"Lecturer in Discipline"

The Oral History Master of Arts Program (OHMA) at Columbia University invites applications for a full-time appointment as a Lecturer in Discipline for the Oral History Master of Arts Program. This is a full-time appointment based in Incite to begin July 1, 2026. The initial position is one year, with possible renewal of up to two additional years. The home academic department of the appointment will depend on the successful candidate's area of training and expertise.

The Lecturer will work alongside Amy Starecheski, Director of the program, pursuing their own research and contributing to the research of the Center for Oral History Research, while also supporting OHMA. Teaching duties will include two core courses per semester such as oral history fieldwork and archiving, theoretical approaches to oral history, histories of oral history and curating oral histories and advising MA thesis projects as well as academic and professional advising for students and alumni. Administrative responsibilities for the position will include co-directing recruitment and admissions processes; supervising internship placements; supervising communications and administrative support staff; managing registration and graduation processes; and providing public programming, as well as training and advising, on oral history to members of the Columbia community and the public.

About OHMA:

The Oral History Master of Arts Program at Columbia University is the first and only program of its kind in the United States, a one-year interdisciplinary degree training students to record and amplify first-person stories using a range of technological, creative, and analytical tools. OHMA teaches oral history as a practice of co-creating dialogic, critical conversations about the past, in the present, which are oriented towards the future.

For more information about OHMA, please visit our website: https://oralhistory.columbia.edu/

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree – MA or MFA required, PhD preferred
• Demonstrated excellence teaching at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level
• Administrative and managerial experience
• Broad and deep oral history research, publication and curation experience - at least 5 years professional experience in the field
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Desired areas of expertise include:

• History, public history
• Archives
• Curating and editing oral histories
• Digital tools for recording, processing, and managing oral histories
• Multimedia and creative work
• Indigenous and decolonial approaches to oral history
• International oral history practices

All applications must be made through Columbia University’s Academic Search and Recruiting (ASR) system. Please upload the following required materials: a cover letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, sample syllabus, and the names of three references who may be asked to upload letters of recommendation on their behalf.

Review of applications will begin Dec 1 and will continue until the position is filled.