Join our community and experience Emerson College!
The BFA Program in Comedic Arts at Emerson College is looking for part time faculty to apply to a pool of faculty to fill multiple courses in the theory and history of comedy. Part-time faculty postings are for potential teaching positions. The applicant pool will be reviewed by the department chair, the associate chair, and the graduate program director when searching for candidates to fill the position.Courses include Evolution of Comedy II (CA103), Playing with Theory (CA200), and Seminar in Comedic Studies (VM403). Successful candidates will have a firm grasp of the vocabulary, structures, and tropes associated with comedy. Additionally, they will be able to contextualize and analyze the form as it relates to issues of race, gender, class, disability, and other networks of power. A background in the practice of comedy is preferred.
Emerson College believes the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus climate where everyone can thrive is only possible in an authentically equitable, accessible, and socially just environment. As a community of storytellers, we continually strive to cultivate a community that draws upon the widest possible pool of talent, fully embracing individuals from varied cultures, races, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, linguistic backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, life experiences, nationalities, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
Course Descriptions
CA103: Evolution of Comedy II
This course surveys the evolution of comedy from 1895 to the present day, primarily in North America. Throughout this semester, we will explore the industrial, historical, creative, and social infrastructures that gave rise to comedy in film, television, and a host of media formats. As we study these forms, we will repeatedly examine how the development of comic forms, styles, and genres correspond to changes in social understandings of gender, race, sexuality, class, and national identity.
CA200: Playing with Theory
This course introduces students to comedy theory in order to hone their craft, get a laugh, and express a point of view in their work. The material in the course explores the structural, political, and ethical dimensions of laughter, which will enable students to identify and play with comic frames in their own performance, writing, and studies of comedy. Students will exercise these theories by analyzing various comedic works, writing research papers, and developing their own creative pieces that put the theory into practice.
VM403: Seminar in Comedic Studies
Special seminar offerings in the area of comedic studies. Topics rotate and have included Global Chaplin, Queer TV Comedy, Norman Lear, Border-Crossing & Comedy, and Screwball & Romantic Comedy.
Complete applications that include cover letter, CV, and evidence of teaching effectiveness will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning immediately. Please indicate in your cover letter which course(s) you wish to be considered for. A PhD or advanced degrees in a related field is preferred.
Emerson College enrolls over 5,800 graduate and undergraduate students from 49 states and more than 70 countries. Its main campus is located in the dynamic, multicultural city of Boston. The college also has campuses in Los Angeles and the Netherlands. Emerson’s commitment to inclusive excellence is supported by a range of resources such as the Office of Internationalization & Equity, the Social Justice Collaborative, and the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.
Please note, in the job application where there is the "CV/Cover Letter/ Additional Documents" drop box, you must include all of the required materials listed above. You can upload each document separately or as a combined PDF. Your application will not be complete without these documents.
If you are having issues uploading, please email facultycareers@emerson.edu.
This posting is an open pool. Applicants for the positions will not be notified of their status unless they are contacted by the department chair or their designee.
Applicants should withdraw their application from the pool if they are no longer interested.
