Assistant Professor or Associate Professor in Musical Theatre

AST/ASO PROF

Candidates for the rank of Assistant Professor shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field or possess equivalent qualifications based on professional experience. A candidate shall be expected to demonstrate successful experience pertinent to the position they are being recommended and have demonstrated qualities relevant to the goals of the academic unit in which they will be employed.

Candidates for the rank of Associate Professor shall hold the highest degree appropriate to their field or possess professional qualifications above those equivalent to the highest degree relevant to their field. They are expected to have produced creative work, professional writing, or research and successful teaching or professional experience. A candidate for this rank must have a distinguished record of achievement beyond the assistant professor level.

The University of Florida School of Theatre and Dance (SoTD) seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor of Musical Theatre to provide collaborative leadership for the BFA Musical Theatre program through teaching, creative/professional practice, student mentorship, recruitment, and service. The successful candidate will bring professional performance experience in musical theatre, including experience in established regional, national, touring, commercial or comparable professional markets along with a demonstrated ability to support the artistic, academic and professional development of undergraduate students through teaching, coaching, directing, mentorship, professional training or related experience.  

The successful candidate will teach a range of courses from introductory through advanced levels, with responsibilities that may include Musical Theatre performance and scene study, professional preparation, audition techniques, musical theatre history, acting through song, and other courses appropriate to the candidate's expertise and the instructional needs of the School. The faculty member may also contribute to beginning and intermediate acting and introductory directing.  

This position requires substantial engagement with performance curricula and student mentorship across the program. The successful candidate will guide the coordination and continued development of the Musical Theatre program in collaboration with faculty colleagues while mentoring BFA Musical Theatre and Acting students in their academic, artistic, and professional development. The candidate will value collaborative, integrated Musical Theatre training and work effectively across acting, voice/music, and dance curricula in support of the development of well-rounded contemporary musical theatre artists. The candidate will also contribute to curriculum development and assessment, as well as student recruitment and retention. 

The successful candidate will contribute to the School’s production season through directing the fall musical and/or concert musical productions, as assigned, and will work collaboratively across both production and academic areas of the School. This includes collaboration with directors, choreographers, designers, accompanists, production personnel, guest artists, and student artists, as well as close collaboration with the School Director, SoTD Producing Director, Degree Coordinators, Theatre Studies and Performance faculty, SoTD Accompanist, and other faculty and staff within the School of Theatre and Dance. The successful candidate should be able to work effectively within the School’s existing resources and production structures while maintaining an active professional practice and connections to regional and national professional markets. The position requires a strong commitment to collegiality, collaborative work, and excellence in undergraduate education within a broad-based liberal arts university. 

The faculty member will actively recruit promising students for the Musical Theatre program and participate in School of Theatre and Dance recruitment activities, which may require travel. The faculty member will also participate in School, College, University, and professional service; shared governance; academic advising; campus outreach; and donor-relations activities.  

The School values faculty who maintain an active professional practice while contributing fully to the educational mission of the University. Candidates should demonstrate an interest in helping shape the evolving future of musical theatre training and in preparing students for the changing professional landscape. 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate technological fluency and adaptability across contemporary digital environments, both in preparing students for the professional musical theatre industry and in effectively navigating the teaching, communication, collaboration, and administrative responsibilities of a major research university. 

The University of Florida College of the Arts intends to be a transformative community, responding to and generating paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond. As artists and scholars, we embrace the complexity of our evolving human experience and seek to empower our students and faculty to shape that experience fearlessly through critical study, creative practice, and provocation. We seek a colleague who identifies as a change-maker. We seek a colleague who will position emerging artists and researchers as catalysts for justice on local and global levels.

This position is covered by the United Faculty of Florida Contract.  You can view this employment union contract here https://admin.hr.ufl.edu/compliance/employee-relations-and-ethics/union-negotiations/united-faculty-of-florida-contract/.  

Responsibilities

Teaching and Student Mentorship

• Teach undergraduate Musical Theatre courses at beginning through advanced levels, which may include:  

• Musical Theatre performance and scene study  
• Introduction to Musical Theatre Studies  
• Musical Theatre Professional Preparation  
• Musical Theatre audition techniques  
• Acting through song  
• Musical Theatre history  
• Musical Theatre workshops  
• Other courses within the candidate's expertise and the instructional needs of SoTD  

• Teach beginning and intermediate acting as appropriate.  

