Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Posted: 05-Jun-25
Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Type: Full-time
Internal Number: 526696
Department/Organization
207201 - Advertising and Public Relations
Rank
Instructor
Position Summary
The Department of Advertising & Public Relations at the University of Alabama invites applications for an Instructor to join our nationally ranked program.
Detailed Position Information
The Department of Advertising & Public Relations at the University of Alabama invites applications for an Instructor to join our nationally ranked program. This unique full-time position is a faculty line with duties dedicated to teaching courses as well as high-quality production of creative services in the Office of Communication and Advancement in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. This position requires a combination of real-world graphic design, strategic communication and publication experience, as well as classroom instruction.
Teaching responsibilities in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations are likely to include coursework covering basic principles of design with additional assignments dependent on the successful candidate’s skill sets. In addition, the position will be assigned projects that require visual communication conceptualization and execution. Instruction will make up 50% of this position, or two courses per semester, with the other 50% being spent on design work in the Office of Communication and Advancement.
The successful candidate will bring the proper experience and expertise to fulfill both responsibilities with significant professional experience in visual communication work in or related to advertising and/or public relations, including experience in both print and digital communication. Some college-level teaching experience is also preferred, as the successful candidate must be able to effectively engage students in the virtual and face-to-face classroom. Applications must also demonstrate the ability to be an active and involved member of a highly collaborative team at both the department and college levels.
About the Department of Advertising & Public Relations
The Department of Advertising & Public Relations houses a growing community of faculty, staff, and students with various research and professional interests. The department faculty engage in a variety of successful cross-campus collaborations and leadership roles, including directorships in multiple communication-oriented labs and the Institute for Communication & Information Research within the college’s Office for Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity.
The advertising and public relations undergraduate programs are ACEJMC-accredited. Advertising majors have four options: a general major or a concentration in brand management, advertising creative, or integrated channel planning. Public Relations majors have the option of a general or digital communication concentration. The graduate program awards a Master of Arts in advertising and public relations. The two-year residential program offers an individualized track and more specialized advertising, creative, and media strategy concentrations. The graduate program also provides distance-learning concentrations in digital communication and marketing communication management.
Home to the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, the department was once again ranked by PRWeek magazine as one of the top five education programs in the country for 2025. Students gain extensive practical experience before graduation through multiple outlets, including work with industry clients such as NASCAR, the Country Music Association, McLaren Automotive, Twitch, and Tervis. The department is also home to the award-winning Minerva advertising portfolio program
Review of applications will begin July 15, 2025, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Caleb Walters, at jcwalters@ua.edu.
Minimum Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, advertising, public relations or closely related field completed by start date PLUS a minimum of five years of industry experience in art direction, creative services or production design
• Extensive understanding of design principles and production processes for digital and traditional media
• Demonstrated success in teaching and/or mentoring
• Strong project and time management skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
Preferred Qualifications
• Master’s degree in graphic design, advertising, public relations or closely related field • Proven track record of developing and executing creative strategies • Record of teaching effectiveness, with experience in teaching relevant undergraduate courses • Experience working in large-scale signage and wayfinding • Industry experience working with large regional and national clients • Demonstrated success in supervising and mentoring direct reports or students
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
To apply, go to https://careers.ua.edu and provide the following: 1) Cover letter highlighting how you meet the minimum qualifications below, with a specific focus on the elements of your industry and academic experience that you believe have prepared you to serve as (1) an instructor in the A+PR department and (2) as a high-quality production designer as a director of creative services for the college. Mention any relevant teaching experience as well. 2) CV or Resume 3) Link to digital portfolio of relevant creative work samples 4) Names and contact information for three references
About the Division/College/School
The College of Communication & Information Sciences has four academic units, approximately 110 full-time faculty members, and serves approximately 3,500 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including approximately 95 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program. The college’s Institute for Communication & Information Research (ICIR) is a premier research institute dedicated to addressing societal and cultural issues related to communication and information research. The ICIR collaborates with businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, foundations, and other entities to produce high-impact research that informs and improves our evolving communication and information landscape. The College is also home to the Public Opinion Lab, equipped with the Sprinklr data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources; a biometrics lab outfitted with state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware; and the near-term development of an interactive VR/theater lab, among others. The college is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more. "EEO is the Law" https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf