Assistant Professor – Modern German Literature, broadly framed, or Applied Language Studies

Anticipated start: July 1, 2027

Application Window

Open date: September 3, 2026

Next review date: Thursday, Oct 15, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Thursday, Oct 15, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date.

Position description

The Department of German at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of German, with a focus on modern literature and/or applied language studies. This position entails broad competence in German-language literature in its historical depth and formal complexity. The successful candidate will teach a broad range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including introductory and German-taught courses for the major.

The appointee will also advise undergraduates and graduates, supervise student research, develop a successful and original research program, and provide service contributions. The appointee will be expected to contribute to the department's diverse and inclusive community through their research, teaching, and service.

We encourage applications from individuals who bring diverse perspectives to higher education. At Berkeley, faculty have many opportunities for interdisciplinary research, teaching, and cooperation. Many faculty are affiliated with centers, programs, and other departments across campus. As a top public research university and a California institution, Berkeley is committed to creating an environment in which faculty and students of all backgrounds can thrive.

The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. We are also interested in candidates who have had non-traditional career paths or who have taken time off for family reasons, or who have achieved excellence in careers outside academia. For information about potential relocation to Berkeley, or career needs of accompanying partners and spouses, please visit: New Senate Faculty | Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare

About the Department:
The Department of German at UC Berkeley is known for pioneering cross-disciplinary research and a dynamic intellectual atmosphere. Faculty in the Department of German benefit from being part of a strong Humanities Division at a vibrant world-class university that holds expansive libraries, archives, and museums. Our research and teaching engage the full range of German language and literature, philosophy, and visual media from the Middle Ages to the digital era. Building on language specificity, historical depth, and theoretical inquiry, our graduate students take a variety of Designated Emphases such as Critical Theory, Film and Media, Women and Gender Studies. All our classes promote thinking across national and continental borders. The Department also maintains lively programs in Dutch and Yiddish. Graduates from our PhD program teach at universities and colleges across the country and abroad. The Department of German entertains a lively network of research connections with multiple centers on campus and universities around the world.

Department: https://german.berkeley.edu/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Ph.D. or equivalent international degree or enrolled in Ph.D. or equivalent international degree-granting program at the time of application.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Native or near-native fluency in both English and German is required.

Preferred qualifications

A degree in German Studies or an adjacent field; a research agenda that engages with literary studies through theoretically informed and innovative approaches; and experience or interest in language pedagogy.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Cover Letter

• Curriculum Vitae with list of publications

• Research Statement - Please discuss research accomplishments and plans––past, current, and future. This may include, but should not be limited to, an extended summary of dissertation/book project, as well as broader research profile, and areas for future research.

• Teaching and Mentoring Statement - Please discuss prior teaching experience, teaching approach, and future teaching interests. This can include, for example, specific efforts, accomplishments, and future plans to support the success of all students through inclusive curriculum, classroom environment, and pedagogy. Please also discuss your mentoring experiences and approach. This can include, for example, past efforts and future plans to support the success of all students, and to foster an inclusive research environment that removes barriers and promotes equitable access and advancement of the research program.

• Service Statement - Please discuss specific prior and proposed academic, professional and/or public service activities. This can include, for example, participating in professional or scientific associations, serving on committees that advance department, campus or discipline goals, and conducting outreach activities that can remove barriers and increase participation of academics in your field.

• Writing Sample #1 - 20-30 pages

• Sample Syllabi

• Authorization to Release Information Form - An institutional reference check will be completed only if you are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. Download, complete, sign, and upload the Authorization to Release Information form.

Reference requirements

• 3 letters of reference required

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05495

Help contact: jleaks@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California's Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is committed to creating and maintaining a community dedicated to the advancement, application, and transmission of knowledge and creative endeavors through academic excellence, where all individuals who participate in University programs and activities can work and learn together in a safe and secure environment, free of violence, harassment, or discrimination. Consistent with this commitment, UC Berkeley requires all applicants for Senate faculty positions to complete, sign, and upload an Authorization of Information Release form into AP Recruit as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration. Although all applicants for faculty recruitments must complete the entire application, applicants will only be subject to institutional reference checks if and when they are selected as the candidate to whom the hiring unit would like to extend a formal offer. More information is available on this website.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Job location

Berkeley, CA

To apply, visit https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05495





je-e08772537fe1472da5679225771bd3bb