Job description
School: Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department/Area: Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Position Description
The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations seeks to appoint a tenure-track or tenured professor in Medieval Islamic Cultures and Societies. We welcome applicants who specialize in the medieval period (600-1500) and in various subfields, including (but not limited to) early and medieval Islamic history, classical Arabic literature, and non-Muslim communities in medieval Islamic societies. The successful candidate will be expected to teach and advise at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, will have an excellent reading knowledge of Arabic, and will have the ability to guide graduate students in the reading of Arabic primary sources, both printed and in manuscript. In Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, tenure-track positions are untenured. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1st, 2027. The appointee will teach and advise at the undergraduate and graduate levels. External applicants and finalists considered for a tenured appointment will need to complete the same procedures as external applicants and finalists in a search designated specifically for a tenured appointment.
Basic Qualifications
Candidates are required to have defended their PhD and to have their doctoral degree in hand at the time of application. Applications from current PhD students will not be considered.
Additional Qualifications
Demonstrated strong commitment to teaching, advising, and research is desired. Candidates for a tenured appointment should also evince intellectual leadership and impact on the field and potential for significant contributions to the department, University, and wider scholarly community.
How to apply
Please submit the following materials through the ARIeS portal (https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/16920). Candidates are encouraged to apply by November 15, 2026; applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Teaching/advising statement (describing the candidate’s teaching philosophy and practices as well as their approach to creating a learning environment in which every student is encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas)
- Research statement
- One published, article-length writing sample.
- Service statement describing efforts to strengthen academic communities (e.g., the candidate’s department, institution, and/or professional societies)
- Candidates for a tenure-track position are also required to submit names and contact information of 3-5 referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received. For candidates for a tenure-track position, at least one letter must come from someone who has not served as the candidate’s undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral advisor.
- External applicants to a tenured position are required to complete, sign, and upload/submit the form entitled “Authorization to release information for external applicants” as part of the Conduct Inquiry Process and Procedures for External Applicants and Finalists to Tenured Positions.
If visa sponsorship is needed, Harvard retains the discretion to determine which visa status is appropriate and whether a visa sponsorship application will ultimately be submitted, including payment of any applicable fees.
Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes.
Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy. Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.
Contact Information
Carrie Mountain, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Contact Email: [email protected]
Salary Range
Tenure-Track Salary: $100,000-$130,000
Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as years of experience, training or qualification, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field.
Tenured Salary: $170,000-$310,000
Pay offered to the selected candidate is dependent on factors such as experience, training or qualifications, field of scholarship, and accomplishments in the field.
Keywords
assistant, associate, faculty, instructor, tenure track, tenure, professor
Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA, Northeast, New England
Medieval Islamic Cultures and Societies
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
