Adjunct Physics professor jobs
Part-time physics teaching positions at universities, community colleges, and online-first institutions across the U.S. Online, remote, and on-campus roles.
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City Colleges of Chicago
Adjunct Instructor - Physics
Dutchess Community College (SUNY)
Adjunct Faculty - Physical Sciences
About adjunct physics professor jobs
Adjunct physics professors are part-time faculty hired semester by semester to teach undergraduate or graduate physics courses. Most institutions hire physics adjuncts to cover high-enrollment introductory courses, asynchronous online sections, summer terms, and specialized electives that don't justify a full-time hire.
Common adjunct physics teaching assignments
- College Physics I & II
- University Physics (calculus-based)
- Introductory Astronomy
- Physical Science
- Physics Lab
- Conceptual Physics
Credentials and qualifications
The standard credential for adjunct physics teaching is a master's in physics, astronomy, or a closely related field with at least 18 graduate credit hours in physics (PhD preferred at four-year universities). Accreditation guidelines generally require at least 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline you're teaching — so a related field is often acceptable if you have enough discipline-specific coursework.
Where to find adjunct physics jobs
The most active employers of adjunct physics faculty are the large online-first universities (SNHU, UMGC, Liberty, Grand Canyon, Walden), community college systems, public university continuing education divisions, and four-year private universities. The listings above pull from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What qualifications do I need to teach adjunct physics?
- Most adjunct physics positions require a master's in physics, astronomy, or a closely related field with at least 18 graduate credit hours in physics (PhD preferred at four-year universities). Community colleges and online universities have more flexibility on credentials; four-year universities and graduate programs are stricter.
- How much do adjunct physics professors earn per course?
- Adjunct physics pay typically falls in the $2,000–$7,000 per 3-credit course range. Community colleges and online-first universities (SNHU, UMGC, Liberty) sit at the lower end ($2,000–$3,500). Four-year university extension programs and graduate-level physics courses pay $3,500–$7,000+.
- What physics courses do adjuncts typically teach?
- The most common adjunct physics teaching assignments are introductory and gen-ed courses with high enrollment: College Physics I & II, University Physics (calculus-based), Introductory Astronomy, Physical Science, and similar undergraduate sections.
- Can I teach adjunct physics online or remote?
- Yes — every major online university (SNHU, UMGC, Western Governors, Liberty, Grand Canyon, Walden) hires online physics adjuncts, and most community colleges and four-year universities now offer asynchronous online sections in physics. Filter the listings above by modality "Online" to see only remote-eligible roles.
- How competitive are adjunct physics positions?
- Competition varies by institution tier. Brand-name universities and tenure-track-adjacent roles are very competitive; online-first universities, community colleges, and continuing education programs maintain large rolling adjunct pools and hire continuously.
Universities hiring physics adjuncts
Institutions with current or recent physics listings on OpenLecture.