May 13, 2026

Assistant Professor Film and Media in Animation

University of South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina

Assistant Professor Film and Media in Animation

Department: CAS School of Visual Art and Design

Part/Full Time: Full Time

Advertised Salary Range: We offer a competitive salary and benefits package

About UofSC

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Advertised Job Summary

The faculty of the School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina, Columbia campus, invites applications for a 9-month, full time tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin August 16, 2026.
The successful candidate will teach 4 courses per year (2 per semester) and develop new courses in animation that create synergy with existing courses in 2D and 3D animation, game design, new media, and manga. The position’s location in an art and design school means that courses and curriculum can intersect in exciting ways with other school disciplines such as drawing, graphic design, illustration, and a future degree program planned in industrial design. The faculty member’s teaching contributions will accentuate student skills and career readiness so that they can enter industries of multiple kinds where animation is applied (entertainment, industrial, medical, etc.). The faculty member will also provide service and leadership to the Media Arts program, school, college, and university. Expectations include maintaining a high level of research accomplishment via exhibited creative work and/or scholarship, active pursuit of professional opportunities in the field, and strong and engaged teaching.
The School of Visual Art and Design employs 40 full-time faculty members who teach classes for approximately 650 majors in four disciplines: art education, art history, film and media, and studio art and design. The school, which is accredited with NASAD and NCATE, offers BA, BFA, MA, MAT, and MFA degrees. For more information about the School of Visual Art and Design visit our website at http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/art.

Required Education and Experience

Candidates must have a PhD, MFA, MPS, or equivalent in film, media or closely related field by the start date of employment, plus research expertise in animation, and either the potential for or a demonstrated record of excellence in teaching. We welcome applications from individuals who are interested in moving from industry to academia.

Preferred Qualifications

In addition to the required education and experience the successful candidate will have a research profile in media production with a focus on animation and demonstrate the potential for ongoing contributions to the field as an artist-researcher. We are especially interested in candidates who can incorporate 2D animation concepts and techniques in their teaching and research to produce novel and exciting contributions to industry and/or arts and culture. While the research profile should align with the film and media program’s existing focus on the media industries (video game design, 3D animation, film/video production, and manga), it may also expand upon it through interdisciplinary research with other fields, including industrial design. For example, the candidate’s research profile could center on narrative animation production for entertainment, documentary or experimental animation, animation for industry and science communication, or a combination of research interests.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Job Close Date

Special Instructions to Applicant

How to Apply:
All applicants must apply online at USCJobs at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Applications must include:
(1) a cover letter that describes their research and teaching interests,(2) a current curriculum vitae,(3) a portfolio of animation production and work samples with a brief narrative that clearly describes the applicant’s contributions. The portfolio may be provided either as a URL link to a website or an online file. If a password is required to view, please include it, and(4) the names and email addresses of 3 references, including current email addresses. Letters will be solicited by the chair of the committee from referees at the semi-finalist stage.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries about this position may be directed to the Chair of the search committee, Professor Evan Meaney, .
Positions are advertised for a minimum of forty-five (45) days on our job website. After forty-five (45) days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This position is open until filled. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

To apply, please visit: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/204288

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities on the basis of race, sex, gender, gender identity, transgender status, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, protected veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions.

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Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of \"research centers of economic excellence\" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.

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