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The USC School of Cinematic Arts invites applications for an adjunct faculty position in the Interactive Media & Games Division to teach User Research for Games . This advanced, hands-on course explores the methods, tools, and analytical frameworks used to evaluate player experience, measure engagement, and inform game design through data-driven insights.

The ideal candidate is an experienced practitioner or scholar with a background in UX research, player insights, or human-computer interaction within the game industry. The instructor will guide students through the full research cycle—from hypothesis formation and experimental design to qualitative and quantitative analysis—helping them apply rigorous research methods to real game projects.

Responsibilities

+ Teach one or more sections of User Research for Games per semester in alignment with IMGD’s curriculum.

+ Develop and deliver lectures, labs, and assignments that cover topics such as:

+ Player research methodologies and usability testing

+ Metrics, telemetry, and behavioral analytics

+ Survey design and data interpretation

+ Playtest planning, facilitation, and reporting

+ Communicating insights to designers and producers

+ Supervise student-led research projects involving live game prototypes.

+ Introduce ethical frameworks for player data collection and user privacy.

+ Provide mentorship and constructive feedback that bridges academic research with industry practice.

+ Collaborate with other IMGD faculty to ensure continuity between user research, design, and production courses.

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in UX Research, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Game Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or related disciplines.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field.

Minimum Experience:

+ Demonstrated expertise in user or player research methods, with applied experience in games or interactive media.

+ Strong communication and mentoring skills.

Preferred Experience:

+ Professional experience at a game studio, publisher, or analytics company (e.g., UX research, playtesting, telemetry, or consumer insights).

+ Familiarity with research tools and platforms such as PlaytestCloud, Qualtrics, SPSS, R, or Unity analytics.

+ Prior university-level teaching experience or mentorship in an academic or industry setting.

USC reserves the “Adjunct” appointment for faculty teaching less than full-time at USC who are employed full-time in a primary profession or career elsewhere. Adjunct faculty typically teach only one course per year, but, in exceptional cases, may teach one course per semester, if approved by the dean.

The core salary range for this position is $34.00 to $40.00 per hour. This is an adjunct 25% FTE position.

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, as well as external market and organizational considerations.