Assistant or Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Internship Coordinator bei University of Northern Colorado

POSITION TITLE:  Assistant or Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Internship Coordinator COMPENSATION RANGE: 58,449.00 - 75,501.00 USD per year EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION: Faculty DEPARTMENT: Academic Affairs Office TARGET HIRE DATE: 8/17/2026 BENEFITS: UNC’s Career Hub

Candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of application; UNC cannot provide H-1B sponsorship at this time.

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 01/05/2026.

Position Summary:

The School of Art and Design in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Northern Colorado is seeking a full-time Tenure Track Assistant or Associate Professor with expertise in Graphic Design with a focus on career connections and preparation. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong commitment to expanding traditional design practices and contributing to a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future in art and design.  The successful candidate will join a dynamic and growing team dedicated to providing an innovative, student-centered curriculum. This position may be filled by either an Assistant or Associate tenure-track faculty member, to be determined at the point of offer after consideration of applicable experience and credentials. Academic rank and salary will depend upon the selected applicant’s current rank and experience. The compensation range for this position is $58,449 – $75,501.

Job Duties:

This position is responsible for preparing students for careers in contemporary Graphic Design and
design-related fields. An ideal candidate has a proven record of accomplishment in graphic
design/visual communication and is flexible and able to teach a variety of design topics in a variety of
instructional modalities including but not limited to design thinking, design systems, typography for
print and web, identity design, UX and UI design, interactive web and mobile media, and motion
graphics.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Salary Range for Assistant: $58449-$61171

Minimum Qualifications for Assistant:
• MFA or terminal degree in Graphic Design or related area.
• One or more years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level GA/TA okay.
• Experience with the Graphic Design industry.
• Experience with traditional and emerging design theory with a demonstrated command of
current design processes, media, and software.

Preferred Qualifications for Assistant:
• Evidence of creating relationships with relevant industry and professional organizations
• Successful documentation of placement of and support of Graphic Design interns in the field.
• Demonstrated ability to create and teach contemporary and inclusive culturally sensitive
Graphic Design curriculum.
• A demonstrated creative research practice that is equity-minded and engages new schools of
thought and innovative contexts of design thinking and practice.

Salary range for Associate: $71405-$75501

 Minimum Qualifications for Associate:

• MFA or terminal degree in Graphic Design or related area.
• Four or more years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level.
• Having a current rank of Associate professor of Assistant with ability to qualify for Associate.
• In-depth experience with traditional and emerging design theory with a demonstrated
command of current design processes, media, and software.
• Experience of Leadership with Graphic Design industry.

Preferred Qualifications for Associate:
• Evidence of creating relationships with relevant industry and professional organizations.
• Successful documentation of placement of and support of Graphic Design interns in the field.
• Demonstrated ability to create and teach contemporary and inclusive culturally sensitive Graphic Design curriculum.

• A demonstrated creative research practice that is equity-minded and engages new schools of thought and innovative contexts of design thinking and practice.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

• A letter of application addressing how your education and professional experiences
qualify you for the position.
• Curriculum vitae
• Teaching philosophy
• Portfolio of up to 10 images of applicant’s creative work and 10 images of student
work in pdf format including url links as appropriate.
• 3 names of references with titles and contact information.

Benefits:
Benefits available include health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance, as well as a selection of several defined contribution retirement plans for all full-time positions. Employees at UNC receive sick leave, and other leave options may be available based on position. Full-time employees are eligible to receive tuition waiver benefits, as well as dependents and spouses of UNC Employees who are employed at 0.5 FTE or above are eligible for undergraduate dependent tuition grants of up to 50%. These tuition grants will cover in-state tuition charges. Further requirements may exist. Other benefits may be available based on position.

About UNC
The University of Northern Colorado is a public doctoral/research institution located in Greeley, Colorado. UNC’s commitment to education began in 1889 and continues to be a transformational force for our students. Recognizedas a top university for social mobility, UNC is proud tobe a HispanicServing Institution and to serve more than 44%  of our undergraduates who are the first in theirfamily to attend college.  UNC is also committed to providing our faculty and staff with the support they need to succeed as professionals, educators, and in life. Please visit UNC’s Career Hub,to learn more about UNC’s strategic plan, school programs, and employee benefits. Go Bears!

EEO Statement
The University of Northern Colorado offers an educational and workingenvironment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the UNCcommunity. In accordance with federal and state law, UNC prohibits unlawfuldiscrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, national origin,religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, geneticinformation, and/or veteran status. UNC also prohibits discrimination based ongender identity, and gender expression. Retaliation against persons who opposea discriminatory practice, file a charge of discrimination, or testify for,assist in, or participate in an investigative proceeding relating todiscrimination is prohibited. Constitutionally protected expression will not beconsidered discrimination or harassment under this policy. It is theresponsibility of all departments, employees, and students to ensure UNC’scompliance with this policy.

ADA Accommodations
The University of Northern Colorado is committedto providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If yourequire reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewingor otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please directyour inquiries to 970-351-2718 or [email protected]. 

Background Check
Satisfactory completion of a background check, educational check, and authorization to work in the United States is required after a conditional offer of employment has been made. The successful candidate must submit original transcripts within one (1) month of hire.

This position is contingent on funding from the Colorado State Legislature, approval by the Board of Trustees, and subject to the policies and regulations of the University of Northern Colorado.

Clery Act
In compliance with the Clery Act, the most recent University of Northern Colorado Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online. A paper copy can be requested at the UNC Police Department. This report contains crime statistics and policy statements related to safety, conduct processes and Title IX investigations.