Assistant Professor of Composition-Music Theory

School of Music
College of the Arts
Assistant Professor
Fall 2025

The School of Music at California State University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Composition-Music Theory with an appointment to begin in August 2025.

California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) is a minority-serving institution, affirmative action, and equal opportunity employer. CSUF is firmly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum and fostering an inclusive environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their teaching, research, advising and other activities are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences. Individuals advancing the University’s strategic diversity goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the American professoriate has been severe and longstanding are particularly encouraged to apply.

CSUF is committed to retaining all faculty and has established affinity groups you can join to support your success.

Position
The School of Music at California State University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Composition-Music Theory. Preference will be given to applicants with teaching and research experience in Music Composition, Music Theory in traditional, art music curriculum, and Music Technology. Experience in teaching music theory and music composition to music majors is required. Applicants must effectively use current technologies in teaching and be conversant with emerging theoretical research and teaching methods. We seek applicants who can help the School of Music update its general education offerings, have experience with diverse traditions, and are interested in and experienced with teaching music in online instruction.

The successful candidate will teach undergraduate music theory courses, graduate music theory seminars, music composition, and music technology and assist in directing the New Music Ensemble. The successful candidate will have an established record of college or university-level teaching and peer-reviewed publications and recordings; will supervise undergraduate and graduate music composition and theory theses; and will share in departmental responsibilities, including student advisement and service on committees. Applicants must have a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, peer-reviewed research, and professional and university service.

Job Duties to Include:

• Develop and teach any of the following courses, based on the candidate's qualifications: Music Technology; Elements of Music; Music Theory I, II, and III; Musicianship I, II, and III; Beginning Composition; Orchestration, Instrumentation and Arranging; Form and Analysis, Advanced Form and Analysis, Counterpoint; Graduate Music Theory; Graduate Music Theory Seminar.
• Teach applied composition lessons.
• Establish or maintain an active career as a composer in any style or medium, with recognition at the national and international level.
• Recruit in collaboration with colleagues.
• Serve on School of Music committees.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D./D.M.A. or equivalent terminal degree in Music Composition/Music Theory. If ABD, the doctorate must be completed by the start date.
• Demonstrated teaching effectiveness.
• Successful prior college or university-level teaching experience.
• Performance and recording of original music, research, and peer-reviewed publication experience indicative of strong potential for tenure.
• Ability to interact effectively with students and faculty in a culturally diverse university community.
• Demonstrated potential for effective integration of technology into instruction.
• Demonstrated commitment to working effectively with students from intersecting and marginalized social groups.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience as an innovative and skilled instructor of record at the collegiate level.
• Established record as a successful composer at the national level.
• Evidence of ability to teach analysis and performance of a broad spectrum of genres, including contemporary, vernacular, and non-Western music.
• Experience with and ability to teach the artistic use of music technology.
• Evidence of ability to teach composition and improvisation in the classroom and direct a New Music Ensemble.
• Evidence of ability and interest in student recruitment and community outreach.

Application
A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit http://hr.fullerton.edu/careers/Faculty.php , choose full-time faculty, search for the position #543708, and provide the following required materials:

• cover letter in which you respond to the required qualifications
• curriculum vitae
• research statement
• teaching statement
• candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence
  • This statement provides the candidate’s unique perspective on their past and present contributions to and future aspirations for promoting diversity, inclusion, and social justice in their professional careers. This statement aims to help the school identify candidates with professional experience, intellectual commitments, and willingness to engage in activities that could help CSUF contribute to its mission in these areas. The statement shall address one or more of the following criteria:
  • The candidate has acquired knowledge of barriers for underrepresented students and faculty in higher education.
  • The candidate has experience in and is committed to engaging in service with underrepresented populations in higher education.
  • The candidate has experience in and is committed to teaching and/or mentoring underrepresented students in a higher education environment.
  • The candidate has experience integrating underrepresented populations and communities into scholarly and creative activities.

a list of three references with relevant contact information
Finalists and Semi-Finalists must submit three letters of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal.

Please direct all questions about the position to Dr. Ken Walicki at kwalicki@fullerton.edu or call 657-278-2060.

Application Deadline
To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by December 13, 2024. The anticipated appointment date is August 2025.

The College and Department
The College of the Arts is a destination of choice for students seeking the highest quality training in the visual and performing arts. We take great pride in our role as a college of regional focus with national impact. Locally, the College serves as an academic and cultural resource for the community. Nationally, our alumni contribute to the thriving creative economy as artists, educators, performers, and professionals. We are leaders in arts education, marked by our continuous national accreditation in all four areas - Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts. At Cal State Fullerton, our motto is “Titans reach higher.” In the College of the Arts, not only do we reach higher, we reach forward to shape the future of the arts in new and innovative ways. For more information about the College of the Arts, please visit http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/

The School of Music in the College of the Arts is a school of artistry, community, and distinction. Our mission is to provide a vibrant learning environment that encourages individual achievement and artistic expression. Music is key to what makes us human-an expression of our creative beings. We daily and collectively engage our creative humanity as performers, composers, researchers, teachers, and students. Together, we collaborate, inspire, discover, reflect, mentor, innovate, and create. The curriculum provides preparation for careers in music, music education, or further graduate study. We offer a variety of degree programs and concentrations that balance theoretic and applied learning. Artist-teachers offer instruction in all aspects of performance; practicing composers and theorists teach courses in theory and composition; active musicologists provide instruction in history and literature; and specialists in music education teach courses in that field. Our goal is to develop each student’s musical and intellectual potential to the highest level of individual capability. Our school has been fully and continuously accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music since 1966. For more information about the School of Music, please visit: http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/music/

Compensation
The Assistant Professor (Academic Year) classification salary range is $6,221 to $13,224 monthly (12 monthly payments per academic year). The anticipated hiring range is $6,884 to $7,022 per month.

Salary offered is commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the California Equal Pay Act prohibits employers from paying its employees less than those of the opposite sex and/or another race or ethnicity for substantially similar work ( https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/california_equal_pay_act.htm ).

Summer research grants, moving expenses, start-up funds, and a reduced teaching load may be available.

CSUF Benefits
An excellent comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental plans; spouse, domestic partner, and dependent fee-waiver; access to campus child-care; and a defined-benefit retirement through the state system and optional tax sheltering opportunities. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/total-wellness/ .

Additional Information
Multiple positions may be hired from this recruitment based on the strength of the applicant pool.

CSU Policies
The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and must comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised July 21, 2017, as a condition of employment.

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

Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Notice of Non-Discrimination based on Gender or Sex and Contact Information for Title IX Coordinator ( http://www.fullerton.edu/titleix/about/notice.php ).

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. It requires hiring employees to perform CSU-related work within the State of California.

Advertised: Oct 14 2024 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close:

Closing Date/Time:

• 

• Cal State University (CSU) Fullerton

• 657-278-2200

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