State University Faculty - Psychology Assistant Professor or ABD Ph.D. Candidate

Job Description:

Metro State University, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, is seeking to hire an Assistant Professor or ABD Ph.D. candidate. This is a fixed-term (one year) position within the Psychology Department and will start on August 17, 2026.

Metro State University empowers learners to transform their lives and communities through relevant, student-centered education in an inclusive, anti-racist, and supportive learning environment.

Metro State University provides an excellent, inclusive, and engaging education to eliminate opportunity gaps and empower our students to lead our communities to a prosperous and equitable future. The university offers programs leading to baccalaureate, masters, and applied doctoral degrees. We provide accessible, high quality liberal arts, professional, and graduate education with continued emphasis on marginalized groups, including adult learners. Metro State is a five-time recipient of the Insight into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award, most recently in 2023. Federally recognized as a Minority Serving Institution, its employees serve more than 8,000 post-traditional learners, the majority of whom identify as belonging to communities of color or American Indian nations, are first in their family to attend college, and/or are eligible for Pell Grants. Since we do not operate residential facilities, Metro State University students all commute to class locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, or take their courses wherever they are through our many distance-learning and hybrid course offerings, allowing Metro State to truly be "where learning meets living." Metropolitan State is recognized by CollegeNet as a leading higher education promoter of social mobility for students (Ranked # 12 out of 1,398 in 2025). Recognized in 2008 and 2016 by the Carnegie Foundation for Community Engagement, the university is committed to academic excellence and community engagement through curriculum, teaching, scholarship, and services designed to support an urban mission. The university strategic plan, "Transforming Lives: Advancing Inclusive Excellence and Social Mobility" provides a framework for achieving our mission by focusing on student success, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism, institutional effectiveness, and community engagement.

Description of College/School/Unit: Psychology is the largest of five Departments in the College of Community Studies and Public Affairs (CCSPA). CCSPA is a community-engaged College and programs are designed to help students find creative ways to engage with, learn from, and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the urban and regional communities we serve.

The School/Academic Department: Psychology is among the top majors at Metropolitan State, and Psychology courses also support the general education program and students completing individualized degrees. The Department has 11 full-time faculty and graduates over 150 majors per year, with degrees in Psychology (BA) or Early Childhood Studies (BAS).

We are searching for a new faculty member interested in gaining hands on experience in the classroom as well as supporting students in doing independent research with human subjects outside of the classroom. The new faculty would teach Research Methods as well as a variety of other courses that coincide with their specialty area. The teaching load would likely result in a 3-3 teaching load depending on the specific courses/credits taught. We are open to faculty across specialty areas.

Faculty and students have access to the Psychology Lab, including select equipment and workspaces to conduct research. The University also uses Sona Systems, an online research participation system that is compliant with human subject regulations. We welcome applicants who are eager to nurture, work with, and support students from a wide variety of backgrounds in all phases of the research process.

Information about the Psychology Department at Metropolitan State can be found at: https://www.metrostate.edu/academics/programs/psychology-ba

Responsibilities:

Faculty members are expected to:

• Demonstrate the ability to teach Psychology courses effectively to a post-traditional student population and contribute to meaningful assessment of student learning. The courses may include Research Methods, Fundamentals of Psychological Sciences, Abnormal Psychology, Personality, and/or Lifespan Development.
• Curriculum development in Psychology
• Teaching in BA Psychology programs
• Teach in-person and distance education courses as needed by the department, college, or university
• Contribute meaningfully to the assessment of student learning at program and institutional levels.
• Engage in scholarly activity, creative achievement, and/or research.
• Provide evidence of continuing preparation and study.
• Contribute to student growth and development through advising and assistance.
• Engage in service to the university and community.
• Demonstrate a commitment to serving a diverse student body by delivering a student-centered education and using approaches that support equitable outcomes for all students.
• Provide excellent learning environments through in-person, online, and/or hybrid course modalities.

Salary:

Salary is commensurate with education and experience and is determined by the salary placement process as outlined in the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) Master Agreement.

Employment for this position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement for the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) which can be found at on the Minnesota State Employee and Labor Relations website.

For the most current information on the Inter Faculty Organization, go to www.ifo.org

Minimum Qualifications:

• A minimum of an ABD Ph.D. in Psychology.
• Demonstrated potential for success in teaching and professional service activities.
• A plan for scholarly activity, creative achievement, and/or research in the specified discipline(s), or related disciplines.
• Effective Communication skills (written & verbal) to communicate with a variety of persons and groups.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in an institution with a culturally, economically, and linguistically diverse workforce and student population.
• Demonstrated ability and desire to work collegially with faculty and staff from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Preferred Qualification:

• A Ph.D. in Psychology
• Demonstrated effectiveness teaching Research Methods and additional courses that support the core areas of the BA in Psychology at Metro State.
• Evidence of ongoing research activity involving human subjects that engages students outside of traditional coursework.
• Demonstrated effectiveness teaching at a post-secondary level.
• Experience developing course curricula at a post-secondary institution.
• Demonstrated contributions to assessment of student learning at a post-secondary institution.
• Professional development and/or expertise in culturally responsive pedagogy, anti-racist pedagogy, and/or universal design.
• Experience as an academic advisor for students at post-secondary institution.

Please note: Filling of this position is dependent upon budget.

Application: To apply, go to https://www.metrostate.edu/about/employment

Open Until Filled. The priority deadline for applications is 12:01 AM on April 4th, 2026.

Qualified applicants are required to attach the following documents to their online application:

• Cover letter of interest addressing your qualifications for the position.
• Current curriculum vita or resume.
• A statement of your teaching philosophy and examples of teaching effectiveness, particularly as it relates to student success (limit 2 pages).
• Names of four (4) references with addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers; at least two (2) of the references must be able to address teaching effectiveness.
• Transcripts - Valid unofficial copies of your transcript showing conferred/awarded date of your highest attained degree, with your name and the academic institution's name/logo are required. If doctoral study is in progress at the time of application, submit the most recent transcript showing your course of study and progress to date. We are not able to accept copy/paste word documents with a list of courses/grades. If selected for hire, official original transcripts will be required.
• Additional materials may be requested at a later date.