• Teach introductory directing as appropriate.  

• Mentor BFA Musical Theatre and Acting students in academic, artistic, and career planning.  

• Prepare students for professional auditions, including traditional Musical Theatre, contemporary Musical Theatre, pop/rock, monologue work, and acting through song.  

• May have opportunity to teach courses in theatre studies and/or UF Quest courses  

• Contribute to curriculum development, assessment, and program development.  

• Active participation in our learning community, finding innovative ways to connect the arts to critical discourse in other disciplines.  

• Prepare students to navigate contemporary digital tools and platforms used in professional auditioning, self-promotion, networking, portfolio development, and career development. 

Creative and Professional Practice

• Direct the fall musical and/or concert musical productions, as assigned.
• Contribute to the School's production season through coaching or other professional expertise.
• Maintain an active professional practice and professional connections appropriate to the field.
• Bring current professional practices and expectations into the classroom and production environment.
• Contribute to student preparation for professional rehearsal, audition, and performance environments.

Recruitment, Advising, and Program Development

• Recruit promising students to the Musical Theatre program and participate actively in SoTD recruitment activities.
• Contribute to recruitment and retention initiatives.
• Develop and maintain relationships with professional and regional markets relevant to Musical Theatre students.
• Provide collaborative leadership in the coordination, strategic development, and continued growth of the Musical Theatre program, building upon the strengths and expertise of existing faculty. 
• Participate in campus outreach and donor-relations activities as appropriate.

Collaboration and Service

• Work collaboratively with the School Director, Degree Coordinators, Theatre Studies and Performance faculty, SoTD Accompanist, Design & Production faculty, Dance faculty and staff.
• Collaborate effectively with directors, choreographers, designers, accompanists, production personnel, guest artists, and student artists.
• Participate in School of Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts, University, and professional service activities.
• Attend School of Theatre and Dance, College of the Arts, and full faculty meetings.
• Participate in shared governance and other University responsibilities appropriate to the position.
• Contribute to a collegial, collaborative, and inclusive School community.
• Perform other duties appropriate to the position and assigned by the School Director.

SCHOOL OF THEATRE + DANCE: The light-filled Nadine McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion is home to the School of Theatre + Dance (SoTD). The School’s international full-time faculty of 35 recognized artists and researchers, complemented by adjunct and guest faculty and staff, including full- and part-time professionals. The School offers MFA curricula in acting and in design, which includes scene design, lighting design and costume design; BFA programs in acting, musical theatre, and theatrical production with concentrations in costume, digital media, lighting, scenic, and sound; and a BA with concentrations in general theatre, stage management, and theatre management. The School features two degree programs in dance designed to develop the individual voice of the dance artist, a BFA and a BA. Approximately 200 students major in the artistically diverse curricula of the School of Theatre + Dance. Through its production program, outreach and innovative programming, the School of Theatre + Dance provides multiple cultural opportunities annually to thousands of members of the University and the greater community. The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance and the National Association of Schools of Theatre. For more information, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance.  

THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS: The College of the Arts is an engine of transformation that generates paradigmatic shifts in the arts and beyond, while nurturing adaptability, innovation, and excellence. We foster an environment where novel creative practice, leading research, and experiential learning thrive. Our students, faculty, and staff interrogate and respond to the ever-changing relationship between technology and the human spirit. We prepare future leaders in artistic professions and creative industries, while developing student capacity for interdisciplinary scholarship that serves and engages local and global communities.  The College offers baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. Approximately 1,600 students are pursuing majors in degrees offered by the College of the Arts under the direction of 150 faculty members in its three accredited schools— the School of Art + Art History, the School of Music, and the School of Theatre + Dance, and in the Center for Arts in Medicine, the Digital Worlds Institute, and the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship. In addition, the college comprises the University Galleries, and the University level of the New World School of the Arts in Miami. 

The University of Florida: The University of Florida is a comprehensive learning institution built on a land grant foundation. We are The Gator Nation, an eclectic community dedicated to excellence in education and research and shaping a better future for Florida, the nation and the world. Our mission is to enable our students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit. UF is a graduate research institution with more than 50,000 students and membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Gainesville, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most livable cities, is located midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the University and the community comprise the educational, medical and cultural center of North Central Florida.

