Job Summary
The Department of Art and Art History in the College of Liberal Arts, at the University of Texas at Arlington, invites applications for a full-time Professor, Tenure Status: Tenured appointment, in the area of study of Cinematic Arts. This position will be awarded in conjunction with the Morgan Woodward Endowed Distinguished Professorship in Film.
In accordance with USCIS regulations, successful applicants must be legally able to accept work in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
Position DescriptionThis is an exciting opportunity to join the Department of Art and Art History at UTA in the area of study of Cinematic Arts, through an endowed professorship. The position requires the faculty member to be a filmmaker and storyteller with experience of at least 12 years of full-time teaching with undergraduate film students, an active record of creative scholarship, and a history of nationally and/or internationally recognized fiction or nonfiction films, digital media, and/or television as a Director, Producer, Writer, and/or Showrunner, meriting appointment with tenure at the rank of Full Professor.The successful candidate will teach undergraduate courses delivering curriculum focused on, but not limited to, Directing, Cinematography, and Post-Production. Expertise and a commitment to incorporating new technologies such as Virtual Production and Artificial Intelligence are highly encouraged. The candidate also must be able to teach and mentor students in the Cinematic Arts track of our MFA Art degree program.Additionally, the faculty member will contribute to developing further the area of study, serving also to advise area students, to participate in departmental and professionally relevant community service, and contributing to professional skills development opportunities for our students, including through the Maverick Film Productions agency. CBC Requirement It is the policy of The University of Texas at Arlington to conduct a criminal background check on any applicant who is under final consideration for employment with the University.
This position may have access to critical infrastructure as defined by Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. If so, to be hired for and continue to be employed in this position you must maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure as set forth in Texas Executive Order GA-48. By assuming this position, and
if you have access to critical infrastructure, you authorize the University to conduct routine background checks. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Candidate must demonstrate strong training within the field of filmmaking, with an excellent understanding of audio-visual storytelling, the roles or practices of screenwriting, cinematography, sound, the range of post-production techniques and processes, and an understanding of film theory and history, with the ability to support related Cinematic Arts curriculum to students at appropriate levels.
- Continue practicing as an active, exhibiting film maker, with national and / or international recognition for fiction or nonfiction films, digital media, and/or television as a Director, Producer, Writer, and/or Showrunner.
- Demonstrate continuing excellent record of creative scholarship, including presentations, screenings, exhibitions, and professional involvement in the field, including at film festivals, and through competition success.
- Work as a filmmaker actively engaged with the future of image making and new directions in the field, experienced with a wide array of approaches and contemporary techniques, also showing familiarity with relevant historical and contemporary discourse in the field.
- Qualified to teach relevant curriculum in Cinematic Arts at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, with the ability to teach in at least two of the following areas: directing, producing, cinematography, sound recording and design, and/or postproduction.
- Ability to teach students how to prepare for production assistant roles on film production crews on set and in the production office setting.
- Contribute to developing further the area of study in Cinematic Arts.
- Ability to lead students in professional skills development opportunities, including through the Maverick Film Productions agency.
- Participate effectively in departmental and professionally relevant community service.
- Excellent communication skills in writing and verbally.
- Effective communication with other faculty and students.
Required Qualifications
- A terminal degree (MFA) in Film and Video, Cinematic Arts, or related Film Production program from an accredited (recognized equivalent) university.
- Professional filmmaking experience.
- Demonstrate experience of at least 12 years of full-time university-level teaching of undergraduate film students.
- Ability to be appointed as Full Professor in Cinematic Arts with Tenure in the Department of Art and Art History at UTA.
- Demonstrate knowledge of relevant filmmaking principles, standards, and concepts, and of pertinent pedagogical approaches for teaching the range of aspects of filmmaking and Cinematic Arts.
- Hold expertise in Mac OS and Adobe Suite, particularly in Premiere Pro, Audition, and After Effects.
- Ability to teach at all levels of the area’s undergraduate and graduate curriculum.
- Demonstrate ability to contribute to the excellence of the academic community through creative activity / research, teaching, advising, and service.
