Faculty Search Advertisement

Assistant Professor of Music (tenure track), Ethnomusicology and/or Popular Music

Boston University, College of Fine Arts, School of Music

The College of Fine Arts at Boston University invites applications for two full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Music positions in the Musicology & Ethnomusicology Department of the School of Music, with expertise in the areas of ethnomusicology and/or popular music studies. We aim to hire two scholars whose research complements our faculty’s current areas of focus. We are particularly receptive to emphasis on gender, technology and media, political economy, or critical theory as areas of scholarly focus but are open to any area. Above all, we seek scholars that are committed to excellence in scholarship and teaching, with an active agenda of innovative research and the promise of sustained future publishing. The desired start date for this appointment is July 1, 2025.

We seek two faculty members for the CFA School of Music who are making significant theoretical contributions to the musicological and humanistic disciplines, who are committed to research that engages with the broader world and to teaching that prepares young scholars and artists at the graduate and undergraduate levels to navigate it, and who show potential for faculty leadership. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record of successful teaching at the college level, a demonstrated publishing agenda, and a commitment to engaged institutional citizenship. Responsibilities for this position include mentoring graduate students and teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses within the department and the School. A terminal degree in music is required, and the positions are expected to be filled at the assistant professor level (tenure track).

The Boston University School of Music was the first institution in the United States to grant a degree in music. Today, the School of Music trains musicians, educators, composers, and scholars in strong undergraduate and graduate programs. The Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology, located within the School of Music, is a prolific, supportive, and inclusive department, dedicated to the shared purpose of innovative, engaged, and rigorous scholarship. Our department features thriving PhD and MA programs with customizable concentrations in Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Musicology/Ethnomusicology, and offer a BA in Music with Musicology/Ethnomusicology, Global Music Studies, and General tracks. These programs provides the disciplinary grounding, critical theoretical tools, methodological breadth and sense of engagement with the world needed to produce music scholars of the highest caliber.  Boston University is an AAU institution with a rich tradition dedicated to inclusion and social justice. We are proud to be the first American university to award a Ph.D. to a woman, and we celebrate our record of and commitment to inclusiveness. The College of Fine Arts includes diversity as one of its core strategic goals. The successful applicant will value being part of an inclusive school that values cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity.  Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration, and upholds freedom of expression.

Qualified applicants should submit:

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• Phone and email contact of three (3) professional references who may be contacted.

All application materials should be sent via email to musicsearch@bu.edu and must be received no later than October 15, 2024. Anticipated date of appointment: July 1, 2025.

BU conducts a background check on all final candidates for certain faculty and staff positions. The background check includes contacting the final candidate’s current and previous employer(s) to ask whether, in the last seven years, there has been a substantiated finding of misconduct violating that employer’s applicable sexual misconduct policies. To implement this process, the University requires a final candidate to complete and sign the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” after execution of an offer letter. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.