Job Title:

Assistant Professor of Design, Tenure-Track, Concentration in UX/UI Design, Department of Art + Architecture, University of San Francisco

Job Summary:

The Design Program at the University of San Francisco invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Design with a specialization in UX/UI Design to begin in August 2026. Located within the Department of Art + Architecture, the Design Program integrates traditional graphic design with emerging digital practices to foster interdisciplinary, socially engaged creative leaders.

Our curriculum embraces an expanded definition of design, preparing students with a broad range of process-oriented skills, including conceptual development, user research, visual storytelling, prototyping, formal experimentation, and critical thinking. The recently founded UX/UI minor provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design for digital platforms, including the history, theory, and practice of user research and human-computer interaction. As a whole, USF is a diverse liberal arts university with a strong commitment to social justice, and global perspectives, situated in the heart of San Francisco.

This position seeks a designer and educator with expertise in UX/UI design and a strong foundation in visual design. The successful candidate will teach across UX/UI and visual design areas, support the growth of the new UX/UI minor, and contribute to evolving our undergraduate Arts and Design curricula. The successful candidate is expected to have a fluency with emergent technologies, particularly generative AI, and a capacity for interdisciplinary program development to grow the university’s interest in AI readiness.

Full Job Description:

Job Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be expected to teach a range of studio, seminar, and research courses. The standard teaching load for this position at USF is two 4-unit courses per semester with an additional third course every fourth semester (2-2-2-3 over two years). More specifically, candidates will be expected to teach in areas such as UX/UI (design research, testing), interaction design and web design; candidates may also teach in foundations, senior thesis, contemporary issues in design, social justice & community engaged learning. Additional areas of expertise are welcome. The successful candidate will also be expected to engage in service to the department and college, as well as maintain an active research program that engages students when possible.

Minimum Requirements:

MFA degree (or equivalent, such as MDES / MS) in Design, Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Human Computer Interaction, UX/UI or a related field. This position requires a commitment to excellence in teaching within a culturally diverse environment. In addition, a strong record of teaching at the university level, evidence of scholarship and/or creative practice, and an understanding of and commitment to supporting the mission of the University of San Francisco are required. Qualified candidates also possess expertise in a range of design practices; equal comfort and fluency in teaching technical and conceptual skills; readiness to work collaboratively with faculty across the department and college. Applicants should also demonstrate a strong exhibition, research, publication and/or employment record with national exposure and peer evaluation. Once hired, full-time faculty members at USF become responsible for contributing to teaching, research, and service to the University including student advising and program development.

To apply, all applicants are required to submit the following, as PDF documents:

• Letter of application that explains your specific interest in working in this role at USF

• Curriculum Vitae

• Statement of teaching philosophy, including a list of areas of teaching expertise containing both software/technical skills as well as conceptual/historical topics, and teaching philosophy and experience (which should include reflection on teaching in a culturally diverse educational environment).)

• A PDF portfolio of up to 20 works, including:

  • An artist/research statement at the beginning of the portfolio

  • Detailed descriptions of all works

  • Screenshots and URLs to any online, interactive, or time-based works

• A PDF portfolio of up to 20 student works, including:

  • Descriptions of each project/assignment, plus the course title and date for each work

  • Screenshots and URLs to any online, interactive, or time-based works

  • (Optional) written work, presentations, or other non-studio student work from lecture/seminar classes

 

Finalists will be requested to submit the following required materials, as PDF documents:

• Evidence of teaching ability, including copies of teaching evaluations, syllabi, and possibly other documentation

• Three letters of recommendation

Additional materials may be requested later in the process. Questions can be addressed to designsearch@usfca.edu. For full consideration, applications should be submitted by December 1, 2025.

We invite candidates to find out more about the Design Program at https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/programs/undergraduate/design, and to find out more about the  UX/UI minor at: https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/programs/undergraduate/ux-ui. In addition, all new faculty have access to a free membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and support from the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Research, Artistic and Scholarly Excellence.

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full time

Pay Rate:

Salary

Salary Range :

$103,184.83 - $113,633.96 annualized; commensurate with experience