The Department of English and Comparative Literature in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is looking for an applicant who engages with Critical Game Studies methods and scholarship in their teaching and research. Candidates should utilize interdisciplinary humanities approaches for analyzing, participating, and creating in games studies.
We welcome approaches that engage in games studies’ major intellectual strands, such as game narratives and narrative critique, game aesthetics, ludology, critical making, design, technology studies, or the rhetoric of games and gaming.
We seek candidates who are confident in producing cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and experimental games research. A record of research and publication will show the ability to translate hands-on work into theoretically informed and peer-recognized scholarship. Facility with interdisciplinary work will be evident through expertise in multiple areas of study and the creative combination of approaches.
Our department offers a wide variety of courses in game studies, and we are looking for candidates who are well prepared to teach in our current curriculum, as well as contribute to its ongoing development in this emerging field.
Candidates will also mentor undergraduate and graduate students in critical game studies and, if relevant, their secondary fields of expertise. Strong evidence of leadership and participation in game studies programs and initiatives will show a collaborative model for academic work. Public outreach, the sharing of resources, and community building will demonstrate generosity and engagement.
Candidates who apply for this position should demonstrate the traits described above and have a significant investment in critical game studies. They will work regularly with hands-on games studies methods, have a strong record of collaboration and working across disciplinary areas, and read and produce critical game studies scholarship. They may also have expertise in a complementary area of interest that would find a home in a department of English and comparative literature.
Our department strengths include literary studies; film and media; rhetoric and composition; creative writing; digital humanities; Latina/o studies; and health humanities. We also seek to grow in areas of environmental humanities; disability studies; and new media studies.
The position will teach a 2-2 load made up of graduate and undergraduate courses; contribute to both undergraduate and graduate curricula; mentor students; participate in select administrative activities; and engage in ongoing scholarly research.Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: Ph.D. in English or a relevant field and instructional experience at the college level by the time of appointment.
Proposed Start Date: 07/01/2027
To apply, please submit the following documents: A cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a research statement, a twenty- to twenty-five page writing sample, and a syllabus for a course focused on critical game studies. If applicable, you can also submit a sample of material related to critical making. In addition, please submit the names of four references as part of your application. Letters of recommendation will be requested later and required for candidates to proceed to the interview stage.
Review of applications will begin on October 19, 2026 and continue until November 30, 2026. Please upload all necessary documents to the application portal: https://unc.peopleadmin.com/
If you have any search-related questions, feel free to contact the Search Committee Chair Martin Johnson at mlj@email.unc.edu. For any technical issues or application portal-related issues, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Sujata Paudel at paudels@unc.edu.
