The Department of Art at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga invites applications for a 9-month Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Art History beginning August 1, 2026. Applicants must have a PhD in Art History.
Candidates from all specializations are invited to apply. We are especially interested in candidates whose teaching and research are methodologically conversant with the stakes of art history’s global turn . The ideal candidate should complement departmental offerings in the art histories of the early modern Atlantic and Pacific, Native and Indigenous Studies, and craft.
The successful candidate will teach a 3:3 load contributing to the growth of the BA in Art History through meaningful service and recruitment efforts at the university level. In a studio-majority department, the successful candidate will be eager and excited to teach widely across art history’s geographical and temporal spectrum, including both introductory courses of global art history (Prehistory to 1400 CE and 1400 CE to the Present); Contemporary Art since 1945; as well as an upper-level course in Critical Theory oriented to the visual arts. Art History faculty are also expected to teach focused regional and temporal surveys at the intermediate level, and advanced topics courses in their area(s) of expertise.
Salary is $61,000.00 and includes a full benefits package along with access to professional development funds within the department and competitive college- and university-level grants for research and professional development.
- A PhD in Art History
- A demonstrated record of teaching effectiveness at the college level
- An active research agenda
- Ability to collaborate as a member of a team
A flexibility and eagerness to teach across the temporal and geographic spectrum, outside one's fields of specialization.
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Preferred Qualifications
- Research focus complementary to department’s current areas of expertise
- Mentorship of undergraduate students (both majors and nonmajors)
- Readiness to teach critical theory
- Development of courses and participation in the curriculum revision process
To apply, please include the following materials as individual PDFs
- A cover letter describing professional background and interest in the position, and potential upper-level course offerings (1–2 pages)
- CV
- Teaching philosophy (1 page)
- Research statement (1 page)
- Example(s) of scholarly activity, e.g., excerpt(s) of a book chapter, journal article, and/or exhibition catalogue (not to exceed a total of 15 pages)
Names and complete contact information for three references (references will only be contacted for finalists)
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Review of applications will begin immediately, and preference will be given to applications received by Friday, March 20, 2026.
Questions regarding the position can be made by emailing the chair of the committee Prof. Bart Pushaw at [email protected].
About The Department
The Department of Art at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has 16 full-time faculty and approximately 300 majors pursuing BA degrees in Art History, Studio Art, and Art Education, as well as BFA degrees in Art with concentrations in Design Research and Practice, Painting and Drawing, Photography and Media Art, and Sculpture. UTC is an accredited member institution of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Department collaborates closely with UTC’s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), as well as local institutions such as the Hunter Museum of American Art and Stove Works. The region also boasts important global collections at art museums in Birmingham and Atlanta, both a short two-hour drive away.
About Us
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is in the heart of one of Tennessee’s largest and most dynamic cities. As a national model for metropolitan universities, UTC collaborates with its many regional partners to offer an experiential learning environment with outstanding teaching scholars in 128 undergraduate degree programs and 55 graduate programs—at both the master's and doctoral levels. UTC and Chattanooga—nationally recognized for its downtown redevelopment and wealth of outdoor recreation—are inextricably linked, and the University is central to the workforce and economic development efforts of the region and the state.
Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Engineering and Computer Science; Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College are home to an array of award-winning programs from Nursing to Computer Science, Entrepreneurship to Veteran Student Support. Innovation is a strategic focus, and UTC research and development in smart city technology is an industry leader. UTC is the first and only university in the country with access to a managed, commercial quantum computing network, and we are introducing an artificial intelligence initiative involving entities across campus and engaging partners throughout the region.
From our deep ties to the city of Chattanooga to our national reputation for innovation and hands-on learning, UTC stands out as a university where students thrive, faculty inspire, and partnerships create real impact.
The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.
Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), ADEA (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility at (423) 425-5824. Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Accessibility at (423) 425-5760.
