The University of Maryland (College Park, MD) School of Music invites applications for a full-time Visiting Assistant Professor in the Theory/Composition Division for the 2023–24 academic year. The successful candidate will be an experienced and effective teacher of music theory with an established or emerging record of accomplishment as a research scholar in music theory or in music composition. The School of Music is committed to expanding diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. We seek candidates whose research, teaching, and service are congruent with this mission, and who are equipped to work with colleagues to advance it.
One-year appointment, with potential for renewal up to another two years (three total). Appointment is not tenure eligible.
Teach three in-person courses in fall 2023 and again in spring 2024 (if the contract is renewed, also in subsequent years), drawn from the five-semester undergraduate core music theory curriculum (basic diatonic tonal harmony, chromatic harmony, post-tonal theory and analysis, musical form); music theory for non-majors; or other upper-level undergraduate or graduate courses as assigned. Additional responsibilities will include a share of departmental service; they may include supervising graduate teaching assistants and other duties as assigned.
The Theory/Composition Division comprises two distinct but integrated programs, each offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees. We seek an imaginative, capable, and engaged colleague with primary expertise in one or both areas, a demonstrated and ongoing commitment to teaching and to original work, and a strong, active spirit of collegiality.
Ph.D. in Music Theory, DMA in Music Composition, or Ph.D. in Music Composition completed by August 2023 for hire as a Visiting Assistant Professor; solid experience and demonstrated success teaching music theory at the collegiate level; strong organizational, communication, and practical musical skills. ABD in Music Theory or Music Composition also considered (for hire as a Lecturer).
In a single PDF, email the following to adecker3@umd.edu with the subject line “Theory/Composition Search”:
1) a cover letter that outlines your expertise, interests, and accomplishments in music theory or music composition and in teaching music theory at the college level
2) current curriculum vitae
3) two or three sample syllabi and two or three sample assessments you have created (all preferably for courses you have previously taught)
4) teaching philosophy statement
5) contact information (name, title, institutional email, and telephone number) for three references
For best consideration, these application materials must be received by February 15, 2023. Please do not send any other materials until requested by the search committee.
Questions about the position may be directed to Prof. Dora A. Hanninen, Search Chair and Division Coordinator of Theory and Composition, dhann@umd.edu.
CAMPUS: Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland, College Park is the flagship institution in the University System of Maryland. Our 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington D.C., and the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive and judicial centers of power. Proximity to business and technology leaders, federal departments and agencies, and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations affords distinct opportunities for faculty and students in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance our stature of preeminence in our three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in our community, the State of Maryland and in the world.
SCHOOL OF MUSIC: Situated on the University of Maryland’s campus in College Park and part of the College of Arts and Humanities, the School of Music is a dynamic arts community committed to cultivating and transforming musical traditions and preparing students for meaningful engagement with their art, their culture, and the world community. The School of Music is an integral part of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center—a premiere arts presenting venue and creative laboratory for professional artists, teachers, and students—housed within a state-of-the-art complex with six performance venues, rehearsal rooms, production shops, classrooms, and the School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, along with the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.
The university is linked by mass transit to one of the most vital music scenes in the country. The region is home to two major symphony orchestras (the National Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony) and numerous celebrated performance venues including the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Museums, National Gallery, and the Phillips and Kreeger Museums. World-class research facilities within a 15-mile radius of campus include the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives.
The University of Maryland College Park, actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.