Description
The Department of Advertising and Public Relations at The University of Alabama is launching a new initiative to better support entrepreneurial activity by students and industry. To support this initiative, we are seeking to hire a renewable contract (non-tenure-track) assistant professor, associate professor, or professor of practice in public relations and entrepreneurship. The ideal candidate will bring professional expertise in public relations, a commitment to preparing students to contribute to the creation, development, and growth of entrepreneurial ventures, and demonstrated innovative thinking in professional practice and the potential to bring that approach into the classroom.
The start date for this position is August 2027.
Relevant entrepreneurial experience may include:
Working for a startup or other emerging venture or managing in-house communications at a high-growth or scale-up company.
Serving startup or entrepreneurial clients through an agency or consultancy.
Founding or helping build a public relations agency, independent consulting practice, or other business.
Advising founders, franchisees, family businesses, or small business owners on reputation, stakeholder relationships, or business development communications, including launch and go-to-market messaging.
Supporting communications needs of incubators, accelerators, university entrepreneurship programs, or commercialization initiatives.
Helping launch nonprofit organizations or social enterprises.
Developing new communications ventures, services, or agency practices within existing organizations.
Managing investor, funding, and transition communications. This includes crowdfunding campaigns, pitch development, investor relations for early-stage companies, and M&A or exit communications.
These examples are illustrative, and applicants may demonstrate relevant entrepreneurial experience through other activities.
Depending on the candidate's experience and background, assigned classes could include, but are not limited to, the following:
APR 241 Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations
APR 280 Audience Analysis
APR 290 Channels and Messaging
APR 303 Public Relations Strategy
APR 332 Public Relations Writing
APR 423 Advertising and Public Relations Management
APR 427 Public Relations Leadership
APR 433 Public Relations Campaigns
APR 451 Business for Strategic Communicators
APR 452 Ethics and Professionalism
The faculty member will also be encouraged to develop new courses connecting public relations and entrepreneurship. These courses could address the communication needs of emerging ventures, the role of public relations in helping organizations grow, or the creation and management of an agency or independent practice.
The ability to work with student groups, such as the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), is also desired. The faculty member will be expected to develop a partnership with the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute, The EDGE, and other entrepreneurship programs.
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to be an active and engaged member of a highly collaborative faculty team. The successful hire will teach four courses each fall and spring semester and may teach master's and doctoral courses, depending on academic qualifications.
Minimum Qualifications for consideration for assistant professor rank
A terminal degree in public relations or a related field (Ph.D.) and at least three years of professional experience in public relations or a related field, including at least one year involving entrepreneurial communications activities.
Proficiency in AP style
Previous teaching experience is not required.
Minimum Qualifications for consideration for associate professor rank
A terminal degree in public relations or a related field (Ph.D.) and at least 10 years of professional experience in public relations or a related field, including at least three years involving entrepreneurial communications activities.
Proficiency in AP style
Previous teaching experience is not required.
Minimum Qualifications for consideration for professor of practice rank
A master's degree in public relations or a related field (including an MBA) and at least three years of professional experience in public relations or a related field, including at least one year involving entrepreneurial communications activities.
Alternatively, a bachelor’s degree and 20 years of significant professional experience in the private or public sector outside academia, including 10 years involving extensive entrepreneurial communications activities, with an established record of professional distinction and achievement at the pinnacle of one’s career.
Proficiency in AP style
Previous teaching experience is not required.
Preferred Qualifications (all ranks)
Five years or more of public relations experience in senior or leadership roles.
Three years or more of leadership-level entrepreneurial communications activities.
Experience teaching college-level classes or experience leading employee training or workshops.
o We are especially interested in candidates who have used innovative, experiential approaches to teaching, such as client-based projects, design thinking, venture simulations, pitch development, and interdisciplinary collaboration, and who can help students develop the creativity, adaptability, and comfort with experimentation that entrepreneurial environments demand.
Experience working with AI to assist with or create public relations communications.
Application Process
To apply, provide the following:
Cover letter highlighting your overall match for the position.
Resume or curriculum vitae.
3. Representative clients, employers, and industries, with a brief description of relevant entrepreneurial communications achievements or responsibilities
Names and contact information for three references.
Applications submitted by Nov. 30, 2026, will receive full consideration, and review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Questions regarding the search should be directed to the search chair, Jay Waters, at ghwaters1@ua.edu.
The University of Alabama is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Women and members of underrepresented racial and ethnic communities are encouraged to apply.
About the Department of Advertising and Public Relations
The Department of Advertising and Public Relations houses a growing community of faculty, staff, and students with various research and professional interests. The department faculty engage in a variety of successful cross-campus collaborations and leadership roles. It is also home to The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.
The advertising and public relations undergraduate programs are ACEJMC-accredited. Advertising majors have four options: a general major or a concentration in brand management, advertising creative, or integrated channel planning. Public relations majors have the option of a general or digital communication concentration. The graduate program awards a Master of Arts in advertising and public relations. The two-year residential program offers an individualized track and more specialized advertising, creative, and media strategy concentrations. The graduate program also provides distance-learning concentrations in digital communication and marketing communication management.
The department is home to the award-winning Minerva advertising portfolio program and the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. It has been listed by PRWeek magazine as one of the top five programs in the country and APR teams have been recognized in national student competitions including the American Advertising Federation’s National Student Advertising Competition, the PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition, and the Washington Media Scholars Foundation Case Competition. Students gain extensive practical experience before graduation through multiple outlets, including work with the student-run Capstone Agency and industry clients such as NASCAR, the Country Music Association, Twitch, and Tervis.
About the College of Communication & Information Sciences
The Department of Advertising and Public Relations is one of four academic units in the College of Communication & Information Sciences. The college has 117 full-time faculty members serving ~3,600 students across bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs on campus and online, including ~110 students in the college-wide Ph.D. program in which the Department of Advertising and Public Relations actively participates. Each unit within the college is home to a nationally-ranked top-20 program. Housed within the Office of Research facilities are equipped with the quality products, including Meltwater data warehouse and custom data collection and management resources, state-of-the-art iMotions software and associated hardware, and an audience experience lab with interactive VR/AI, theater and additional equipment. The college is also home to the Holle Center for Communication Arts, whose mission is guided by a commitment to advance narrative justice through innovative and arts-informed research, community engagement, and creative co-operation. The college also maintains the 40,000 square-foot Digital Media Center, which is home to Alabama Public Radio, the Center for Public Television, and WVUA 23, a full-power commercial television station serving a top-50 television market.
About the University of Alabama
Located in Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama is the state's flagship public university and offers a full course of academic programs and social life to its over 42,000 students. The university maintains several research institutes that unite researchers from various disciplines, including faculty in the [INSERT UNIT], to address pertinent societal issues. These include the Alabama Life Research Institute, Alabama Materials Institute, Alabama Transportation Institute, and Alabama Water Institute, among others. As the state's flagship university and a sea-grant and space-grant institution, the University of Alabama and its students and faculty address challenges at the cutting edge of scientific inquiry while also driving economic growth and serving the societal needs of the state, regional, national, and global community. The university is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
About Tuscaloosa, Alabama
The city of Tuscaloosa has a diverse metropolitan population of more than 110,000 and offers an excellent quality of life and various multicultural resources and opportunities. The walkable downtown offers many cultural and outdoor activities, a wide variety of local restaurants spanning a broad range of cuisines, monthly art walks, a 7,470-seat outdoor amphitheater, and a very reasonable cost of living. Tuscaloosa is a morning's drive from the Smoky Mountains, Gulf Coast beaches, New Orleans, Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta.
