Assistant Professor of Judicial Politics - Department of Political Science at West Virginia University

, West Virginia, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

09 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

11 Mar, 26

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Judicial Politics, Research Agenda, Teaching, Advising, Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Comparative Law, Criminal Law And Policy, Law And Society Studies, Trial Courts, External Funding, Methodological Skills, Communication Skills

Industry

Hospitals and Health Care

Description

The Department of Political Science at West Virginia University seeks to hire a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor in Judicial Politics. The preferred start date is August 14, 2026. We welcome applications that can contribute broadly to the judicial politics curriculum. The Department of Political Science offers a full range of academic programs (B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.) and has 14 full-time faculty, 36 graduate students, and about 400 undergraduates, a majority of whom are in the Pre-Law Area of Emphasis. The department faculty are active in research on American and state politics, class politics, comparative elections, computational methods, conflict analysis, congressional politics, International Relations, political and economic inequality, public opinion, public policy, racial and ethnic politics, religion and politics, representation, and state courts. The department’s methodologically rigorous doctoral program offers fields in American politics, comparative politics, international politics, and public policy. Additionally, the department houses the International Studies Program, which is an interdisciplinary undergraduate major focusing on national security, diplomacy, and development. Responsibilities: The person hired in this position will maintain an active research agenda that advances the Department’s program in the area of judicial politics. The successful candidate will be expected to teach classes that complement the Department’s current offerings at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, develop new course offerings, and advise students. They must have the ability to teach effectively the department's undergraduate judicial politics introductory course and advanced undergraduate courses on constitutional law and civil liberties. They will also be required to develop advance undergraduate judicial politics classes in their area(s) of expertise, e.g., comparative law, criminal law and policy, interdisciplinary law and society studies, trial courts, or related topics. The teaching load is two courses per semester. They will be expected to regularly publish in high-quality peer-reviewed journals. The candidate will also be expected to serve the community, university, and profession. Professional Qualifications: The successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in Political Science or Government. We will consider ABD candidates, but the Ph.D. must be conferred by the start date. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate evidence of the following: potential to develop an active research agenda that will secure external funding; appropriate methodological skills; evidence of and commitment to establishing an excellent record of teaching and mentorship/advising; and excellent communication skills. To apply, please visit https://careers.wvu.edu/career-opportunities and upload (1) a cover letter addressed to the Search Committee, (2) a curriculum vitae including a complete list of publications and relevant teaching experience, (3) a description of teaching interests and capabilities, (4) samples of written work (5) complete contact information for three professional references. Letters of recommendation from professional references will only be requested from finalists. For more information, please visit our website https://politicalscience.wvu.edu. Questions regarding this position may be directed to the chair of the search committee, Dr. John Kilwein (john.kilwein@mail.wvu.edu). Review of applications will begin on March 23, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled. Morgantown, WV is a growing university city. The area offers abundant outdoor recreation and the cultural opportunities of a college town. It is within easy driving distance of Pittsburgh, PA (70 mi) and is within a day's driving distance to Washington DC and Columbus, OH (200 mi).

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will maintain an active research agenda advancing the Department’s judicial politics program and be expected to teach complementary courses at graduate and undergraduate levels, including introductory judicial politics, constitutional law, and civil liberties. Responsibilities also include developing new courses, advising students, publishing regularly in high-quality peer-reviewed journals, and serving the community, university, and profession.