Assistant Professor (Continuing Track), Department of Art History, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware

The Department of Art History in the College of Arts and Sciences seeks an Assistant Professor (Continuing Track) who specializes in nineteenth-century European art, with a strong focus on another region or scholarly tradition beyond existing department strengths (for example, a focus on West or South Asia would be welcome), with a preference for a concentration on the arts of Islam. These areas of study and teaching will complement the department’s existing strengths in other periods and regions and meet the broad demand from the student body for courses in the subject areas listed above. The department is research active, and professional development of CT faculty is strongly supported.

CT faculty are full-time, benefits-eligible faculty with renewable contracts. CT faculty with terminal degrees hold professorial rank and have a path to promotion up to full professor. All CT faculty are eligible for sabbaticals and may have opportunities to pursue research, participate in shared governance, and hold academic leadership positions.

The selected candidate will have demonstrated experience with undergraduate teaching in art history as well as a Ph.D. in Art History or a very closely related field. Typically, they will be expected to teach 6-7 courses per year with the remaining 12.5%-25% of their workload dedicated to service. As appropriate, the candidate will also have the opportunity to work with relevant programs on campus—such as Islamic Studies, the Delaware Environmental Institute, and the Center for Material Culture—on events and course offerings.

The Department of Art History at the University of Delaware (https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/cas/units/departments/art-history/) is within the College of Arts and Sciences. We are committed to undergraduate education for majors and non-majors and to training graduate students who will be competitive at the higher reaches of our discipline as educators, museum professionals, and a variety of positions in the cultural and non-profit sectors. With proximity to many exceptional collections in Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, and New York, the department leads with the awareness that every society has produced art. The study of diverse art forms leads us to key cultural issues that are central to a comprehensive education and a foundation for a rich and varied life. Art history is the academic discipline that examines this cultural production and interprets it for our and future generations as part of a shared understanding of our complex, global world. It combines historical analysis with a special concern for material and aesthetic form. Inherently multidisciplinary, it draws methods and modes from a wide range of fields such as history, literature, linguistics, the social, political, and environmental sciences, gender and film studies, anthropology, and psychology, among others.

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) is the largest college at the University of Delaware, comprising 22 academic departments, 2 academic centers, and 35 interdisciplinary centers, programs, and institutes across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. CAS serves every student at the University through foundational coursework, while also supporting over 7,300 undergraduate and 1,100 graduate students majoring in our disciplines. In 2024-2025, CAS conferred more than 1,400 BA and AA degrees and 460 graduate degrees.

Our community includes more than 600 full-time tenure-track and non-tenure contract faculty who are leaders in their fields, innovators in teaching, and advisors to nonprofit and governmental agencies at the local, regional, national, and international levels. Faculty emphasize the enduring value of an arts and sciences education and share a deep commitment to excellence in scholarship and all forms of creative and intellectual expression. With annual sponsored research expenditures totaling more than $40 million, including significant funding from the NIH and NSF, CAS houses several large, interdisciplinary grants and maintains outstanding research and teaching facilities that encourage innovation and collaboration.

Guided by a commitment to shared governance, CAS faculty serve as leaders in the University and College Faculty Senates. More than 380 staff members and 45 postdoctoral fellows and researchers further enrich the CAS community by providing essential support to students and academic units. CAS maintains annual operating expenditures of over $152 million and is a hub for interdisciplinary engagement, connecting students and faculty with local, national, and global communities through research, creative activity, and public service.

The University of Delaware (www.udel.edu) is one of the nation’s oldest institutions of higher education, combining tradition and innovation. The University of Delaware is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a protected veteran, as well as any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. For the University’s complete non-discrimination statement, please visit www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html.

TO APPLY: Review of applications will begin on March 13, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, sample syllabi for two undergraduate courses (preferably at different levels, including one lecture course), a teaching statement that highlights evidence of previous excellence in teaching, and name and contact information for three references for letters of recommendation at http://www.udel.edu/careers. At a later stage, finalists will be expected to request letters from their recommenders. For additional information, please contact the search chair, Prof. Jennifer Nelson (neon@udel.edu).

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Compensation packages are highly competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. The UD benefits package is one of the best in the nation.

The University of Delaware is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a protected veteran, as well as any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. For the University’s complete non-discrimination statement, please visit www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html