Assistant/Associate Professor of Media Arts

Assistant/Associate Professor of Media Arts (Animation Major)

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) invites applications for a full-time faculty position in Animation (rank commensurate with experience). The Animation Major is currently one of MCAD's largest and fastest-growing programs, and we seek an innovative educator passionate about shaping the next generation of cultural leaders and animation storytellers. The Media Arts Department encompasses the Animation Major, the Media Arts Major (with concentrations in Filmmaking, Photography, and Art + Technology), and minors in Animation, Sound, and Experimental Games. MCAD's Animation BFA provides students with a broad historical perspective, fostering an appreciation of animation as an applied and fine art. Given this commitment, the department requires a dynamic, engaging, passionate, and energetic faculty member dedicated to art education and creative practice. The successful candidate will teach a full-time load of three classes per semester, advise students, provide administrative support, and serve on college committees. Courses taught may include technical and conceptual topics and issues over a broad range of levels, from Intro to Animation to Advanced Animation Seminar as well as the Foundation level Media Arts courses. This 9-month contract position begins mid-August 2026 and reports to the Chair of Media Arts. MCAD offers renewable, long-term contracts based on a clearly defined peer-review process.

Responsibilities Include:

• Teach a full-time instructional load of six courses per academic year (3/3), covering Animation studio, media arts, and/or foundations courses.
• Maintain an active and productive creative practice/research agenda appropriate to the discipline.
• Serve as an Academic Advisor, hold regular office hours, and participate in departmental service (Junior Review Panels, student screenings and exhibitions, and on-campus recruitment events).
• Contribute to curriculum development and serve on college committees.

Requirements

Qualifications:
Applicants must demonstrate an enthusiasm for innovative teaching and a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their teaching, creative work, and service.

Minimum Qualifications (Required)

• A terminal degree (MFA or equivalent) is preferred. The minimum requirement is a Bachelor's degree combined with a substantial record of professional achievement in the animation industry or creative practice, which MCAD will consider equivalent to terminal degree status for faculty appointment.
• Candidates must possess extensive production experience in one specific discipline within animation, such as traditional/2D, digital, 3D, or stop motion.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of the production pipeline, including the ability to teach core concepts such as character design, storyboarding, acting, timing, story and character development, and editing.
• Significant technical expertise in one or more specialized areas, such as 2D (Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Creative Suite) or 3D (Maya, Blender, ZBrush).
• Demonstrated proficiency in teaching industry-standard software and techniques in one or more specialized areas.
• Previous experience teaching at the college level, ideally at both lower and upper-level undergraduate courses.
• Demonstrated ability to build a strong program by collaborating with colleagues on pedagogy, curriculum design, and methods of expanding student creativity.
• Demonstrate the ability to inspire and motivate students, coupled with a clear commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching and service.

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialized knowledge in emerging technologies, encompassing game engines (Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot), XR, or virtual production.
• Active and sustained professional practice in animation.
• Experience teaching conceptual and theoretical histories and contemporary critical discourse related to the expansive definition of animation.

Faculty appointment at the Assistant/Associate Professor rank commensurate with experience. Compensation range (9-Month): $60,907–$74,994 (Dependent on the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.)

Organizational Profile

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design is dedicated to educating the next generation of cultural leaders. Founded in 1886 as the Minneapolis Society for Fine Arts connected to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, MCAD became a wholly independent nonprofit institution in 1988. Since then, MCAD has grown into a successful, stable, and fully accredited art and design college, with a current enrollment of approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students. 

The campus is located in a historic arts district in South Minneapolis with its signature building, a bold and light-filled modernist structure, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. The College is situated in one of the country's most arts-supportive regions. Bolstered by its robust and diverse economy, Minnesota ranks first in the nation in per-capita public funding of the arts. Minneapolis has been named one of the top ten creative cities in the United States.

MCAD has been a leader in innovative programming and curricula in art and design education. MCAD was the first art college to start online master's degree programs in 2000 and has made substantial investments in technology for labs and classrooms. In 2006, MCAD introduced a core curriculum that integrated its strong studio programs with a thoughtful liberal arts framework complemented by practical and professional learning. 

In the fall of 2023, MCAD launched a reimagined Fine Arts undergraduate major with concentrations in Painting and Drawing; Print, Paper, Book; and Sculpture, as well as a renamed and reimagined undergraduate major in Creative Entrepreneurship. Building on this institutional momentum, the Media Arts Department implemented a significant interdisciplinary curriculum revision in 2024. Other recent innovative undergraduate programmatic additions include a BFA in Creative Writing; minors in Sound; Animation; Experimental Games; Print, Paper, Book; and Graphic Design. At the graduate level, MCAD launched the new MA in Creative Leadership in the summer of 2022, graduating the first cohort in the summer of 2023.

MCAD is Minnesota's only four-year independent, accredited college of art and design, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Application

Deadline: Priority will be given to those who respond by January 15, 2026.

Submission: All applications must be submitted electronically through the MCAD online application portal (Paylocity). To ensure full consideration, complete application materials must be received by January 15, 2026. Initial/Preliminary interviews will be conducted via Google Meet. Final round interviews will require an on-campus visit (typically late Spring).
Application Materials:
Please submit the following eight required materials as separate PDF files via the MCAD online application portal.

1. A Cover Letter detailing interest in the position and relevant qualifications.
2. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) that includes a list of courses taught.
3. A list of three professional references, including name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, phone number, and professional relationship. (Letters will be requested at a later stage of the interview process for selected candidates.)
4. Transcript of degree, showing coursework appropriate to position (copies are acceptable); official transcript required prior to employment.
5. A Statement of Teaching Philosophy, including a reflection on the candidate's ability to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom.
6. An Image List, including a description of each image and, if necessary, a link to optional videos.
7. A Professional Portfolio, including a minimum of 10 samples of creative or scholarly work/reel. These samples must include a mix of completed animation and pre-production process work, such as concept art, storyboards, and design development.
8. A Teaching Portfolio, including a minimum of 10 samples of student work and one syllabus from an undergraduate animation course.
9. (Optional) A link to the candidate's artist website address should be included inside your CV or Cover Letter.

Electronic Application Procedure

• Submit all materials electronically through the MCAD online application portal (Paylocity).
• Name each separate PDF file specifically for easy identification (such as , , , etc.).
• Limit each individual PDF file size to 15MB or less.
• All video samples (professional and student work) must be uploaded to a Vimeo site. Please include the Vimeo URL and password (if applicable) within the relevant Portfolio PDF and the Image List PDF.

Note: Only complete applications will be eligible for consideration and a background check will be required prior to employment.

MCAD's community of staff and faculty enjoy a dynamic, creative, and inclusive work environment. We offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, and 403(b) retirement plans, commuter benefits, and generous paid time off. In addition, after six months of service, full-time employees and their eligible dependents can receive free tuition at MCAD, as well as the potential to receive reduced tuition at more than 600 colleges nationwide. 

MCAD is especially interested in candidates from under-represented groups as well as individuals who have experience with diverse populations who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the MCAD community. Members of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community are strongly encouraged to apply.