Massachusetts Jobs

The Department of Film & Television at Boston University’s College of Communication seeks applications for an Associate Professor of the Practice in Screenwriting with expertise in short film, feature film, or scripted television writing.

Our university community welcomes differences, encourages open-minded exploration, and upholds freedom of expression. The department believes that the cultural and social diversity of our faculty, staff, and students is vitally important to the distinction and excellence of our research and academic programs. To that end, we are especially eager to have colleagues join our ranks who support our institutional commitment to ensuring BU is inclusive, equitable, and diverse.

Required Skills

Qualified applicants will have a body of professional work in one or more of these categories, an enthusiasm for teaching, and a demonstrated commitment to promoting inclusivity and diversity. Teaching experience at the university level is valued, but not required.

Duties for full-time faculty are in-person and include teaching three classes per semester at the undergraduate or graduate level, as well as service work. Possible courses might include short film writing, beginning through advanced feature film writing, television spec writing (half hour or hour), television pilot writing (half hour or hour). Department faculty are also free to propose and develop new courses in their field of expertise. Experience in multiple script formats is a plus.

DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY HR WEBSITE.

Applicants should submit a resume or CV, a cover letter that includes a statement of teaching philosophy, work samples, and the names and contact information for three references. For feature or television writing, work samples must include two complete feature or television screenplays, as well as links to at least two produced films or episodes of television on which the candidate has a writing credit. Submitted screenplays and links need not be the same work, or in the same format (i.e. applicants may choose to submit a combination of new, unproduced work in screenplay format, as well as links to produced film or television work).

If you are applying with short film experience only, please submit two short screenplays plus, links to your complete body of work. The committee will only review produced short films that have screened at major national or international festivals as work samples. Deadline for applications is November 1, 2024.

Electronic applications are preferred and should be sent to ftsearch@bu.edu. Materials may be sent by mail to the department administrator:

Dept. Administrator

Department of Film and Television

College of Communication

Boston University

640 Commonwealth Avenue

Boston, MA 02215

Questions may be directed to Professor Marni Zelnick mzelnick@bu.edu or Professor Tunji Akinsehinwa tunjia@bu.edu or by phoning 617-353-3483. All inquiries will be kept confidential.

BU conducts a background check on all final candidates for certain faculty and staff positions. The background check includes contacting the final candidate’s current and previous employer(s) to ask whether, in the last seven years, there has been a substantiated finding of misconduct violating that employer’s applicable sexual misconduct policies. To implement this process, the University requires a final candidate to complete and sign the form entitled “Authorization to Release Information” after execution of an offer letter.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor .

Required Experience