Assistant Professor of Political Science (American Politics—Judicial Politics, Public Law, American Constitutional Law)

Position Information

This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information.

Position Title: Assistant Professor of Political Science (American Politics—Judicial Politics, Public Law, American Constitutional Law)

Rank: Assistant Professor

FLSA status: Exempt

Hiring Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type: Full-Time Tenure Track

College: College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department: Dept of Political Science

Open Date: 12/12/2025

Position Details

The Department of Political Science at Sam Houston State University is seeking a full-time, tenure-track faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning August 2026.

The successful candidate(s) will be responsible for teaching three courses per semester and engaging in research/scholarly activities. The successful candidate(s) will also be expected to participate in service activities such as program and curriculum development, in-person and online course development, and student recruitment and engagement.

Educational Requirements for the Position

Candidates should have a PhD in Political Science from an accredited institution of higher education. ABD candidates will be considered, but the successful candidate must have a PhD by the start date (August 2026).

Experience Required for the Position

The successful candidate must be able to teach undergraduate courses (in-person and online) on American Constitutional Law, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Judicial Systems, and American or Texas Government, a graduate course on Judicial Politics and a graduate seminar in American Politics (graduate courses are all online). In the teaching statement, candidates should directly address their qualifications to teach these specific courses and to teach both in-person and online. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to the leadership of the Legal Studies Minor within the Political Science Department.

Demonstrated evidence of an established or emerging research/scholarly program in Public Law, Constitutional Jurisprudence, and/or Judicial Politics/Systems is required.

Required Application Materials

• Cover letter that identifies research and teaching interests, qualifications, and experience for the position.
• Current CV that includes, if applicable, a summary of previous teaching experience and the format of each course taught (i.e., in-person, online, hybrid).
• All graduate transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted during the application process; however, the successful candidate must submit official transcripts documenting all post-secondary degrees.
• Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s teaching and research abilities.
• Recent student teaching evaluations covering the last two semesters of teaching, if available. Those without teaching evaluations will need to upload a placeholder document in lieu of evaluations.
• Teaching statement, including a discussion of online pedagogy and how the applicant’s teaching will meet the specific needs of Sam Houston State University’s students.
• If available, sample syllabi for relevant courses.

The application process will remain open until the position is filled, but the committee will begin evaluating applicants on 31 January 2026.