Assistant Professor-Tenure System

Working/Functional Title

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design TS

Position Summary

The Department of Art, Art History, & Design at Michigan State University seeks a Tenure System Assistant Professor of Graphic Design. This is a nine-month, academic year position beginning August 16, 2026. The Department of Art, Art History, & Design (AAHD) seeks a colleague in Graphic Design at an exciting time of success and growth. We are interested in scholars whose research, creative practice, and teaching include one or more of the following areas: design fundamentals, typography, information design, package design, environmental graphics, systems design, social design, critical and/or speculative design, computational approaches to design, and integration of emerging technologies into design practice. Industry or consulting experience is welcomed. Salary is competitive and commensurate with background and experience.

The MSU Graphic Design Program challenges students to develop a body of work that provokes, illuminates, and cultivates discourse and new knowledge, propelling and transcending the discipline. Students pursuing the BFA in Graphic Design are positioned to enter the profession with a pride in their craft, visual and verbal acuity, humanities-oriented problem-solving skills, and a robust tool kit of research methods. The Department also offers undergraduate majors in Studio Art, Art History and Visual Culture, Art Education, and Apparel and Textile Design.

Successful candidates should possess the expertise to teach a range of courses in Graphic Design and should maintain an ambitious research agenda leading to publications, exhibitions, and/or commissions. Applicants should be passionate about creating a new generation of practitioners and demonstrate knowledge of historical and contemporary trends in the field. In addition to working with undergraduate Graphic Design students, all faculty have the opportunity to contribute to our department’s interdisciplinary Studio Art MFA. The successful candidate should be team-oriented and committed to advancing the design disciplines. Ideal candidates will bring enthusiastic willingness to work collaboratively in the Department and College. The selected candidate will engage in an active program of teaching (normally two courses per semester), research, and service/outreach. Teaching may include contributions to our vibrant Experience Architecture major in collaboration with the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures and to the College of Arts & Letters’ general education program in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Degree

Doctorate

Minimum Requirements

• Hold an MFA, MGD, MDes, or equivalent terminal degree
• Possess expertise in Graphic Design
• Be an active scholar and creative practitioner with a record of creative achievement consistent with the mission of a major research institution

Desired Qualifications

• Possess a robust skillset in various dimensions of design research and practice
• Have prior professional design experience
• Have university level graphic design teaching experience
• Evidence of team-oriented collaboration, outreach, and engagement

Required Application Materials

Required Application Materials:

1. a cover letter highlighting experience and qualifications for the position
2. current curriculum vitae
3. evidence of effective teaching at the university level, including teaching philosophy and up to 20 images or a video of student artwork.
4. 20 images of personal work documented in website or digital images and/or video and creative research statement
5. the names and email addresses of 3 potential references (please fill out the initial application with these names and emails)

Special Instructions

Review of applications will begin February 6, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications must be submitted electronically to the Michigan State University Human Resources website http://careers.msu.edu. Posting number 1075820.

For more information, contact Rebecca Tegtmeyer, Chair, Search Committee at tegtmey2@msu.edu.

Persons with disabilities have the right to request and receive reasonable accommodation.

Review of Applications Begins On

02/06/2026

Website

art.msu.edu

Department Statement

AAHD’s mission is to promote the practice and scholarly research of the most enduring creative media, innovation using the latest technology, and the investigation of the rich intersections between them. Serving over 500 majors, the department is home to more than 60 faculty and staff, including 26 tenure system faculty committed to active research agendas and creative practice across a range of art and design fields. We produce a full slate of exhibitions and events each year, including hosting cutting edge and esteemed national and international guests through our Stanley & Selma Hollander Visiting Artist, Designer, and Scholar Lecture Series. For more information about the department, please visit https://art.msu.edu/.

As a public, research-intensive, land-grant university, Michigan State University’s mission is to advance knowledge and transform lives by:

• providing outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and professional education to promising, qualified students in order to prepare them to contribute fully to society as globally engaged citizen leaders
• conducting research of the highest caliber that seeks to answer questions and create solutions in order to expand human understanding and make a positive difference, both locally and globally
• advancing outreach, engagement, and economic development activities that are innovative, research-driven, and lead to a better quality of life for individuals and communities, at home and around the world

MSU Statement

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.