Tenure Track Faculty Position
Assistant Professor of Urban Design
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
College of Environmental Design
Salary Range: $86,328 - $90,648
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Cal Poly Pomona is one of three polytechnic universities in the 22-campus California State University system and among 12 such institutions nationwide. Since its founding in 1938, Cal Poly Pomona students participate in an integrative experiential learning education that is inclusive, relevant, and values diverse perspectives and experiences. With a variety of degree programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, and professional disciplines, the university is well known for its learn- by-doing approach and Teacher Scholar Model.
The university is noted for its scenic and historic 1,400-acre campus, which was once the winter ranch of cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg. We acknowledge that Cal Poly Pomona resides on the territorial and homelands of the Tongva and Tataavium people who are the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar. The university’s nearly 30,000 students are taught and mentored by the campus’s more than 1,400 faculty as part of 54 baccalaureate and 29 master’s degree programs, 11 credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate in educational leadership.
Highly regarded among its peer institutions, Cal Poly Pomona is No. 2 in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of top public regional universities in the West and was named the No. 28 best value college in the nation by Money Magazine. Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-Serving Institution , an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, stands as a national leader in promoting social mobility , and was placed among the 25 top institutions in the country in awarding bachelor’s degrees to minoritized students by Diverse Issues in Higher Education . In 2022, the campus launched the Black Thriving Initiative recognizing that Cal Poly Pomona’s future as a university is linked to the success of its Black community. More information about our Principles of Community can be found here .
The Cal Poly Pomona campus is located less than 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the intersection of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It is within an hour’s drive of beaches, mountains and deserts. For additional information about the university, please visit www.cpp.edu, and for more about faculty life, please see YourLife@CPP.
Student Population. Cal Poly Pomona is the number one polytechnic university in the nation for student diversity and economic mobility. Our caring and inclusive campus community is committed to helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it. In Fall 2024, Cal Poly Pomona served more than 25,000 students and close to 2,000 graduate students, mostly residents of California. Over half of Cal Poly Pomona students are first-generation college students, 70% receive financial aid, and 42% are low-income students. The university enrolls 57% percent of historically underrepresented students. Our diverse student body identifies as 54% Hispanic/Latinx, 21% Asian, 13% White, 4% two or more races, 3% unknown, 2% African American/Black, 2% International, less than 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and less than 1% Native American. Forty-five percent of students enroll in our STEM majors and our top five enrolled programs across the university include mechanical engineering, computer science, civil engineering, psychology, as well as finance, real estate, and law.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly Pomona provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly Pomona complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
Cal Poly Pomona is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly Pomona, excellence is built on talent, merit, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.
College of Environmental Design (ENV): ENV’s mission is to provide an outstanding academic and professional learning experience within a multidisciplinary structure. Creative excellence, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility guide ENV's programs. ENV was established in 1970. Our award-winning programs offer professional degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning; at the undergraduate level in Art History and Visual Communication Design; and at the graduate level in Regenerative Studies. Faculty research, professional and creative activities are brought into the classroom through the Teacher-Scholar Model. Support and recognition for faculty efforts facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and promotes their rich talent, expertise and influence. We seek opportunities for engagement with practice in California, nationally and internationally. We are educating the future leaders of the design professions, and therefore have an obligation to ensure that all constituencies of those professions represent the diversity of California's population. Diversity represents our strength.
Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP): URP’s programs emphasize interdisciplinary learning and linkages between practice and theory, taking advantage of connections with the architecture, landscape architecture, regenerative studies and art programs that are also housed in the College of Environmental Design. The faculty emphasizes teaching, enriched by research activities, professional involvement, and community service. The undergraduate program provides a diverse student body with an entry into professional planning practice. The graduate program, offered primarily in the evening, provides a professionally oriented program. According to Planetizen’s ranking system (2023), the graduate program was ranked among the top ten suburban programs and second most diverse program. The department has 7 tenured and tenure track faculty and serves about 50 graduate and 200 undergraduate students. URP is one of the largest and the most diverse planning programs in the U.S. About 56 percent of the students are Hispanic/Latino. Asian students (19%) are the second-largest ethnic group, followed by White (14%) and Black/African American (2%). The student body also represents college students from socially and economically underrepresented populations. A large group of URP students are first-generation college students and transfer students.
