Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Open Date: Aug 27, 2026
Description: The Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania invites applications for a tenure-track position in Latin literature and Roman culture at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in the 2027–28 academic year. We seek a colleague who will contribute to our ongoing efforts to reimagine the field of Classical Studies through scholarship, teaching, and public engagement. The successful candidate will have an original and generative set of research projects, will be ready to teach Latin language and literature at all levels and provide Classical Studies courses that appeal to a wide range of students, and will have the ability to collaborate productively with colleagues both in and beyond the department. The teaching load is four courses per year, one of which is typically at the graduate level. The PhD must be completed by July 1, 2027. The candidate must be an excellent teacher with a commitment to pedagogy and to the mentorship of students in all our programs. The department offers undergraduate majors and minors in three different tracks of Classical Studies as well as Ancient History, all of which provide students with the opportunity to engage deeply with the diverse ancient Greek and Roman worlds and their receptions, and our undergraduate courses introduce non-majors to a wide range of subject areas in Classical Studies. Our new colleague will work with students in the PhD program in Greek and Latin Languages and Literatures and potentially with graduate students in cognate programs such as Ancient History, Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World, and Comparative Literature. Many of our faculty also teach and advise students in Penn’s Postbaccalaureate Program in Classical Studies. More information about all these programs can be found on our website.
Our department is committed to responsible and creative research and teaching, an interdisciplinary approach to the ancient world, and inclusive excellence that fosters intellectual engagement inside and outside the academy and across departmental boundaries here at Penn. University resources that support our department and our community include but are not limited to: the Penn Museum (https://www.penn.museum), the Center for Ancient Studies (https://www.sas.upenn.edu/ancient/), and the Wolf Humanities Center (https://wolfhumanities.upenn.edu). We are proud of our long tradition of contributing to shared governance in the department, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the University, as well as to leadership in professional organizations such as the Society for Classical Studies and the Archaeological Institute of America.
Our department is housed within the School of Arts and Sciences, which is comprised of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Division, and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration are supported by the breadth and depth of academic pursuits at Penn as well as the proximity of resources on our contiguous green urban campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We promote and encourage curiosity, intellectual engagement, and discovery among all our students and faculty, and campus resources that support this mission include the offices of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Vice Provost for Research, Penn Global, Wellness at Penn, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Penn Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, and Penn Human Resources.
Application Materials
Applicants should submit a cover letter; a CV; a writing sample of no more than 30 pages; the names of three referees who will then be prompted to upload letters of recommendation; a teaching statement (1–2 pages) addressing pedagogical priorities, past and potential courses, and any initiatives beyond the classroom; and a research statement (1–2 pages) describing the candidate’s current and future scholarly projects, including any public engagement.
Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. We may request further materials from short-listed candidates. We expect to conduct first-round interviews over Zoom, followed by a small number of in-person campus visits. Questions about the position and the search may be addressed to our department coordinator, Sarah Gish-Kraus, [contact details available in the full listing], or the chair of the search committee, Prof. James Ker, [contact details available in the full listing].
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
