Assistant Professor in Advertising

Position Rank and Title: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Advertising

School/Department Name: School of Journalism and Mass Communications

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $90,000 - $94,000.

Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

Target Start Date: August 17, 2027

Application Deadline: October 31st, 2026 (Applications accepted until filled or closed)

Position Description

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Advertising beginning in August 2027. We are seeking a colleague who brings both professional expertise and scholarly insight in advertising with a focus on emerging technologies and AI. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong record (or clear potential) in teaching, research, and creative work at the intersection of advertising, technology, and society. We value industry experience, the ability to engage students with hands-on, project-based learning, and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classroom and in professional practice. As part of our collaborative faculty community, the new hire will help prepare students to shape the future of media and advertising in Silicon Valley and beyond.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) offers leading programs in advertising, public relations, journalism, and mass communications—all rooted in Silicon Valley’s culture of innovation. As an Adobe Creative Campus, and with a new VR and Emerging Technologies Lab in development, JMC provides students and faculty with opportunities to explore possibilities in media, AI, and immersive storytelling. Our award-winning student media and the student-run DBH Agency highlight our hands-on, collaborative approach, while faculty actively lead research and practice in emerging technologies.

The School of Journalism and Mass Communications and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• MA or MFA in Advertising, Graphic/Communication Design or other related disciplines
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess one or more of the following:

• Candidates with an PhD or MFA terminal degree are preferred; however, applicants holding a Master’s degree with substantial industry experience are also encouraged to apply.
• Experience working with emerging technologies as part of a creative workflow.
• Experience with, primarily, Adobe tools, and other creative tools with a focus on AI driven and generative production.
• Knowledge of the integration of AI and other emerging media in the advertising and PR industries with a particular focus on creative practice.
• A developed or developing research or creative agenda that focuses on the application of AI in creative production workflows, and/or the ethical and sustainability issues surrounding the application of said technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Integrating AI and emerging technologies in existing courses on both the Creative and the Management tracks of the Advertising program as well as courses taken by the PR students and the Advertising Marcom track.
• Developing new courses that address the ethical and sustainability issues surround the wholesale adaptation of AI and emerging technologies in the communication design and creative industries
• Collaborate with SJSU’s Advanced Institute for Ethical Technology (ai-et) to transform narratives around technology through creative practice and humanistic inquiry.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Other Duties

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution.

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Application Procedure

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents [departments may specify length of items below (e.g. 2 pages)]:

• letter of interest
• curriculum vitae
• institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
• statement of teaching interests/philosophy
• research plans
• three references with contact information (three reference letters to be submitted by semi-finalists prior to their interview)

Inquiries may be directed to the Department Chair: John Delacruz, john.delacruz@sjsu.edu

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Conditional Offer

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence. Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

San José State University: Silicon Valley’s Public University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.