Faculty Part-Time Position Announcement: AY 2026-2027

General Information:

At the time of appointment, the successful candidate, if not a U.S. citizen, must have authorization from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work in the United States. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.

Please note: California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is currently not sponsoring applicants for H-1B employment that are subject to the $100,000 fee established by the “Presidential Proclamation: Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” issued on September 19, 2025. Applicants are responsible for determining the applicability of the fee.

In compliance with the Annual Security Report & Fire Safety Report of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, California State University, Northridge has made crime-reporting statistics available on-line here. Print copies are available by request from the Department of Police Services, the Office for Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Equity and Diversity. 

The person holding this position may be considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. 

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position with the CSU. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the application status of applicants or continued employment of current CSU employees who apply for the position. 

In accordance with the California State University (CSU) Out-of-State Employment Policy, the CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California and prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside of California. 

CSUN is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, and disability. Our nondiscrimination policy is set forth in Interim CSU Nondiscrimination Policy. Reasonable accommodations will be provided for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting Dr. Suzanne Scheld at 818-677- 4931.

Course Number

Course Title

Description

ANTH 108.

Latin American Cultures

Study of major social institutions and lifestyles in Central and South America focusing on contemporary peoples, their traditional cultural base and current cultural changes. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.)

ANTH 150

The Human Adventure: Introduction to Anthropology

Overview of human physical and cultural origins and the development and distribution of diverse populations, languages, social institutions and beliefs; introduction to the methods and insights of cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and physical anthropology. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)

ANTH 151

Introduction to Biological Anthropology

Anthropological perspective on biological variation in human and non-human primates in the past and the present; examines the interaction between biology and culture in the evolution of human society. Evolution and behavior of non-human primates are examined for what they reveal about the human condition. (Available for General Education, B2 Life Science or D1 Social Sciences)

ANTH 152

Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Study of the variety of cultural patterns that human societies use to adapt to the environment, guide social interaction and understand the human condition. Emphasizes the ideas and methods anthropologists use to develop a scientific and humanistic understanding of the world’s cultures. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)

ANTH 153

Temples, Tombs and Treasures? An Introduction to Archaeology

Although we are often captivated by the ancient past, many of the reconstructions of this past found in popular culture are not based on the premises of scientific archaeological practice. This course introduces students to the methods, theories and results of scientific archaeological study. Students learn how archaeologists collect and analyze data in order to reconstruct the lifeways and culture histories of our prehistoric ancestors from the Pleistocene to the first civilizations. Students analyze the causes and effects of significant events in humankind’s prehistoric cultural development and their relevance to the present. Students also learn the importance of the stewardship of archaeological resources and principles of cultural heritage management. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)

ANTH 212

Anthropology of Sex

This course will examine human sexuality from a holistic anthropological perspective. Subjects such as sexual anatomy and physiology, sexual intercourse, prostitution, sexual coercion, homosexuality and masturbation will be examined from a biological perspective looking to the non-human primates for comparison, and a cultural perspective using ethnographic and archeological data. Additionally, the course will examine the role of sex in language and folklore. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)

ANTH 222

Visions of the Sacred

Study of the varieties of religious beliefs, rituals and experiences showing the relationship between people and their society, culture, environment and universe. (Available for General Education, C2 Humanities.)

ANTH 232

Expressive Culture

This course presents an introduction to the anthropological analysis of expressive culture. Each course offering will focus on a specific form of expressive culture, such as clothing, food, music, or visual art. Students explore the history of the cultural form; consider how it reflects and communicates societal structures and cultural meanings and values; and examine how the study of expressive culture can be used to probe broader environmental, social, political, economic, and ideological issues. (Available for General Education, C1 Arts.)

ANTH 262

Forensic Anthropology

This course introduces forensic anthropology, the study of human skeletal remains in the context of criminal investigations, war crimes, mass fatalities, and unexplained deaths, among other contexts. Students will learn how forensic anthropologists combine traditional and cutting-edge techniques in the field and laboratory to investigate crimes, provide scientific evidence for prosecution, and resolve complex mass fatality situations, including disasters and terrorist attacks. Students will also become familiar with issues associated with positive identification, skeletal trauma analysis, the legal system, and ethical practices. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.)

ANTH 302

Introduction to Applied Anthropology

This practical, hands-on course introduces students to the ways in which anthropologists apply our field’s skills, knowledge, and perspectives towards the resolution of social problems in today’s world. Students are introduced to a variety of applications anthropology has for other disciplines and professions, including education, health, environmental issues, and business. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (WI)

ANTH 303

Anthropological Thought

Study of the conceptual foundations of contemporary anthropological thought. Topics include evolutionary theory, functionalism, historicalism, structuralism and interpretative anthropology.

ANTH 305

Individual and Culture

Comparative study of the relationship between the individuals and their culture. Child-rearing in nonwestern cultures. Exploration of individual identity and group character. Regular written assignments required. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (WI)

Anthropology of Native North America

ANTH 307

Anthropology of Native California and the Southwest

American Indians in what is now California and the Southwest from the earliest times until today.

