Tenure Track, Assistant Professor, Game and Animation Media

Florida International University is a Top 50, preeminent public research university with 55,000 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries, as well as an alumni network of more than 340,000. Located in the global city of Miami, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels, including medicine and law. FIU faculty are leaders in their fields and include National Academy members, Fulbright Scholars and MacArthur Genius Fellows. A Carnegie R1 institution, FIU drives impactful research in environmental resilience, health and technology and innovation. Home to the Wall of Wind and Institute of Environment, FIU stands at the forefront of discovery and innovation. With a focus on student success, economic mobility and community engagement, FIU is redefining what it means to be a public research university.

Tenure Track, Assistant Professor, Game and Animation Media

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media in the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts (CARTA) at Florida International University invites applications for a full-time, nine-month tenure earning Assistant Professor in Game and Animation Media beginning, August 2026. We seek a scholar-creator with a demonstrated record of creative achievement and/or research and clear potential to meet tenure standards at an R1 public research university, such as competitive screenings, released games, funded projects, peer-reviewed publications, juried exhibitions, or other recognized scholarly or professional outputs.

The Caplin School emphasizes immersive, project-based learning. The candidate will teach industry-standard production tools and guide students through the development and release of original games, animated films, and multimedia projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain an active creative and/or research practice in animation and/or game development with a record of achievement that meets the standards of a tenure-earning position at an R1 university.
• Teach courses in animation and/or game development at undergraduate and graduate level.
• Participate in service at the School, College, and University levels.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Terminal degree (M.F.A., Ph.D., or equivalent) in game design, animation, interactive media, or related field by time of appointment.
• Evidence of research and/or creative achievement consistent with tenure-track expectations at a research-intensive institution.
• Demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Professional experience in game development, animation, or related industries.
• Experience teaching in higher education.
• Technical proficiency in several of the following: Unreal Engine, C++ for Unreal, Autodesk Maya, Arnold RenderView, Adobe Substance 3D, VR/AR/XR, motion capture workflows, Adobe Creative Suite, and ZBrush.

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply to Job Opening ID 536946 at careers.fiu.edu and upload the following:

1. A letter of interest (maximum of two pages) that summarizes the candidate's professional background, teaching experience, and administrative experience.
2. Curriculum vitae.
3. 1 page statement of research and related research plan for the next 3 years.
4. 1 page statement of teaching philosophy.
5. 1 page course description with learning objectives, for a course you would be excited to develop and teach. This may be an existing course you've refined over time, or an aspirational course that reflects where you see the field heading.
6. Portfolio of work in digital media compiled into a single pdf with links created for web viewing.
7. Portfolio of a selection of student works compiled into a single pdf with links of 1-5 minutes in total, created for web viewing.
8. The contact information for three professional references. Letters of recommendation will be solicited for finalists, those invited for on campus interviews.

Review of applications will begin April 10, 2026 and will be reviewed periodically until the position is filled. Direct any questions to Professor Charles Strouse, Chair of the Search Committee, via email at cstrouse@fiu.edu. The initial appointment will start in August 2026.

FIU strives to remain at the forefront of higher education in the types of benefits provided to employees. For more information, please visit our Benefits page.

Applicants are encouraged to review Florida International University's immigration and visa requirements, if applicable, prior to applying: https://hr.fiu.edu/employees-affiliates/working-at-fiu/immigration-process

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Current Employee

As a current employee, you must log into Employee Self Service (ESS) to apply for this and any other internal career opportunity of interest. In this account, you are able to track your applicant status in "My Applications".

To be considered eligible for the position as an internal candidate, departmental staff must meet minimum requirements of the position and be in good performance standing.

Before you begin the process, we recommend that you are prepared to attach electronic copies of your resume/ curriculum vitae, cover letter or any other documents within the application process. It is recommended that you combine your cover letter and resume into one attachment. Attached documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Prospective Employee

If you have not created a registered account, you will be asked to create a username and password for use of the system. It is recommended that you provide an active/valid e-mail account as that will be the main source of communication regarding your status within the process. In this account, you are able to track your applicant status in "My Applications".

To be considered eligible for the position as an internal candidate, departmental staff must meet minimum requirements of the position and be in good performance standing.

Before you begin the process, we recommend that you are prepared to attach electronic copies of your resume, cover letter or any other documents within the application process. It is recommended that you combine your cover letter and resume/curriculum vitae into one attachment. Attached documents should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format. All applicants are required to complete the online application including work history and educational details (if applicable), even when attaching a resume.

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