Assistant / Associate Professor of Screenwriting
School/Department Information
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, located in Winston‐Salem (“The City of the Arts”), was the first state‐supported, residential school of its kind in the nation. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, UNCSA opened in Winston‐Salem in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina system in 1972. More than 1,200 students from middle school through graduate school train for careers in the arts. The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is dedicated entirely to the professional training of talented students in the performing, visual and moving image arts. The chancellor, deans, and faculty work with students in a residential setting to create an educational community that is intimate, demanding, and performance‐centered. Learning is enriched by access to an academic program responsive to a conservatory curriculum. Founded to be both an educational institution and a resource enhancing the cultural life of the state of North Carolina and the Southeast, UNCSA offers numerous public performances, on‐ and off‐campus, as well as community education in the arts.
Established in 1993, the School of Filmmaking combines rigorous professional training with unparalleled facilities, equipment and resources. The program’s mission is to train talented students for professional careers in the film and television industries and stresses the collaborative nature of filmmaking in a rigorous conservatory atmosphere. The School of Filmmaking’s goal is to produce the “complete” filmmaker – a storyteller of unusual vision who knows how to use and value the components of the filmmaking arts. The School of Filmmaking offers a BFA in Animation, Cinematography, Directing, Picture Editing & Sound Design, Producing, Production Design & Visual Effects, and Screenwriting, and an MFA in Creative Producing, Film Music Composition, and Screenwriting.
UNCSA is the sole arts conservatory among the seventeen campuses affiliated with the UNC system, and offers majors in Dance, Design & Production, Drama, Filmmaking, and Music. UNCSA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive artistic and educational community, welcoming and supportive of faculty and staff from all racial, ethnic, economic, religious, gender, and gender‐identity backgrounds. We encourage applications from individuals whose backgrounds and interests align with this commitment.
The School of Filmmaking is seeking innovative, versatile educators interested in teaching students immersed in an interactive process using state of the art facilities and equipment, and where their professional experience informs their instruction and enables them to create content from their first year forward.
Description of Responsibilities and Duties
The Assistant/Associate Professor of Screenwriting’s primary responsibility is to teach multiple undergraduate screenwriting courses including, but not limited to FUNDAMENTALS OF SCREENWRITING I and II, SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP I and II, INTERMEDIARY and ADVANCED SCREENWRITING CLASSES on topics such as Genre Studies, Adaptation, Research, Writing for Television, and Career Preparation. Faculty also actively advise first and second year students as they begin to gravitate to their chosen disciplines, and mentor students in the third and fourth years who have already been accepted into the Screenwriting discipline.
Faculty at UNCSA are also expected to engage in activities that are typical in an academic setting, such as advising and supervising students outside the classroom, attending faculty and production meetings, participating in service activities such as faculty governance and admissions, inviting guest artists to campus for workshops and presentations, and helping to develop new courses, programs, curricula, and methods of instruction.
Required Qualifications
An earned terminal degree in the teaching discipline, generally the MFA, or a master’s degree with a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline. Equivalent professional experience OR an equivalent combination of education and professional experience will be accepted in lieu of the academic degree. Substantial professional experience as a screenwriter, producer, or creative executive in feature films and/or television, along with demonstrated teaching/lecturing experience; current and continued engagement in the entertainment industry; and a significant and distinguished professional and artistic record.
Preferred Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have had exposure to the TV industry in some capacity; e.g., development, the writers’ room, production, and the like. They will contribute to the students’ overall education in filmmaking using screenwriting to encourage collaboration, develop communications skills, instill critical thinking, and inspire creativity.
The ideal candidate would also have outstanding leadership skills elevating the profile of the screenwriting department within the UNC system and in the industry at large, as well as the ability to promote the preeminence of UNCSA as a leading film school by building professional partnerships within the industry and promoting professional opportunities for the students to showcase their talents and advance their careers.
Candidates should have experience designing courses that engender intellectual growth, an interest in developing socially engaged individuals with unique viewpoints and skills in teaching them how best to express themselves. They should demonstrate a commitment to excellence and implementing pedagogically sound practices both inside and outside the classroom, as well as an interest in shaping the educational experience for emerging arts in a 21st century perspective.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Proficiency in using industry software including Final Draft.
Tenure Information
UNCSA utilizes a multi-year contract system in lieu of tenure.
How to Apply
Applications, which must include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and references, must be submitted through UNCSA’s Human Resources website. Applications are currently being reviewed and this position is open until filled. To apply for this position, please visit the following link –