Assistant Professor of Public History

The Department of History at the University of North Carolina Wilmington invites applicants for a full-time, tenure track position as Assistant Professor of Public History, beginning August 2026.

The successful candidate will teach survey courses and public history and will participate in the supervision of M.A. theses and public history projects. Preference will be given to candidates with the ability to teach courses in museum studies.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in history or a related field at the time of appointment. Strong commitment to teaching, scholarship, and outreach service is required. Research-active faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor in the department teach a 3-3, 3-1 rotation, with teaching representing 60-70% of the workload; research representing 10% or greater of the workload; and service representing 10-30% of the workload.

Please note: Applicants who are ABD at the time of application will be considered; however, doctoral degree must be conferred by August 1, 2026 to be eligible for employment.

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The history department is first and foremost a community of scholars who love to share their expertise with students. We not only regularly publish books and articles, our faculty also win major international grants and hold regular conferences on campus. In our teaching, we have developed challenging courses that develop and hone critical skills in research and writing. We also prioritize rich opportunities for students to engage in one-on-one research with faculty, work with community partners of important and lasting projects, study abroad, experience an internship, or otherwise explore areas of particular interest. In the classroom, we are committed to finding exciting ways to engage students. Our courses teach our students interactive ways to learn and produce rigorously researched histories. In addition to writing exciting and original essays, our students may:

We are proud of the team-teaching our faculty engages in, the applied learning opportunities we provide, and the attention we give to each student.

We are especially proud of our nationally recognized unique online MA for working teachers launched in 2014.

In our Public History Program, students have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with community partners. They participate in in-depth practica learning experiences with these partners, and help create diverse historical projects displayed and used throughout the community. History graduate and undergraduate students intern or work with a dozen different regional historic sites and institutions, including Fort Fisher, The Bellamy Mansion, the Burgwin-Wright House, Wilmington Railroad Museum, The Latimer House, and Moore's Creek National Battlefield.

The College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts ( CHSSA) is home to 14 academic departments and offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs including the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Public Administration as well as combined bachelor's/master's degree programs in Spanish and English. The CHSSA also houses the Gender Studies and Research Center and the Academic Resource Center, which offers full-service, professional advising for all CHSSA undergraduate students.

In addition, the CHSSA offers a full complement of interdisciplinary minors and post baccalaureate certificates including: Africana studies, American studies, Asian studies, classical studies, conflict management and resolution, emergency and disaster management, forensic science, Hispanic studies, journalism, Latin American studies, medical humanities, Middle East and Islamic studies, Native American studies, professional writing and publishing, science and medical writing, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies.

The CHSSA contributes significantly to the curriculum that comprises UNCW's University Studies Program, through which all undergraduates gain a foundation in the liberal arts and develop the transferable skills essential for life in the twenty-first century. The CHSSA strives in its undergraduate programs and in its University Study offerings to nurture creative thinking, intellectual curiosity, and academic integrity in students while providing them with a solid foundation of knowledge in their chosen fields. Graduate programs in the CHSSA are designed to develop intellectual competence and to prepare the student for careers in business, industry, government, teaching or for further study at the doctoral level.

Applied learning is a hallmark of the student experience in the College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts. Each of the CHSSA's departments requires an applied learning experience as a part of the curriculum for its undergraduate majors. Examples include faculty-directed research, internships, service learning, and capstone courses and projects, all of which challenge students to integrate various strands of knowledge and to apply that knowledge to broader, real-world or real disciplinary situations.

Upon completion of their studies, all CHSSA students will have the necessary preparation for rewarding careers, advanced study, effective citizenship, and meaningful lives. The College of Humanities, Social Science, and the Arts offers limitless opportunities to engage in collaborative and interdisciplinary research and service while also making a positive societal impact. Come and join our vibrant academic environment that values discovery, innovation, and creativity.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state's coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to- BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation's only bachelor's degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university's efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of "Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity" institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.

UNCW does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of his or her race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents - except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs.

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Prior to the official appointment to the university, the candidate(s) selected for hire must be able to demonstrate eligibility to teach assigned courses by successfully meeting the credentialing requirements based on official transcripts and other documentation as required.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM EST on January 5, 2026, the posting closing date. To apply, please complete the online application process available at https://jobs.uncw.edu/ and attach the following materials as Adobe PDF documents including:

Please note that a minimum of three references is required for all applications.
The references you provide may be used to request reference letters during the screening process.

Applications without the requested components will not meet the application requirements.

For questions about the position, contact search committee chair, Dr. Stephen McFarland, at mcfarlands@uncw.edu; for questions about the online application process, contact Meaghan Wright, at wrightm@uncw.edu.

Under North Carolina law, applications and related materials are confidential personnel documents and not subject to public release.