"Assistant Professor- Music Education"

Job Details

Position Rank and Title: Assistant Professor, Music Education

School/Department Name: School of Music

Compensation: Commensurate with qualifications, experience, and rank as established by the CSU Salary Schedule. Anticipated hiring academic year annual salary range: $86,000-$90,000

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 2026

Application Deadline: November 1, 2025, Applications will be accepted until the position is filled or closed.

Position Description

The School of Music at San José State University is pleased to announce a search for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education beginning in August 2026. We seek a dynamic and collegial music educator to join our faculty in preparing K–12 music teachers, contributing to a vibrant community of artist-teachers and scholars. This position is part of the School’s mission to prepare highly qualified, reflective, and socially conscious music educators who can work effectively in diverse settings. The successful candidate will demonstrate a record of, or potential for, high-quality teaching at the university level, active scholarship in the field of music education, and meaningful engagement with the profession at the state, regional, and national levels.

Duties include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses ranging from instrumental, choral, and general music methods to foundations and student teaching supervision, tailored to their strengths; advise and mentor music education majors with focused guidance on placements and licensure; and sustain an active program of scholarship or creative activity appropriate to an R2 environment. This role partners closely with local, regional, and state educators to strengthen field placements, recruitment, and professional collaborations; contributes to curriculum development and program assessment aligned with NASM standards; and participates in service to the School, College, University, and profession. This is a 10-month term assignment. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The School of Music and San José State University value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. SJSU enrolls more than 36,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved, and around 45% are first-generation and 38% are Pell-recipients. SJSU is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) Serving Institution. The university’s commitment to social justice extends from its vibrant, inclusive campus to an international network of over 275,000 alumni. As such, San José State is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty so our disciplines, students, and the community can benefit from multiple ethnic and gender perspectives.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Inclusive 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 and inclusive education. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Inclusive Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Doctorate (Ph.D. or D.M.A.) in Music Education or closely related field; ABD considered with doctorate completed by start date.
• Minimum of three years of successful K–12 music teaching experience.
• Potential for or record of scholarly and/or creative productivity in music education.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates who possess the following:

• Experience supervising student teachers in diverse educational settings.
• Expertise in instrumental, choral, or general music pedagogy;
• Active involvement in professional organizations (NAfME, state music educators association, etc.).
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in music teaching and learning

Key Responsibilities

• Additional teaching assignments may include other courses in music education, instrumental conducting, and/or applied instruction.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in School, 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 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

Select Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents: letter of interest, curriculum vitae, diversity statement, statement of teaching interests/philosophy, research plans, three references with contact information or three references we may contact for letters.

Questions regarding this opportunity may be directed to: Dr. Fred Cohen, Director, School of Music, SJSU, Fred.cohen@sjsu.edu.