- Ability to deliver effective critique of student work in both formative and summative feedback activities.
- Employ excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Actively research at a national and/or international level.
- Ability to mentor and advise students effectively at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Demonstrate awareness of the UTA 2030 Strategic Plan and consideration of how we can develop career preparedness and cultural initiatives to contribute to the UTA 2030 goals and efforts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise and a commitment to incorporating new technologies such as Virtual Production and Artificial Intelligence are highly encouraged.
- Recipient of international accolades for filmmaking.
- Demonstrating relevant recent industry experience.
- Record of successful grant awards.
- Graduate-level research / thesis supervision and advising experience.
- Expertise in post-production NLE systems (Avid, DaVinci Resolve).
- Ability to teach screenwriting, and/or cinematic animation.
- Ability to develop innovative professionally relevant special topics courses.
- Ability to create and advance multi-disciplinary courses that would enhance strategic goals for the department, college, and university.
- Familiarity with NASAD standards on delivering competencies to students in film and video / cinematic arts concentration area studies.
- Experience conducting portfolio reviews.
Special Conditions for Eligibility Department Information The Department of Art and Art History at The University of Texas at Arlington is located among excellent cultural facilities. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex is home to several major internationally recognized museums and galleries (e.g., Kimbell Museum of Art, Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, the Modern Art Museum – Fort Worth, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art). In addition, Dallas-Fort Worth is home to over 20 corporate headquarters, including Toyota, Chase, Kimberly-Clark, AT&T, Exxon Mobil, McKesson, American Airline Group, and more.Art and Art History is the largest department (serving over 800 undergraduates in our degree programs) in the university’s College of Liberal Arts, which itself serves over 4,000 students across its dozen departments in the fine and performing arts, humanities, and social sciences disciplines. The department is nationally accredited through the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), as well as holding through the university SACSCOCS accreditation.
Within the department, the Cinematic Arts area serves over one hundred undergraduate students who elect to concentrate their BFA Art or BA Art degree programs in this area of study. Additionally, the MFA Art program has 18 graduate students each studying within one of four tracks. One of these MFA Art tracks is in Cinematic Arts, with several students on this track within each MFA cohort. Graduate studies eligible faculty in Cinematic Arts work with these students on their committees and/or as their Major Professor. The Cinematic Arts area faculty include four full-time faculty members and several part-time faculty members. Department resources include a robust Visual Resources collection, state of the art Mac computer labs, extensive film and video equipment checkout facilities, lighting systems, animation studio and dedicated film shooting studio spaces. Additionally, our students benefit from the interdisciplinary arts environment of the department, with art history and studio art classes supporting their cinematic development. University Information The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) is located in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metroplex, a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area that is home to over 7 million people, one of the fastest-growing tech economies in the United States, and a wide array of arts, entertainment, and cultural activities. As a comprehensive teaching, research, and public service institution, UTA is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through scholarship and creative work. With an enrollment of more than 42,000 students, UTA is the second largest in the University of Texas System. As a result of its combination of rigorous academics and innovative research, UTA is designated as a Carnegie R-1 “Very High Research Activity” institution and nationally recognized for its commitment to student success and service. It ranks No. 5 in Military Times’ “Best for Vets: Colleges” and is the top university in North Texas for its graduates’ salaries (The Wall Street Journal). UTA is designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution and is No. 6 for undergraduate ethnic diversity in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2023). With a global alumni network of approximately 280,000 – including leaders at many of the 24 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in North Texas – UTA contributes an estimated $29 billion annually to the Texas economy.
UTA is expanding its regional footprint by building a regional campus, called UTA West, in Parker County on the far west side of Fort Worth. It is scheduled to open in fall 2028. This initiative aligns with the university’s strategic growth and commitment to serving the broader community. Furthermore, UTA has launched the RISE 100 initiative, aiming to recruit 100 new tenure-system faculty to strengthen its research enterprise and leadership in key academic areas. Learn more at .
This is an exciting time to join UTA and contribute to its bold vision for the future. Working Title
