Why work at The College

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of Arizona State University. Faculty and staff guide students as they grow into socially aware, critical thinkers who are often pioneering solutions to societal issues. While student success is our top priority, The College also supports the professional development and growth of its faculty and staff as well as research that positively impacts our community.

Diverse student body.

The College is home to the largest and most diverse student population within Arizona State University. You’ll have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on high-achieving students of all backgrounds and futures. 

Your peers are some of the best in their field.

From MacArthur fellows to Nobel laureates and many Fulbright scholars, our faculty strive for excellence in their respective fields. 

Opportunities for groundbreaking research.

Our centers and institutes provide you with the opportunity to work alongside members of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on projects supported by NASA, NSF, NIH and NEH.

Comprehensive professional development.

The College supports faculty with all aspects and in all stages of their career through access to a wide variety of training and career-focused resources.

Inclusive environment.

ASU’s charter — to be measured not by whom it excludes, but rather by whom it includes and how they succeed — extends beyond student success, impacting research projects and hiring efforts within The College.

The academic heart of the university.

Nearly every student that graduates from ASU’s Tempe campus takes classes through The College, regardless of their degree program. You have the chance to engage with a large, diverse and curious student body.

Competitive salary and startup package.

The College is committed to recruiting and retaining faculty members who excel in their respective fields.

Community embeddedness.

We believe in interdisciplinary inquiry and combine the sciences and humanities to create beautiful and innovative initiatives which benefit our local and global communities.

21

academic units

50+

research centers and institutes

1,300+

faculty

16,000+

undergraduate and graduate students

Portrait of Dean Pat Kenney.

“As leaders in The College, our faculty are dedicated not only to their immediate roles, but also to ASU’s charter for inclusion, advancing research and discovery, and assuming the fundamental responsibility for the communities we serve.”

 Patrick J. Kenney

Dean,The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Foundation Professor, School of Politics and Global Studies

Portrait of Ayanna Thompson.

“I think The College is unique in that it values an inclusive approach to higher education — we should serve everyone who wants and needs a college degree — alongside an expectation for excellence by its research faculty. … The College and ASU are fast-moving, innovative institutions, so new faculty members should challenge themselves to think broadly. What dreams do you want to pursue? There is a way to make it happen in The College.”

Ayanna Thompson

Director, Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Regents Professor, Department of English

Portrait of Philip Christensen.

“Over the years I have built what is essentially a small aerospace company embedded in a research university. I have the opportunity to work with and mentor highly talented and motivated students, and in turn can provide them unique opportunities to work on NASA space projects. I’m not just teaching from a textbook, but giving students a real sense of what exploration, discovery and science — both the highs and the lows — are really about. "

Philip Christensen

Regents Professor, School of Earth and Space Exploration