Assistant Professor - Graphic Design

Overview

The Department of Art and Design invites applicants for a tenure-track assistant professor position in graphic design starting in the Fall of 2027. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in multiple areas that may include: advanced typography, brand systems, design history, and/or UI/UX. It is also important that the candidate possesses broad fluency in the cultural, historical, and theoretical frameworks that shape contemporary graphic design practice.We are particularly interested in candidates who bring a current perspective to industry practice and whose work reflects an awareness of the discipline's expanding boundaries. Candidates who engage in emerging technologies in relationship to typographic practice are especially encouraged to apply.

Primary teaching responsibilities may include courses in advanced typography, brand identity, design history, and advanced studio at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The candidate will also contribute to curriculum development, graduate thesis advising, and department/ college-level committee service work.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate courses in graphic design with emphasis in advanced typography, brand systems, and design history
• Advise and mentor BFA and MFA students in the development of their design practice and professional careers
• Maintain an active, evolving creative research practice that generates a record of industry engagement, exhibition of creative work, scholarly disciplinary research, and/or national industry recognition
• Contribute to curriculum development and program planning within the Graphic Design area
• Participate in departmental, college, and university service including recruitment, accreditation (NASAD), and committee work
• Engage with the broader design community through professional organizations, conferences, and/or community partnerships

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• MFA in Graphic Design or a terminal degree in a closely related discipline by appointment start date
• Contemporary professional industry experience in graphic design, with a strong and current portfolio demonstrating breadth of practice
• Expertise in one or more of the following areas: advanced typography and experimental typographic practice, editorial and publication design, brand identity and visual systems, experimental image-making and visual process
• Awareness of contemporary theoretical and cultural concerns within the graphic design discipline
• Proficiency in current industry-standard design tools and an openness to emerging technologies and workflows

Preferred Qualifications:

• College-level teaching experience
• Demonstrated engagement with the historical and critical discourse of graphic design
• Experience with interactive, computational or screen-based design as it intersects with typography
• Record of professional recognition, publication, or exhibition at a regional or national level

Required Documents

Along with the online application, please attach:

Curriculum vitae, to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV.”

Cover letter addressing teaching philosophy, creative practice, and relevant experience, to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10.”

Names and contact information for three professional references, to be entered at the beginning of your application.

Portfolio of professional and/or creative work (20–25 images or equivalent), to be uploaded as a PDF at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10.” If submitting a URL, include the link in a PDF and upload that

document.

Samples of student work (where applicable), to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Documents 1-10.”

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary

Salary commensurate with qualifications. Utah State University offers a generous benefits package.

ADA

Employees typically work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  

College/Department Highlights

Department HighlightsHoused in the College of Art and Sciences and accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the Department of Art + Design has a century-long history and a suite of well-established and highly regarded programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. (Please see art.usu.edu for a complete listing of all academic programs in the department and their curricula.) The department also works closely with the Caine School of the Arts and the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art to engage students from across the university in arts programming. In addition to programs on the Logan Campus, the department has faculty on the USU Eastern campuses in Price and Blanding, Utah, and delivers courses by electronic and hybrid instructional systems to USU’s six other regional campuses and numerous county centers around the state.

Caine School of the Arts HighlightsThe Caine School of the Arts, within Utah State University's College of Arts & Sciences, promotes the arts and arts education on campus and throughout the community. The school supports community engagement in the arts, provides professional stewardship of performance and exhibition facilities, and collaborates with university leadership, patrons, and donors to strengthen arts programs and initiatives. https://artsci.usu.edu/caine/College HighlightsThe College of Arts & Sciences encompasses programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The college supports discovery, creativity, and student success through teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement. Faculty and students collaborate across disciplines to address complex challenges, generate new knowledge, and prepare graduates for meaningful careers and lives of impact. https://artsci.usu.edu/

University Highlights

As Utah’s student-centered, land-grant research university, Utah State University expands opportunity and strengthens communities across the state through learning, discovery, extension, and engagement. Founded in 1888, USU now holds two Carnegie distinctions: R1 status for very high research activity and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Its innovative research and scholarship is grounded in reciprocal partnerships with local, regional, and global communities, advancing knowledge and serving the public good across Utah, the nation, and the world. With over 50 world-class research facilities and the nation’s second-oldest undergraduate research program, USU prepares students to become active, civically engaged leaders who can address critical societal challenges.

 

USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at locations throughout the state. Utah State’s 30 locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns, serving every county in the state.

 

Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud member of the Pac-12 Conference, which it joined July 1, 2026. The Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain West by capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament titles in 2025-26, with five teams advancing to postseason play. This tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232 student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community, where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours, with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.

 

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when it named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU.

 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at 435-797-0122 or [email protected].

 

*updated 10/26

Notice of Non-discrimination

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

 

Utah State University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination including harassment in employment including in hiring, promotion, transfer, or termination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy or any other federal, state, or local law.

 

Utah State University does not discriminate in its housing offerings and will treat all persons fairly and equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, national origin, source of income, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Additionally, the University endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations when necessary and to ensure equal access to qualified persons with disabilities.

 

In all circumstances, Utah State University follows state and federal laws related to sex-segregated spaces.

 

The following office has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

 

Civil Rights & Title IX Office

Old Main Room 405

1475 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322

[email protected]

(435) 797-1266

 

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit crtix.usu.edu or contact:

 

U.S. Department of Education

Denver Regional Office

303-844-5695| [email protected]

 

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

800-421-3481 |  [email protected]

 

*updated 08/2026