Posted September 11, 2025
Special Title Assistant Professor
Department of Integrated Strategic Communication
College of Communication & Information
The Department of Integrated Strategic Communication in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-track, special-title assistant professor whose primary responsibility is to teach theoretical and practical courses in creative strategy, visual communication, and multimedia. The anticipated start date is Aug. 16, 2026.
Qualifications & Responsibilities:
Special-title faculty members in the College typically teach three courses per semester (six per academic year) at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The person chosen for this assistant professor position will be expected to be a dedicated and successful teacher, perform service functions at all levels of the University, develop and maintain ties to the professional community, and carry out a program of research and/or creative activity commensurate with the percentage of time assigned to scholarship. This position will have typical distribution of effort of 70% teaching, 20% scholarship, and 10% service, although faculty workload is evaluated annually. Opportunities exist to work with doctoral students in the College’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. program.
We are seeking candidates with substantial professional and/or teaching experience in integrated strategic communication, particularly in creativity, visual communication, multimedia and design. Qualified candidates will understand visual communication theory, possess highly developed visual communication skills in the persuasive communication context, and demonstrated advanced understanding of creative strategy. The faculty member must have a strong background in technologies and practices used by current professionals in the field. Candidates also will be encouraged to develop new courses in their areas of expertise.
In addition to professional experience in integrated strategic communication, qualified candidates also must have teaching experience at the university level. A Ph.D. in communication or mass communication or an MFA with an emphasis in integrated strategic communication, advertising, visual communication, graphic design or related area, is preferred. In lieu of a Ph.D. or MFA, candidates without a terminal degree can be considered as long as they hold a master’s degree in a related field and exceptional professional experience. Exceptional professional experience is defined as 10 or more years of full-time work in an appropriate ISC field, with a record of increasing job responsibility and career advancement.
About the Department:
The Department of Integrated Strategic Communication offers a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, a minor, and a graduate certificate in Integrated Strategic Communication. The department has 700 majors, 15 full-time faculty, an award-winning National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) Team, and is home to student organizations such as the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the American Advertising Federation’s student Ad Club. The department has full national accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC). For information, visit https://ci.uky.edu/isc/
About the College:
The College of Communication and Information is composed of two schools (School of Information Science and School of Journalism and Media), two departments (Department of Communication and Department of Integrated Strategic Communication), and interdisciplinary master’s and PhD programs. Nearly 100 full-time faculty lead 2,300 undergraduate majors and 350 graduate students while also teaching in the university’s core curriculum and serving students pursuing minors and certificates in the college. The college also houses University of Kentucky’s independent student newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel, and the championship-winning Intercollegiate Debate program.
About the University:
Located in the vibrant city of Lexington, the University of Kentucky is a public, land-grant institution that plays a critical leadership role in economic development, human well-being, and educating Kentuckians and beyond. The campus is home to 35,000 students, more than 2,500 faculty members, and nearly 14,000 staff members. The university is one of just eight in the country with a major academic health center and a full spectrum of academic colleges and professional schools on one contiguous campus. As such, the University of Kentucky is an incubator for interdisciplinary research. These collaborations allow researchers to address the rapidly changing needs of a global society.
Employment at UK is subject to fund availability and comes with diverse rewards, focusing on your total well-being and career development, with leadership striving to provide a strong work-life integration. The University generously contributes to employees’ retirement plans, medical coverage, and life insurance. In addition, UK offers optional benefits such as dental and vision insurance, additional retirement plans and much more. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: www.uky.edu/HR/benefits.
About Lexington:
The City of Lexington is a great place to live, work, and study. It recently appeared on USA Today’s list of the top cities to live in. With a population of roughly 320,000, Lexington offers the warmth and lower cost of living of a small city, along with many of the amenities enjoyed in a larger city, including the arts, cultural events, and a thriving dining scene.
To apply, please visit the UK Jobs site at https://ukjobs.uky.edu/postings/592747 Application materials should include (1) a letter of application that briefly summarizes background, qualifications, and interest in the position (attach as Cover Letter); (2) a curriculum vita; (3) evidence of teaching excellence (attach as specific request); (4) examples of creative and/or research activities; and (5) contact information for three references when prompted in the application.
For full consideration, apply by Oct. 1, 2025; application review will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the position may be directed to Search Committee Co-chair Jihye Kim at jihye.kim@uky.edu
The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, social or economic status or whether the person is a smoker or nonsmoker, as long as the person complies with University regulation concerning smoking.