Assistant Professor of Political Science - Department of Political Science - #27 - 17

Job Description

Tenure-Track Faculty Position Announcement

Department: Political Science

Faculty Hire Number: #27-17

Rank: Assistant Professor

Effective Date of Appointment: August 19, 2027 (Subject to Budgetary Approval)

Anticipated Hiring Range: $75,000 to $80,000 (Dependent upon qualifications)


CSUN’s Commitment to You:

CSUN is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning and inclusion. Our values include a respect for all people, building partnerships with the community and the encouragement of innovation, experimentation, and creativity. CSUN strives to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. CSUN is especially interested in candidates who make contributions to equity and inclusion in the pursuit of excellence for all members of the university community.

As a Hispanic-serving Institution (HSI), inclusiveness and diversity are integral to CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement. As of Fall 2025, CSUN enrolls 36,960 students, where 57.5% are Latinx, 18.4% are White, 8.5% are Asian-American, 5.5% are Black/African American, 0.1% are Native American, and 0.1% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

For more information about the University, visit: http://www.csun.edu

About the College:

For more information about the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, see: https://www.csun.edu/social-behavioral-sciences/college

About the Department:

For more information about the Department of Political Science, see: https://www.csun.edu/social-behavioral-sciences/political-science

Position:

The Department of Political Science at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is seeking a tenure-track faculty member in American politics at the rank of Assistant Professor

The candidate's primary expertise should focus on American political institutions (e.g. Congress, Presidency, Courts). Preference will be given to candidates with secondary teaching and research interests in public policy and racial and ethnic politics though we invite applications from candidates working across all subfields of American politics.

In addition to teaching, the position requires weekly office hours, attending faculty meetings, participation in assessment of student learning, and service to the department, college, and university. The successful candidate may be required to teach on weekdays, evenings, weekends, and/or online and will be held to the standards and requirements of the college and department in which he/she/they is/are housed for recommending tenure and promotion. Given CSUN’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and engagement in a diverse environment, the successful candidate will help the Department achieve equitable academic outcomes for all students through teaching, student mentorship, scholarship, and service.

Required Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. from an accredited institution in Political Science with a focus on American political institutions by the time of appointment. ABD applicants are encouraged to apply but evidence of terminal degree is required by the appointment start date - August 19, 2027.
• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, teaching courses at the College or University-level (both in-person and online) in American national political institutions (e.g., Congress, Presidency, Courts).
• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, scholarly development and publication in the field of Political Science.
• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, inclusive teaching and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds at the college level.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, excellence in teaching Political Science courses in the area American political institutions as a primary focus.
• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, excellence in teaching Political Science courses as a secondary area in racial and ethnic politics or public policy is highly desirable.
• Evidence of, or the clear potential for, excellence in teaching courses in other areas of Political Science is welcomed.
• Evidence of, or clear potential for, scholarly publications in American political institutions or other subfields of American politics.
• Evidence of, or clear potential for, teaching, research and mentorship that supports a diverse student body, utilizing student centered learning and culturally responsive pedagogy to foster equitable outcomes.
• Evidence of, or clear potential for, developing collaborative relationships with community groups, government entities, or advocacy organizations to provide students with hands-on research and experiential learning opportunities.

Application Deadline:

Preferred application deadline is October 28, 2026 and applications received after this date may be considered on an as needed basis. However, the position will remain open until filled.

How to Apply:

Candidates should apply by completing the CSUN online application. To apply and for more detailed information on the application and hiring process, please visit this link: www.csun.edu/careers

Applicants must submit each of the items listed below to the website in the section above:

• A cover letter not to exceed two single-spaced pages, addressing ability to meet required and preferred job qualifications as described above (which can be supplemented by the Teaching and Mentoring Statement, Statement of Research Agenda, and syllabus required below)
• A Curriculum Vitae, which includes contact information for three professional references
• A Statement of Teaching and Mentoring Philosophy and Experience of no more than two single-spaced pages that includes, in part, a description of your approach to teaching and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds as well as a description of the range courses you have taught or would feel comfortable teaching
• A sample syllabus for a course you have taught as instructor of record or a proposed syllabus for a course you would teach.
• A Statement of Research Agenda of no more than one single-spaced page, which includes a description of your area(s) of research interest and description of current and planned research projects.

In later stages of the search process, applicants may be requested to provide additional materials, including:

• A writing sample within the field of Political Science that is approximately the length of a book chapter, an academic article, or a conference paper.

At the time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work in the United States. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.

Please note: California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is currently not sponsoring applicants for H-1B employment that are subject to the $100,000 fee established by the “Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” issued on September 19, 2025. Applicants are responsible for determining the applicability of the fee.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

General Information:

In compliance with the Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Northridge has made crime-reporting statistics available on-line here . Print copies are available by request from the Department of Police Services, the Office for Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Equity and Diversity.

The person holding this position may be considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position.

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California.

CSUN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Our nondiscrimination policy is set forth in the Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy . Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Keiko Hirata at 818-677-3488.

Advertised: Oct 02 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: