Assistant Professor of Psychology

Position: Assistant Professor of Psychology (Counseling Psychology) 

Type: Tenure-Track                   Academic Year: 2026-2027                       Available: Fall 2026 

Location:        Department of Psychology

                       College of Social Sciences and Education

                       California State University, Bakersfield

                       9001 Stockdale Highway

                       Bakersfield, CA  93311-1099

Contact: Requests for information about the position and application process should be directed to Dr. Heidi McLaughlin hmclaughlin1@csub.edu. 

Deadline: Full consideration will be given to complete applications submitted by February 28, 2026. Applications submitted after the deadline may be reviewed at the discretion of the committee until the position is filled. 

University Background: CSU Bakersfield, founded in 1970, is a regional, comprehensive university serving the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. CSUB’s service area covers nearly 25,000 square miles and is home to a socially and ethnically diverse population. CSUB is the only four-year degree granting institution within a 100-mile radius. Due to this, CSUB has a vital role in educational obtainment, economic development, and quality of life within the region. The campus serves 9,800 undergraduate students and 1,750 graduate, credential, and post-baccalaureate students. CSUB is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

The accolades recently received by CSUB include: #18 in Top Public Universities in the West (U.S. News and World Report, 2025), #17 in Best Bang for the Buck for Western Colleges and #8 in Best Master’s University (Washington Monthly, 2025), #9 in Economic Mobility Index (Third Way, 2024), and #4 in California Mobility Index (College Future Foundation, 2024).

Commitment to Diversity: The Department of Psychology within the College of Social Sciences and Education at CSUB is committed to academic and inclusive excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body. 

College Information: The College of Social Sciences and Education has an enrollment of more than 5,000 students composed of ten departments: Advanced Educational Studies, Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies, Criminal Justice, Ethnic Studies, Kinesiology, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Teacher Education. For additional information about the College’s programs, visit its web page at http://www.csub.edu/sse/.

Department Information: The Department of Psychology is one of ten departments in the SSE. Serving over 1,000 majors, the department is the largest in the College. The department offers both a Bachelor’s and Master’s program. The department provides students a broad range of perspectives, methodologies, and bodies of knowledge from contemporary psychology facilitating the development of skills, and knowledge necessary for success beyond graduation. Master’s students are trained both in the classroom and within the larger community. Beyond academics, the faculty work collaboratively to provide a welcoming and student-centered atmosphere in and outside of the classroom. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, our department values cultural sensitivity and community connection. 

Position Description and Duties: The Department of Psychology at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) seeks to fill the position of Assistant Professor in counseling psychology. The person hired for this position will work primarily for the M.S. in Counseling Psychology graduate program (www.csub.edu/cpsy) and possibly contribute to the Undergraduate program with a start date of August 17, 2026. In addition, they will assist with our on-campus University Counselor Training Clinic (UCTC). CSUB boasts having one of the few counseling programs in California with an on-site training center that is highly respected within the community as it provides community members with affordable, high quality counseling services. The M.S.