies, staff, and faculty members of all backgrounds
• Evidence of working collectively to cultivate a culture that supports success and enables all members of our college community to thrive

Nice To Haves

• Prepared to lead courses with globally connected histories of art

Responsibilities

• Teaching duties will include a survey of architectural history to 1400 (ARTH 201) (Fall Semester)
• Leading a pre-formulated online course in design history (ARTH 280) (Fall and Spring Semesters)
• Light service responsibilities

Benefits

• Full university benefits
• Competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional wellbeing
• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees