Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice; Courts, Law, and Judicial Studies​/College of Liberal Arts

Job Class Code: 10031

FLSA: Exempt

Posting Number: FRGV
2057

Location: Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Division/Organization: Provost - Academic Affairs

Appointment Period for Non-Tenure Position:

Tenure Status: Tenure Track

FTE: 1.0

We seek applicants who are dedicated to serving The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's student body as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice beginning in the  academic year.

The Department of Criminal Justice invites applications for onefull-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice(Courts, Law, and Judicial Studies). Areas of interest may includecourts and judicial processes, criminal law and procedure,sentencing, prosecution and defense, plea bargaining, bail andpretrial justice, judicial decision-making, specialty and problem-solving courts, wrongful convictions, legaldecision-making, court policy and reform, or related areas. The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses within the candidate's area of specialization and core Criminal Justice courses as departmental needs require, with opportunities to teach in both Traditional and Accelerated Online graduateformats.

UTRGV serves the Rio Grande Valleyand beyond via an innovative and unique multicultural education dedicated to student access and success. By championing leading research, healthcare, and application of university discoveries, wesupport sustainable development, community engagement, andwell-being. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is committed to building and sustaining a highly qualified and talented faculty to pursue excellence in everything that we do,including teaching, research, and service.

The Department of Criminal Justice is part of the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is one of the University'slargest departments. The Department offers the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) and the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ), including Traditional and Accelerated Online pathways. Fall 2025 BSCJ enrollment wasapproximately 2,245 students, and Fall 2025 MSCJ enrollment wasapproximately 90 students.

Faculty are based primarily on the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses and support undergraduate and graduate education, research, professional engagement, and community partnerships.

A Ph.D. in Criminology, Criminal Justice, or a closely related field is required. Advanced ABD candidates will be considered, butall Ph.D. requirements must be completed by the start date. A Juris Doctorate alone does not meet the minimum qualifications. Candidates must demonstrate potential for scholarly productivity and the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinaryacademic department.

Candidates must demonstrate a teaching and research specialization in courts, judicial processes, criminal law and procedure,sentencing, or a closely related criminal justice area.

Preference will be given to candidates whose scholarship addressescontemporary issues involving courts and judicial processes,sentencing, prosecution and defense, criminal procedure, judicialdecision-making, pretrial justice, wrongful convictions, specialtycourts, or court policy and reform. Candidates with a demonstratedrecord of scholarly activity, experience teaching in classroom andonline environments, potential for external funding and interdisciplinary collaboration, and the ability to mentor undergraduate and graduate research are especially encouraged toapply.

A Ph.D. with a J.D. is desirable but not…