In addition to salary, the University of Florida (UF) offers low cost State Health plans, a number of Dental plans to fit you and your family’s needs, and Vision. Domestic partner coverage through GatorCare is also available. Optional plans such as life, disability, legal and accident insurance are also available.

UF provides a variety of leave programs including vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays, personal leave days, and family medical leave. Nine-month faculty employees accrue approximately 13 sick days annually, and 4 personal leave days, typically used during the holiday closing period (accruals based on full-time employment). UF also provides you the flexibility to deal with life’s challenges by offering paid family leave, eight full weeks of leave over a 24-month period.

Build a retirement roadmap with competitive pension plans, investment accounts and a host of voluntary add-ons, such as 457 deferred compensation and 403(b) plans.

UF Employees are also eligible for the GatorPerks discount program, which can provide savings at various business and retailers!

Explore UF’s plethora of benefit options here: FACULTY Benefits

Assistant Professor: $70,000-$78,000 – commensurate with experience

Associate Professor: $84,000-$92,000 – commensurate with experience

The successful candidate must meet all of the following

• Terminal degree (MFA or PhD) in Musical Theatre, Theatre, Acting, or a closely related field.  
• Potential for record of achievement in the field at a national or international level, in alignment with the unit’s tenure and promotion criteria.
• Demonstrated ability to teach undergraduate Musical Theatre performance.  
• Demonstrated ability to prepare students for Musical Theatre auditions and professional performance, including traditional Musical Theatre, contemporary Musical Theatre, pop/rock, acting through song, and monologue coaching.  
• Demonstrated experience directing Musical Theatre productions.   
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, guest artists, production personnel, and student artists.  
• Demonstrated ability to mentor undergraduate students in their academic, artistic, and professional development.  
• Demonstrated commitment to excellence in undergraduate education and student-centered mentorship.  
• Demonstrated commitment to teaching practices that reflect current and evolving professional practices and prepare students to navigate a changing field.
• Evidence of skill in designing and facilitating academic work that advances curiosity, respect, open intellectual discourse, and the welcome incorporation and well-being of all in an environment of complex differences.  

The successful candidate will meet some of the following

• Three to five years of university-level teaching experience in Musical Theatre beyond graduate assistantship, or comparable substantial teaching experience.      
• Demonstrated ability to teach in a secondary area such as acting, directing, Musical Theatre history, or related areas.  
• Demonstrated professional experience and established connections within regional, national, and/or professional Musical Theatre markets.  
• Evidence of artistic/professional development through ongoing creative or professional activity.  
• Demonstrated experience with curriculum development, program assessment, recruitment, retention, or academic program growth.  
• Demonstrated leadership ability, including the capacity to contribute to the coordination and development of a Musical Theatre program.  
• Demonstrated ability to recruit and retain School of Theatre + Dance majors.  
• Evidence of a commitment to innovative and cross-disciplinary curricula   
• Experience navigating a multi-disciplinary higher education setting. 
• Demonstrated aptitude for working toward structural and strategic change.  
• Organizational, management and communication experience in the higher education setting  
• Demonstrated technological fluency and adaptability, including the ability to independently navigate contemporary digital tools and platforms used in higher education, academic administration, communication and collaboration, musical theatre training, auditioning, professional preparation, and the performing arts industry. 

Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin December 1, 2026, and continue until an applicant pool is established. To ensure full consideration, all application documents must be submitted by December 14, 2026.  Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority. 

Application Process: Applications must be submitted via the University of Florida’s online application system.  Online applications must include the following: : (1) a detailed letter of application that explains how you match the particular qualifications of this position and how your work and perspective will contribute to and enhance our transformative community; (2) a curriculum vitae; (3) a research narrative; (4) statement of teaching philosophy; (5) links to research, production and/or teaching sample (Note that the UF application system only allows for one 5 MB maximum file size PDF document); (6) names and contact information of three professional references. The UF system will give you the option to upload letters of reference. The Search Committee may request additional materials at a later time.

Inquiries may be sent to:
Dr. Colleen Rua
Associate Dean of Research and Strategic Initiatives and Associate Professor of Theatre Studies
Chair, Assistant or Associate Professor of Musical Theatre Search Committee
Email: crua@arts.ufl.edu

The search committee does not utilize AI or other software to provide any level of applicant assessment.     

The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States are required to be evaluated by a professional credentialing service provider approved by National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call +1 (352) 392- 2477or the Florida Relay System at +1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD). Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the US. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.