Position Description: We seek a candidate with a strong design-led practice and/or research agenda in urban design, with demonstrated ability to shape the physical form and experience of cities across scales. We welcome candidates who are engaged in practice and/or research that advances urban design theory and practice through work on the built environment, design guidelines, and spatial strategies that engage with contemporary planning challenges. We are particularly interested in those whose work connects urban design principles to critical planning issues, including but not limited to climate-responsive and sustainable design, urbanism for health and well-being, urban conservation, post-pandemic spatial adaptation, green infrastructure and urban forestry, digital urbanism/smart cities, and participatory or community-engaged design. A clear design methodology and portfolio of built, speculative, or research-driven work is highly valued.
The successful candidate will be expected to teach undergraduate-level urban design studios and a graduate-level urban design course. We especially welcome candidates who can also teach a community planning studio. We value candidates who have demonstrated experience in promoting student learning in a studio environment and in research projects aimed at creating sustainable urban spaces and the built environment, and who can mentor students in visualization, representation, and design thinking that integrates research into applied design projects.
We invite applicants from diverse academic backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, or related fields. Candidates with interdisciplinary training that integrates planning, policy, and design are especially encouraged to apply.
The position requires teaching, advising, scholarly activities, and service to the profession, community, the department, college, and university. This faculty member will contribute to instruction and research in the areas of specialization and curriculum development for the department’s accredited undergraduate and master’s programs in planning. We are especially interested in candidates who will thrive in an inclusive environment and who can contribute to our department’s diversity through their teaching, scholarship, and/or service to the institution. We seek candidates who will further the department’s commitment to diversifying the urban planning profession.
Minimum Requirements Include: -
- A master's degree in urban design, architecture, landscape architecture or closely-related design discipline, with demonstrated ability to apply design within planning or urban contexts.
- Demonstrated expertise in urban design evidenced through a portfolio of design work, built projects, or research-driven design practice, with engagement in one or more of the research areas mentioned above.
- Demonstrated commitment to teaching excellence, particularly in studio-based or project-based learning, and contributions to curricular development.
Preferred/Desired Qualifications: -
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- Ph.D. in urban planning and/or related fields with a strong focus on urban design (ABD will be considered, but the degree must be conferred by the start date of the position).
- Experience in teaching urban design studios, and potential for teaching a range of courses in the curriculum.
- Evidence of scholarly, creative, or professional work in urban design, including publications, built work, competitions, or funded research
- Insights into mentoring & advising students, especially first-generation and students from historically underrepresented groups.
Application Process: A completed application will consist of
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- Cover letter in which you describe your interest in the position, relevant experience, and how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Teaching Philosophy statement (2-page max) that addresses Cal Poly Pomona’s commitment to excellence in education (see above).
- Research Statement (2-page max);
- Portfolio of design work (max 10 pages) showcasing urban design, spatial, and/or built environment projects (academic, professional, or research-based).
- Contact information for 3-5 references (names, titles, and phone/email)
- Unofficial PhD transcripts
Finalists for the position will:
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- Be required to provide official transcripts for highest degree before the on-campus interview;
- Be required to provide three letters of reference dated within the last two years;
- Final candidates being interviewed are expected to make a presentation of creative work and a teaching demonstration to faculty and interact with students.
Please direct inquiries to dohyungkim@cpp.edu. Applications accepted only via PageUp -online application portal-for University hires. The position is open until filled.
First consideration will be given to completed applications received no later than the end of Saturday, October 31, 2026.Disclosures Education Code 89521 Requirements: Pursuant to Education Code 89521 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.
Background Check: A background check (including a criminal records check) must be satisfactorily completed. Offers of employment are conditional and may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Out of State Employment: 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. It is also expected that faculty establish an on-campus presence to fulfill their responsibilities.
Mandated Reporter: The person holding this position is 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.
International Candidates: Cal Poly Pomona is not currently sponsoring faculty for H-1B work status if they are subject to the $100,000 fee established under the Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers issued on September 19, 2025. For faculty already in the United States who hold a valid nonimmigrant visa (such as F-1, J-1, or O-1), Cal Poly Pomona is able to consider filing a petition to change their status to H-1B based on the current determination that the fee does not apply. For questions, please contact the Office of Faculty Affairs at avpfa@cpp.edu. We strongly recommend that faculty review their individual circumstances carefully with their personal immigration legal counsel.
Clery Act:In compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, California Education Code section 67380, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report are available for viewing at Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Security Report and Cal Poly Pomona’s Annual Fire Safety Report .
EEO Statement: This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly Pomona provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly Pomona complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
Cal Poly Pomona is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly Pomona, excellence is built on talent, merit, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.
Reasonable Accommodation:We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the ADA Coordinator by email at ADACoordinator@cpp.edu . For more information, go to Employment Notices .
Other Notices:For other important employment notices, we invite you to visit Cal Poly Pomona’s Employment Notices web page.
Advertised: May 19 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: Oct 31 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
