Job Announcement: Dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts). One of UCLA’s 12 professional schools, UCLA Arts plays a vital role in the cultural and artistic life of the university and the broader community. As an interdisciplinary hub for discovery, creativity and connection, UCLA Arts is where art, architecture, dance, design and scholarship are rooted in the curiosity, conscience and rigor of the nation’s #1 public research university. Its mission is to educate and empower students and faculty to explore new forms and pursue new answers to the pressing questions that shape our world. The school has approximately 155 full-time and part-time faculty (of whom 55 are tenure track) who teach approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in liberal arts programs (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.), professional degree programs (M.F.A., M.Arch., MSAUD, M.A. in Architecture) and a K-12-focused arts education minor. The school is organized in four departments — architecture and urban design, art, design | media arts, and world arts and cultures/dance — and houses nine faculty-led research centers and labs that foster groundbreaking interdisciplinary creativity and research to address issues such as global health, climate change, urbanism and other critical societal challenges. As one of the region’s largest presenters of public arts programming, UCLA Arts includes two world-class museums — the Hammer and the Fowler — and one performing arts program, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, that offer rich access to leading exhibitions and collections, performances, lectures and workshops by established and emerging artists from Los Angeles and around the world. Many of these programs are presented in two iconic venues — Royce Hall, a cornerstone of UCLA’s cultural and architectural legacy, and the Nimoy Theater, a dynamic new space for innovative performance and community engagement. This unique array of academic programs, research centers, museums and performing arts programs broaden and enhance the experiences of the school’s students and faculty and extend the reach and impact of the school throughout the broader community.

As the chief executive and academic officer for UCLA Arts, the dean provides strategic vision for and operational leadership of the school, which has an annual operating budget of approximately $70 million. The dean works to advance scholarship, creative and artistic accomplishment, and education and civic engagement; encourage distinctive programmatic innovation; enhance excellence through diversity in educational programs and faculty and student recruitment; and link the work of the school’s faculty and students to other disciplines, communities and interests within and outside of the academy. Supporting the university’s research mission, the dean will advance the faculty’s scholarly activities, including opportunities afforded by interdisciplinary approaches. The dean serves as the school’s public voice, articulating its contributions to local, state, regional, national and international communities, and pursuing an ambitious development program to build the school’s resources. Reporting to the executive vice chancellor and provost, the dean serves on the deans council, the council of professional school deans and the chancellor’s council on the arts, and collaborates with leadership across UCLA and the UC system as well as local, national and international leaders in the arts and architecture.

Ideal candidates will be nationally and/or internationally recognized for scholarly and/or professional achievement, with demonstrated leadership and administrative experience in a creative environment and in academia, and a strong commitment to arts and architecture education and scholarship. Minimum requirements include a record of distinguished intellectual leadership and scholarly accomplishment and/or practice in the arts and/or architecture; significant organizational leadership and administrative responsibility; demonstrated success in external relations and fundraising, particularly with alumni; an established record of advancing inclusive excellence; and credentials that merit appointment at the rank of full professor.

With its 419-acre campus in Westwood and site acquisitions in Downtown and West L.A., UCLA is enriched by the cultural diversity of the dynamic greater Los Angeles area, as well as the geographic advantages of Southern California. One of the world’s preeminent public research universities, UCLA is an international leader in breadth and quality of academic, research, health care, wellness, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs, with more than 6,567 faculty members who teach approximately 48,000 students in the UCLA College and 12 professional schools. UCLA is consistently ranked among the top institutions nationally for research funding, having generated nearly $1.6 billion in research grants and contracts in the last fiscal year alone.

Confidential review of applications, nominations and expressions of interest will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made. Address nominations, inquiries and applications to our Isaacson, Miller consultants Rafael Escobedo, Keith Mason and Cati Mitchell-Crossley via the Isaacson, Miller website. To be ensured full consideration, please submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae by January 9, 2026.

The anticipated annual compensation range for this position is $412,000 – $505,000, commensurate with related experience and qualifications. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.