Security Studies - Assistant / Associate / Full Professor

Description

The Department of Government in the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) invites applications for an open rank position in Security Studies to begin in August 2026. The department seeks a political scientist with an excellent record of peer reviewed research and who brings relevant, scholarly expertise to the perennial challenges of decision making in foreign affairs and its central activities of diplomacy, intelligence, and war. Research should focus on a subset of similar themes, demonstrating an ability to contribute to scholarly debates ongoing in top journals and presses in political science and security studies.

This position involves a limited teaching requirement (generally 1-2 courses per academic year) and a substantial service requirement associated with the Clements Center for National Security. In addition to teaching in the Government Department, the faculty member will help manage a small team that conducts research on contemporary security challenges.

UT Government is one of the largest political science departments in the country. With nearly sixty faculty covering almost every facet of the discipline and a strong commitment to eclecticism in theoretical and methodological approaches, it is a remarkable and remarkably collegial intellectual community. Located in Austin, at Texas' flagship public university, we also have the privilege of serving a plural and gifted student population, in a vibrant and dynamic city.

Established in 2013 with the support of distinguished policymakers and scholars, the Clements Center is a nonpartisan education, research, and policy center uniquely positioned in the Office of the President. The Center draws on the best insights of diplomatic and military history in order to train the next generation of national security leaders; it provides signature and gateway professional development opportunities for all students, from undergraduates through postdocs. It is also the home of the esteemed, professional journal The Texas National Security Review and, in partnership with the Strauss Center for International Security and Law, founded the Intelligence Studies Project and the Asia Policy Program. The Clements Center is one of the original leadership institutions of the America in the World Consortium.

Qualifications

To be hired at the assistant professor rank, applicants must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. in Political Science or a related field, by time of appointment, or they must expect to obtain the Ph.D. within a year of joining the faculty as Instructor. To be hired with tenure, a Ph.D. in political science or a related field is required. Experience in college teaching and evidence of scholarship or scholarly potential is required.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should upload their cover letter, CV, statement of teaching, three years of teaching evaluations (or fewer if unavailable), and one article-length writing sample. Reference letters will be solicited at a later stage in the search process.

The department will begin reviewing applications on October 15, 2025 and continue until the position is filled. For help with the application process please reach out to Sarah Eliason (seliason@austin.utexas.edu). For substantive questions about the position please reach out to the chair of the search committee, Jesse Johnson (jesse.johnson@utexas.edu).

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Position funding is subject to budget availability.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.