Job description
Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.
Essential functions (job duties):
Wayne State University is seeking a full-time, non-tenure-track Assistant Professor of Teaching in Instrumental Music Education for a one-year position in the Department of Music, beginning in August 2026.
The successful candidate will teach instrumental music education and instrumental techniques courses, place and supervise student teachers and coordinate other fieldwork experiences; participate in area recruitment initiatives, such as our annual High School Honor Band event; steward relationships with local and state music teachers; and attend in-house and off-campus music education events, such as the Michigan Music Conference and the Midwest Clinic. The candidate may also be asked to participate in department committees, audition and recruiting activities, and other service assignments.
MUSIC AT WAYNE STATE: The university is investing heavily in the Department of Music and the performing arts, having recently completed a $65 million complex that houses the Hilberry Gateway, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, and our own underground jazz club, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s. The university has a long-standing relationship with the Detroit Jazz Festival (300,000+ in-person attendees) with students and faculty on full display for the annual Labor Day weekend festivity, while our various student and professional concert series attract diverse audience members from around the region. The Department of Music also participates in innovative community programming such as workshops for K-12 students and educators.
In recent years, the university has bestowed honorary doctorates to Detroit music luminaries such as Neeme Järvi, Stevie Wonder, Sixto Rodriguez, Jack White, and Don Was. When compared to other higher education institutions, Wayne State has a distinct competitive advantage: There is no other public research university in the country positioned in the middle of a city, serving the city, creating and continuing to shape American culture as its core identity.
THE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY: Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, the university seeks to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community.
We are a university of access and opportunity, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. Financial aid avenues that help support this commitment are the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Wayne State Guarantee (a tuition-free program open to all Pell Grant-eligible Michigan residents, as well as most families that earn less than $80,000) for first time students, and Michigan Reconnect for transfer pathways. In addition, the Detroit Promise award ensures any eligible Detroit-resident student graduating from a high school in the city will have a tuition-free path to a bachelor’s degree.
The Department of Music is one of four departments in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; the other constituent units are the Department of Communication, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design. The college offers 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs, and three graduate certificate programs. It is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields.
From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards.
Wayne State University is a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) university enrolling 24,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Wayne State’s immediate neighbors in our Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Opera. The vibrant Midtown and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from the Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres.
Qualifications:
Terminal degree in Music Education with an emphasis in instrumental music (ABD considered); teaching experience in an elementary, middle school or high school environment; college-level teaching experience (may include graduate-student teaching appointments); and experience with current classroom instructional technology.
How to apply
A letter of application, curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy statement, and a list of five references (including names, addresses and contact information) must be submitted through Wayne Talent at https://jobs.wayne.edu. Applicants may also provide links to conducting videos or teaching materials, as desired.
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. The position begins on August 18, 2026. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.
Inquiries about the position may be directed to:
Mickayla Chapman, Chair
Music Education Search Committee
Department of Music [email protected]
Preferred qualifications:
Experience supervising student teachers or field placements; band and/or orchestra conducting experience; experience with contemporary pedagogical practices and inclusive music education; experience teaching in urban and/or culturally diverse public-school settings.
School/College/Division:
H04 – Fine & Performing Arts
Primary department:
H0404 – Music
Employment type:
- Regular Employee
- Job type: Full Time
- Job category: Academic/Faculty
Funding/salary information:
- Compensation type: Annual Salary
Working conditions:
This position must be filled pursuant to the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, and as such may be filled by a qualified bargaining unit member, should one apply.
Job openings:
- Number of openings: 1
Background check requirements:
University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.
Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.
Wayne State University is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high quality education. Our deep rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities preparing students for success in a diverse, global society. WSU encourages applications from women, people of color, and other underrepresented people. Wayne State is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
