Columbia University has been a leader in higher education in the nation and around the world for more than 250 years. At the core of our wide range of academic inquiry is the commitment to attract and engage the best minds in pursuit of greater human understanding, pioneering new discoveries, and service to society. 

The School of Professional Studies at Columbia University offers innovative and rigorous programs that integrate knowledge across disciplinary boundaries, combine theory with practice, leverage the expertise of our students and faculty, and connect global constituencies. Through twenty professional master's degrees, courses for advancement and graduate school preparation, certificate programs, summer courses, high school programs, and a program for learning English as a second language, the School of Professional Studies transforms knowledge and understanding in service of the greater good.

Columbia University School of Professional Studies invites applications for the role of Adjunct Lecturer to teach Applied Writing in the Narrative Medicine Context and Beyond, a core course in the school’s M.S. in Narrative Medicine program.

The program prepares health professionals, writers, and scholars to apply the skills and values of narrative understanding to improve outcomes for both patients and caregivers, and to investigate issues pertinent to health and healthcare in a rigorous transdisciplinary setting. The program’s curriculum can be found here. 

This course introduces students to the practice and purpose of writing, with a focus on how writing shapes thought, emotion, and behavior. Through readings, discussion, and guided writing exercises, students examine the impact of writing on individuals and explore its applications in clinical settings. By the end of the course, students develop a deeper understanding of their own writing process and gain practical skills for facilitating writing with others in clinical contexts.

The course is scheduled to meet weekly on Mondays during the Fall ’26 semester, from 10:10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m EST.

Responsibilities

• Lead in-person class lectures, instructional activities, and classroom discussion
• Evaluate student work and grade assignments
• Monitor student concerns and inquiries and be the first point of contact for student questions
• Hold weekly office hours
• Prepare, maintain, and enhance the course in Canvas, Columbia University’s learning management system for onsite and online courses
• Part‐time Lecturers who are new to SPS must complete Canvas training (online learning management system)
• Attend Narrative Medicine faculty meetings

Serving as an Adjunct Lecturer provides an outstanding opportunity to educate and mentor students in the field of narrative medicine as well as to form a rewarding professional relationship with Columbia University’s world-class faculty. 

Columbia University SPS operates under a scholar-practitioner faculty model, which enables students to learn from faculty that have outstanding academic training as well as a record of accomplishment as practitioners in an applied professional setting. 

Requirements

• MFA in Creative Writing or a related field
• Experience teaching writing at the university level, with a strong grasp of craft, reflective practice, and process-oriented pedagogy.
• Strong communication and problem solving skills and an ability to multi-task

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Familiarity with the field of Narrative Medicine
• A terminal degree in one of the above mentioned disciplines
• 2+ years graduate-level university teaching experience

Compensation Range - $11,000 - $12,000 per semester-length course.

Review of applications begins immediately and will continue until positions are filled.

All applicants, please provide:

• A resume/CV inclusive of university teaching experience -- highlight teaching at the graduate level
• A cover letter detailing detailing their suitability to teach the course 
• Evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., student evaluations of teaching, teaching observation summaries, etc.)
• Writing sample

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran