GWU opens Teaching Assistant Professor role in Psychological and Brain Sciences for August 2027

At $75,000 to $80,000 annually, the new teaching position at George Washington University carries seven classes every academic year, a 4/3 load that leaves scant room for research, gwu.jobs reported in posting F002680.

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is recruiting a Teaching Assistant Professor for a start date of August 1, 2027, with the review of applications beginning December 4, 2026, and continuing until the position is filled. The role is a Special Service, Non-Tenure Track appointment, renewable for an initial three-year period ending May 31, 2030.

A Heavy Load for a Renewable Post

The successful candidate will teach a mix of existing and to-be-developed courses across General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology at the undergraduate level, plus research methods and data analysis at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Beyond the classroom, the hire must fulfill at least one service role within the department, determined in collaboration with the new faculty member.

The department itself is substantial: PBS at GWU offers undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, and graduate degrees in Applied Psychology, Applied Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Cognitive Neuroscience. The teaching professor will plug gaps in these curricula while bringing specialized expertise that complements existing offerings.

What Applicants Must Submit

The application process demands extensive documentation. Candidates must upload a curriculum vitae with complete publications and teaching history, a teaching and mentoring statement of up to 1,500 words that addresses inclusive teaching practices, past teaching evaluations for up to three courses if available, contact information for three references, and an interest statement of up to 750 words. That final document carries a strict anonymity rule: applicants must not name their current or former institution, Ph.D. advisor, or other mentors.

Minimum qualifications require a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree in Psychology or a closely related field by the time of appointment, plus demonstrated expertise to teach introductory undergraduate psychology and research methods or statistics courses. A successful background screening—including criminal history, education verification, Social Security Number trace, and sex offender registry search—is required as a condition of hire.

Funded Doctorates, Unfunded Teaching

According to psychology.columbian.gwu.edu, the department provides four years of funding to all admitted psychology doctoral students, including full tuition remission, with additional access to teaching and research assistantships, department stipends, fellowships, and external scholarships from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

The advertised compensation package includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, time off, retirement savings, and tuition benefits, detailed at the university’s benefits portal.

December Brings Two Deadlines

Two dates in December 2026 are listed in department materials. On December 1, the application deadline closes for all doctoral programs, per psychology.columbian.gwu.edu. Three days later, on December 4, the review begins for the teaching professor position that gwu.jobs posted. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, with contact handled through Professors Sarah Calabrese, Dwight Kravitz, Phil Moore, and Ellen Yeung at [email protected].

The position remains open until filled, meaning the search could extend well past the initial review date if the department does not find a suitable candidate in the first wave.

Worth a look