Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies - Department of Music #27-15

Tenure-Track Faculty Position Announcement

CSUN is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning, and inclusion. Our values include 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 Latine, 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

• A master's or a terminal degree [MFA, DMA, PHD] in jazz studies/performance from an accredited institution.
• In-person and/or online college or University-level teaching experience on jazz topics to music majors, in-person jazz ensemble directing and in-person applied jazz lesson instruction.
• Experience working in a professional jazz setting as a performer, bandleader, recording artist, and/or arranger/composer.

• Evidence of effective engagement OR potential to engage with a diverse student body.
• Experience using culturally responsive pedagogy that leads to equitable outcomes for all students.
• Experience creating a student-centered learning environment and adopting inclusive approaches to mentoring.
• Performance or teaching experience that includes working with musicians from diverse backgrounds.
• Actively engage, or potential/interest, in developing a distinguished national and/or international profile in jazz through performance, composition, arranging, recording, bandleading, scholarship, or other significant creative activity.
• Experience in student recruitment and outreach.

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 Tina Raymond at tina.raymond@csun.edu.

For more information about the Department of Music, see: http://www.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/music

The Department of Music at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is seeking a tenure-track faculty member in Jazz Studies at the rank of Assistant Professor.

Located in Los Angeles, one of the world’s major cultural and creative centers, CSUN’s Jazz Studies program is well positioned for continued growth, visibility, and national distinction. The program serves a diverse and ambitious student body, including a thriving graduate population, and offers significant opportunities for artistic collaboration, student mentorship, creative activity, and engagement with the broader professional jazz community. CSUN jazz ensembles regularly perform and collaborate with nationally and internationally recognized jazz artists, providing students with meaningful professional-level artistic experiences. The department seeks an artist-educator whose work will contribute to the continued success, growth, and distinction of Jazz Studies at CSUN.

The successful candidate will primarily teach courses in jazz musicianship, composition, arranging, harmony, improvisation, jazz ensembles, pedagogy, and applied lessons depending on qualifications and interest; and have research interests/activities in jazz performance, composition, arranging, and pedagogy/education. They will be expected to balance professional activity with engaged teaching and work collaboratively with students and faculty.

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.

Preferred application deadline is November 2, 2026 and applications received after this date may be considered on an as needed basis. However, the position will remain open until filled.

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 a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and a list of at least three references that include e-mail and phone number to the to the website in the section above. In later phases of the search process, applicants may be requested to provide supplemental musical materials, verification of terminal degrees, licenses and certificates.

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.

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