Assistant Professor of Political Science: Public Law

Job no: 561796

Work type: Instructional Faculty – Tenured/Tenure-Track

Location: San Diego

Categories: Unit 3 - CFA
- California Faculty Association, Faculty
- Social Sciences, Probationary, Full Time

The San Diego State University Political Science Department seeks to hire a tenure-track [assistant] professor with expertise in public law to begin Fall 2027
. We seek scholars pursuing an innovative, sustained research agenda in public law, broadly conceived. Such areas could include law and race, law and poverty, law and emerging technology, immigration and legal status, civil liberties, the comparative study of legal systems and their political consequences, constitutional development, courts and judicial politics, legal institutions, or administrative law and regulation. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape the future of public law offerings in our undergraduate and graduate curricula.

Apply via Page Up by October 9, 2026
.

Our department is dedicated to the ideal of the engaged teacher-scholar. We have over 800 undergraduate majors with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. We also have a high-quality M.A. program that provides a strong foundation in American, international relations, global politics, comparative and regional politics, theory, and research design. Our faculty share a commitment to collegiality, collaborative departmental governance, innovative scholarship, methodological pluralism, effective and interactive teaching, and robust intellectual and normative engagement inside and outside the classroom.

Candidates are encouraged to consult our department website.

• Record of original scholarly accomplishment or demonstrated promise of developing a sustained and rich research program in public law.
• Expertise in empirical, theoretical, and methodological dimensions of public law.
• Demonstrated capacity to teach existing public law courses in our catalog.
• Experience and evidence of effective teaching.
• Demonstration of past accomplishments and/or future plans in at least two (2) or more of the “Building on Inclusive Excellence” criteria.

• Ph.D. in Political Science or a closely related discipline.

• Potential to expand the department’s range of scholarly topics and courses connected to public law at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Desire to engage normative questions related to law and politics.
• Evidence of a well-developed, student-centered pedagogy.
• Interest in bringing new theoretical, substantive, and/or methodological dimensions to the department.
• Commitment to mentoring students.
• Ideas for engaging in university and professional service.
• Support for our department’s culture of collegiality, shared governance, innovative scholarship, methodological pluralism, effective teaching, and robust intellectual and normative engagement.

• Cover letter addressing how the applicant meets the required and preferred qualifications, as well as the “Building on Inclusive Excellence” criteria. The cover letter should also describe what draws you to the field of public law and what you regard as most important for scholarship and teaching in the field. Applicants who have not yet completed the Ph.D. should discuss progress toward the degree and timeline for completion.
• Curriculum vita
• Names and contact information for three references
• Academic writing samples.
• Teaching portfolio, including sample syllabi and complete teaching evaluations (quantitative evaluations and all qualitative comments) of three courses within the past three years (TA evaluations acceptable if lacking three courses).
• Graduate transcripts.

The minimum salary for this position is based on the current…