The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma is seeking a tenure-track assistant professor in Professional Writing. The Professional Writing program teaches students to be successful commercial authors of fiction, nonfiction, film and television, video game and/or comic scripting, and other written media forms.

Applicants will be required to have been successfully published in the commercial arena; i.e., a professional creative writer of fiction, nonfiction, and/or drama (including TV, screenplays, radio, podcasts, and staged drama). Applicants should also have received payment for their work, which was neither exclusively self-published nor exclusively cooperatively published (the publisher did not require any monies of the writer).

The Gaylord College is one of the leading centers of media teaching and scholarship in the United States. The College has state-of-the-art facilities in Gaylord Hall. New faculty will take an active part in the growth of the College through superior teaching, innovative curriculum development, and notable research or creative activity.  

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Carnegie-R1 comprehensive public research university known for excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, serving the educational, cultural, economic, and healthcare needs of the state, region, and nation. OU enrolls over 32,000 students and has more than 2,800 full-time faculty members in 21 colleges.

Norman is a culturally rich and vibrant town located just outside Oklahoma City. With outstanding schools, amenities, and a low cost of living, Norman is a perennial contender on the “Best Places to Live” rankings. Visit soonerway.ou.edu for more information.

The University of Oklahoma is located in Norman, a dynamic and growing part of the Oklahoma City media market. Norman has a diverse population with numerous artistic and cultural opportunities, a variety of restaurants and recreational activities, reasonable housing, and an excellent public school system.

This position requires a Master’s Degree, an MPW, an MFA or a Ph.D. Preference will be given to applicants with university-level classroom teaching experience who can teach fiction writing (novels, screenplays, and/or short stories) and nonfiction book and/or article writing. Preference will also be given to applicants who can teach classes on multicultural or world literature.

This is a tenure-track position, and tenure is usually achieved through commercial publication, though scholarly publishing will also be counted. 

The individual will join a highly engaged Professional Writing faculty actively working in the commercial fiction realm.

Applications for the search will be reviewed beginning October 21, 2024, and will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should provide 1) a letter describing their teaching and professional experience and their areas of creative interest and research, 2) a complete resume or curriculum vitae, 3) names, addresses (both postal and electronic), and telephone numbers of at least three references, and 4) examples of commercially published work. 

For specific questions about the position and application process, please contact search committee chair Dr. Ralph Beliveau ([email protected]).

Applications should be submitted online via Interfolio: http://apply.interfolio.com/155038.