Physical Culture and Sport Studies/Sport Management - Assistant Professor

The Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a full-time (nine-month) tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning in August 2026. The successful candidate will teach and mentor graduate students in the department's aligned master's program in Sport Management and our doctoral program in Physical Culture and Sport Studies (PCSS) and will also teach undergraduate classes aligned with those programs. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in sport sociology, sport and media, sport history, sport economics, history of exercise, or other sub-disciplines of the sport humanities.

It is expected that the hired candidate will actively engage in scholarly research and publication; recruit graduate students, supervise theses and dissertations; secure funding to support their research, and provide service to the department and profession. We seek candidates whose research training and mastery of content have prepared them to teach in the sport humanities and/or the field of sport management.

We are committed to an intellectually diverse, welcoming, and engaging working and learning environment and are seeking candidates whose research, teaching, and service have prepared them to contribute to serving students and communities across Texas, the country, and the world.

The Ph.D. Program in Physical Culture and Sport Studies enjoys excellent relationships across campus with the American Studies Program, Department of History, Germanic Studies, College of Communication, Women and Gender Studies, Art History, and other units, providing myriad opportunities for collaborative research and interaction. The Sport Management Program is only offered at the undergraduate and master's level, and is nationally recognized for its excellence. We currently offer an M.A. with thesis, an M.Ed. with culminating internship, and an M.Ed. online (our Option III program).

Our PCSS doctoral program explores sport and exercise through a sport humanities/social science approach. This program includes coursework in sport history, ethics, sport law, sport economics, the history of strength and exercise science, the history of physical culture, and the history of the body. The interdisciplinary nature of the degree allows students interested in research related to sport management to pursue those interests while other students specialize in sport and physical culture history. The H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports also provides our students with a unique research advantage, providing a variety of resources for scholars not available at other universities. For more information see: www.starkcenter.org.

The College of Education, ranked among the top public colleges of education in the country, has a longstanding commitment to the shared values of equitable opportunities, excellence, innovation, empowerment, community-focus, and endeavors to bridge research and practice. We view creating an inviting, engaged campus community as interconnected with academic excellence in the work of our faculty. The college has experienced a rapid expansion of interest in its academic programs over the past five years. About 30% of our admitted students are first-generation college students and come from all corners of Texas and beyond. Our students are joined by a world-class faculty who are among the nation's leading experts in their respective fields.

As a leading college of education in Texas and beyond, we are agents of change committed to transforming education and health research, practice, and policy to ensure the thriving of children, families, schools, and communities. In our efforts to align our college to address the most pressing challenges in the fields of education and health, we launched a strategic vision known as Reimagine Education (see education.utexas.edu/about/college-leadership/deans-office/reimagine-education). In advancing this effort, we have organized our academic and research aspirations around three Signature Impact Areas: Advancing Equity and Eliminating Disparities in Health and Education, Attending to Place and Context, and Thriving through Transitions.

Candidates should have:

1) A doctoral degree earned by July 31, 2026, with a specialization in Sport Management, Sport History, Sport Sociology, History, American Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Communication Studies, Art History, or other fields related to the study of sport and exercise

2) An established record of scholarly publication and presentation in the field of sport management, physical culture history, sport history, and/or sport studies.

As a venue for research, Texas is home to more than 10% of the nation's K12 student population. More than 30% of students in Texas speak a home language other than English and this includes more than 100 languages. The University of Texas at Austin is the flagship state university of Texas, and one of the few universities in the U.S. that is both a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. UT Austin values and supports interdisciplinary research and, with the opening of the Dell Medical School, provides outstanding access to opportunities for collaboration with world-renowned medical faculty. Austin, Texas is an exciting, welcoming, and inclusive city with the reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World.

Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled.

Please include in your application:

1) Cover letter that includes a discussion of research, funding, teaching experience and other relevant interests.

2) Current Curriculum Vitae

3) Teaching and Graduate Assistant evaluations, if available

4) Three professional references including name, title, address, phone number, and email. No letters of reference are required to apply - references will be contacted later.

5) Applicants are also encouraged to submit up to three pre-prints or reprints of published articles or other significant research works.

Haleigh Wyrostek in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education is assisting with the search process and can be reached at 512-232-5476 for assistance with application submission questions.

For information about the job itself, please contact Search Committee Chair Charles Stocking, Ph.D., at charles.stocking@austin.utexas.edu.

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.