ANTH 308

Gender and Culture

Discussion of gender in Western and non-Western, modernizing, industrializing, and globalizing societies; gender and the impact of cultural change. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (WI)

ANTH 310

Language in Culture: Anthropological Linguistics

Study of basic linguistic concepts in cultural contexts; an examination of language diversity and sociocultural factors of language use. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (WI)

ANTH
315

World Cultures and Societies

Compares and contrasts the world’s diverse cultures and societies and examines their current and ever changing relationships in anthropological perspective. (Available for General Education, F Comparative Cultural Studies.) (WI)

ANTH 319

World Prehistory

Encompasses the origin and development of prehistoric human culture from hunting and gathering to the origin of urban societies. Surveys the archaeological evidence from both the New and Old World. (Available for General Education, D1 Social Sciences.) (WI)

ANTH 326

Introduction to Folklore

Introduction to the study of folklore from a cross-cultural perspective, including major forms such as folktale, legend, ballad, joke, riddle, proverb and festival, and the theories used to interpret them. (Available for General Education, C2 Humanities.) (WI)

ANTH 341

Bones: An Introduction to the Study of Human Remains

Anthropology has been popularized in recent years by a range of popular media. But what can human remains really tell us? In this class, we will review the methods used by physical anthropologists to study the human skeleton and critically examine the array of information that can actually be scientifically extracted from human skeletal remains. Based on this knowledge, we will analyze the biological and cultural information bones may yield about past human populations. (Available for General Education, B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning or D1 Social Sciences.) (WI)

ANTH 353

The Maya: Ancient and Modern

This course is an introductory survey of their culture and society from prehistoric times to the present. The course addresses the cultural history, social organization and political history of the Maya, as well as their artistic and intellectual achievements. Discussions include examination of ancient Maya sites, architecture, art and writing, as well as examining the state of the Maya in the modern world.

ANTH 360

Immigration and Ethnicity

Examines the basic concepts that inform our understanding of immigration and ethnicity: race, class, gender; the politics of multiculturalism and cultural diversity; and the conflicts and problems inherent in the immigrant experience.

ANTH 424

The Supernatural in the Modern World

Ethnographic examination of supernatural belief and experience in contemporary societies. 

ANTH 428

Archaeology of Mesoamerica

Overview of the cultural achievements and developments in Mesoamerica prior to the Spanish Conquest.

ANTH 430

Environmental Anthropology

Anthropological approaches to understanding the human-environment relationship. Explores how populations interact with ecological opportunities and constraints, change in the human-environment relationship over time, and causes and consequences of unsustainability. 

ANTH 460

Gender Archaeology

Examines the data and theories that provide insights into gender in prehistoric societies. Discussion of fundamental issues such as the origins of the gendered division of labor, the origins of gender hierarchy, the universality of female subordination and variability in women’s activities, status, and power in human societies. Taught from a cross-cultural perspective and combines insights provided by cultural anthropology, archaeology, art history, physical anthropology, and history.

ANTH 462

Anthropology of the Arts

Anthropological approaches to the study of artistic expression in diverse sociocultural settings from the prehistoric to the present. Regular written assignments are required.

ANTH 468

Cultural Heritage

Introduction to cultural heritage studies that focuses on the politics of the representation and conservation of tangible and intangible remains of the past. An examination of the issues at stake in the interpretation, management, and portrayal of the past that contribute to the complexity of contemporary identity politics. The course also explores the uses (and abuses) of the past in the present for social, political, and economic purposes.

ANTH 473

Theory and Method in Archaeology

This course provides students with the basic theoretical and methodological skills and background needed to become practicing archaeologists. By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze and evaluate archaeological arguments on a range of key topics in terms of their theoretical approach, research design and logic. Students will master the key concepts that provide the underpinnings to successful research design and allow them to intelligently engage with other scholars at the national and international level.

ANTH 475

Ethnographic Research Methods

Upper division standing; Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the integration of anthropological perspectives with other social scientific research, including quantitative and advanced qualitative methods.

ANTH 490A

Seminar in Anthropology: Archaeology

Faculty-directed research on primary data in the major sub-disciplines of Anthropology.

ANTH 490B

Seminar in Anthropology: Biological Anthropology

Faculty-directed research on primary data in the major sub-disciplines of Anthropology.

ANTH 490C

Seminar in Anthropology: Cultural Anthropology

Faculty-directed research on primary data in the major sub-disciplines of Anthropology.

ANTH 490E

Seminar in Anthropology: Applied Anthropology

Faculty-directed research on primary data in the major sub-disciplines of Anthropology.

ANTH 521

California Archaeology

Study of the archaeology of California from the earliest times through the Mission Period, with particular attention to the ecology of foraging and the causes of the cultural changes exhibited in the sequence.

ANTH 527

Advanced North American Archaeology

Archaeological research in North America has produced evidence for more than 15,000 years of human occupation. This advanced course details this history and the material evidence through which it is studied, with a particular emphasis on new discoveries and controversies.

ANTH 593

Teaching Anthropology

This course introduces students to the methods and practices used in communicating and teaching anthropology to diverse audiences across the lifespan and in a variety of settings: higher education, museums, interpretive sites, and in environmental and primatology conservation. Students learn to create measurable learning outcomes, develop lesson and learning plans, select and use instructional strategies, and clearly communicate key concepts in anthropology to diverse audiences.