If you are a current Barnard College employee, please use the internal career site to apply for this position.
Job:
Assistant Professor of Human RightsJob Description:
The Human Rights Program at Barnard College, Columbia University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position for an individual whose scholarship and expertise address the topic of human rights and who has a Ph.D. in either Economics, History, or Political Science. The position will begin July 2026. This is a split-line position where the appointment would be half in the Human Rights Program and half in the department that corresponds to the successful candidate’s disciplinary background. Teaching responsibilities would be split evenly between the Human Rights Program and the other department, although the interdisciplinary nature of human rights means that overlap may be possible, such that courses count for both majors.
Barnard College is a premier liberal arts college for women located in New York City and is affiliated with Columbia University. The Human Rights Program was founded in 2000 and was one of the first undergraduate human rights majors. The Program provides an interdisciplinary major in human rights and courses in human rights.
The Human Rights major is unique in that all Human Rights majors also have a primary major in another department. The Human Rights Program shares a significant number of combined majors with the Economics, History, and Political Science Departments. For these reasons, this split-line appointment will be with one of these Departments. The particular area of topical expertise relating to human rights is open but suitable areas of expertise may include gendered, racial, and/or socio-economic inequalities; indigenous rights; LGBTQ rights; disability rights; health, reproductive rights, and/or bodily autonomy; climate change, animal rights, and/or environmental rights; migration; and peace and conflict studies.
Teaching expectations include being able to teach courses on normative human rights laws and international structure, such as the Program’s introductory class, Human Rights in Theory and Practice, as well as classes on topical human rights subjects within one’s field of academic expertise. Barnard faculty are expected to engage in teaching, research, curriculum and program development, and undergraduate advising.
Skills, Qualifications & Requirements:
Required Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in either Economics, History, or Political Science and should have a promising research agenda and record of scholarship in the area of human rights. Additionally, candidates must have a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching and mentoring.
Application Requirements
Applicants are required to upload the following documents. Only complete applications submitted via Workday will be considered.
Curriculum Vitae (maximum file size: 5 MB)
A single PDF file (maximum file size: 30 MB) containing:
Cover letter stating interest, preparation, and qualifications for this position
Research / Scholarship statement highlighting past accomplishments and future plans
Teaching statement describing teaching philosophy, experiences, and interests
A writing sample of article or chapter length
Only semi-finalists will be asked to identify at least three references. Referees will receive an email notification instructing them to upload confidential letters of recommendation within one week of receipt of the email.
Review of applications will begin on approximately 12-15-2025 and continue until the position is filled.
For questions or further information please contact Search Chair Professor J.C. Salyer at humanrightssearch@barnard.edu.
Salary: $95,000 - $115,000
Barnard College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Barnard does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital or parental status, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, veteran or military status, age, disability, or any other legally protected basis. Qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Company:
Barnard CollegeTime Type:
Full time