Assistant Professor of Public Relations

Assistant Professor of Public Relations

The Department of Communications at California State University, Fullerton, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in public relations, with an appointment beginning in August 2027. This is your opportunity to bring your passion and expertise to a dynamic, future-oriented faculty where you will directly impact nearly 1,500 diverse students across our premier mass communications programs. Situated in the second-largest media market in the United States, CSUF offers an unparalleled ecosystem for collaboration and innovation—complete with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, an elite internship center, award-winning student media, and our signature annual COMM Week. If you are eager to lead impactful scholarship, mentor driven storytellers, and thrive within a deeply supportive academic community, we welcome your application to join us in shaping the future of public relations.
At CSUF, our communications faculty are passionate teacher-scholars who bring creative discovery to life in our classrooms, labs, and studios. We're looking for a collaborative colleague to teach a variety of public relations courses—from PR writing and ethics to our senior capstones—and potentially co-lead PRactical ADvantage, our student-run agency. In this role, you will mentor students, advise them on their career paths, and help shape the future of our department and university communities.
As a tenure-track faculty member, you will maintain an active research agenda, producing impactful scholarship or creative work in public relations, strategic communications, or related mass communication disciplines aligned with tenure requirements. We seek a colleague who is eager to fully engage in the life and ongoing development of our department—whether through student mentorship, committee service, or collaboration within the broader university and professional communities. To support our diverse student body, candidates should also expect to teach evening and graduate-level courses occasionally.
Required Qualifications:
Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in mass communications, strategic communications, communications, or a related field.
Professional experience in public relations or a closely related field, including experience in an agency, corporate, in-house, nonprofit, or similar capacity.
Demonstrated potential for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Ability to balance teaching, conducting scholarship and/or creative activities, and working collaboratively with colleagues on department and university service activities.
Ability to successfully teach a wide range of public relations classes, including but not limited to PR writing, corporate and nonprofit PR, principles and ethics of PR, and capstone courses.
Ability to interact effectively orally and in writing with a wide and culturally diverse range of students and colleagues
Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of successful scholarly research or creative accomplishments in public relations, strategic communications, mass communications, or related fields.
Experience with and ability to incorporate digital communications strategy, social media analytics, content creation, and/or emerging communications technologies into teaching, scholarship and/or creative activities.
Membership and active involvement in PRSA, or its international equivalents, and/or APR accreditation.
Ability to contribute to accreditation self-study, curriculum development, and assessment of student learning.
Ability to lead high-impact programs emphasizing student mentoring and professional engagement.
Evidence of a professional network, including contact with industry leaders.
Note: Representatives from the Department of Communications will be at the 2026 AEJMC Conference in August. If you will be attending the conference, please indicate that in your cover letter.
Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment: This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. CSUF complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California's Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws, and CSU's Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.
Application: A complete online application must be received by electronic submission to be considered. To apply, please visit https://hr.fullerton.edu/workforce/careers.html, choose full-time faculty, search for the position 559323, and provide the following required materials:
cover letter in which you respond to the required qualifications
curriculum vitae
research statement
teaching statement
candidate statement on commitment to inclusive excellence (no more than 500 words):
a list of three references with relevant contact information
Finalists must submit three letters of recommendation. Please have these ready for the referents to submit. On the References page of the online application, enter information and email addresses for three referents who will provide a confidential letter of reference for your application. At the appropriate time in the search process, they will receive a request via email along with information on uploading the letter. You can verify that CSUF has received each letter by logging back into your applicant portal.
Application Deadline: To be assured full consideration, all application materials must be received by October 1, 2026. The anticipated appointment date is August 16, 2027.