Assistant Professor of History

Assistant Professor of History , beginning in August 2027, pending funding. This is a full-time, renewable faculty appointment with a clear pathway for academic promotion. We seek an outstanding historian committed to both excellent undergraduate teaching and rigorous scholarship in an international liberal arts setting.

The position is open to all historical specialties. Preference will be given to candidates able to teach across a range of geographical areas and historical periods. Candidates should be ready to collaborate across the curriculum, bring experiential and interdisciplinary methods into their courses, and participate actively in the life of a small residential academic community. Previous experience at a U.S.-style liberal arts university is highly desirable.

Duties and Responsibilities

Teaching and Curriculum Development

• Teach a typical load of six courses per academic year (18 U.S. credit hours, approximately 36–38 ECTS annually), including a course with an integrated Academic Travel component.

• Teach across different levels of the History curriculum, including First-Year Seminars, writing-intensive courses, Academic Travel courses, and senior capstone courses.

• Contribute breadth and flexibility in course offerings, ideally spanning different historical periods and geographical areas.

• Provide excellent, engaged undergraduate teaching, especially in the small-class settings central to Franklin’s residential liberal arts model.

• Employ interdisciplinary, experiential, and project-based pedagogies that connect historical inquiry with other fields and with the contexts students encounter beyond the classroom.

Academic Travel and Experiential Engagement

• Design and teach an academically integrated travel experience that enables students to investigate historical, cultural, or other relevant themes through place-based learning.

• Develop and draw upon academic, professional, and external partnerships in Switzerland and beyond to enrich learning experiences and support student opportunities.

• Collaborate with faculty from other disciplines to foster innovative approaches to teaching, experiential learning, and course development.

Research and Scholarly Activity

• Maintain a clearly defined, active research agenda and contribute to Franklin’s research profile through scholarship appropriate to career stage and discipline.

• Produce recognized historical scholarship, which may include peer-reviewed journal articles, scholarly books or monographs, book chapters, and other appropriate academic contributions.

• Develop productive connections between scholarly research and classroom teaching so that each strengthens the other.

Advising, Mentoring, and Institutional Service

• Contribute to academic advising and student mentoring, helping students navigate their academic programs and intellectual development.

• Participate in faculty committee work and other forms of academic service that support shared responsibilities within a small institution.

• Support, as appropriate, student recruitment, alumni relations, new program development, career-development activities, and other initiatives serving Franklin’s academic community.

• Work constructively and collegially with faculty and staff across disciplines and contribute to an inclusive and productive campus culture.

Experience and Qualifications

• A PhD in History completed by the time of appointment.

• A strong commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching, preferably with experience in small-class settings.

• Ability to teach History at several curricular levels, including seminars, writing-intensive courses, and advanced capstone courses.

• Breadth across historical periods and geographical areas is preferred; all fields of specialization are welcome.

• A record of scholarly achievement appropriate to career stage and a clearly articulated research agenda.

• Interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential teaching, Academic Travel, advising, and active service to the institution.

• Experience in a U.S.-style liberal arts university is highly desirable; fluency in English is required for instruction, and knowledge of a Swiss national language is an asset.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement addressing teaching and research, teaching evaluations, and three professional references. Application materials should be sent as attachments in PDF, DOC, or DOCX format.

Email all materials to

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is August 2027.

Equal Opportunity and Work Authorization

Franklin Switzerland is committed to fostering an open, fair, diverse, and inclusive academic community. The institution welcomes applicants from different backgrounds and perspectives and considers qualified candidates without unlawful discrimination. Due to Swiss employment and work-permit requirements, applications from Swiss and EU nationals will receive priority in the evaluation process; applications from all qualified candidates are welcome.