Matthew McConaughey becomes professor at University of Texas

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey has agreed to join the University of Texas as a professor. The actor will teach this fall in the university's Department of Radio-Television-Film.

McConaughey has been a visiting instructor at the flagship campus in Austin since 2015, and the university said in a statement on Wednesday that the appointment recognises his "outstanding work as a teacher and mentor."

He will continue teaching a script-to-screen film production class for which he developed the course curriculum. The actor earned a film degree from the school in 1993.

The university says McConaughey is respected for his "willingness to work with students beyond the classroom."

McConaughey has appeared in more than 50 films, including Dazed and Confused, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Dallas Buyers Club (for which he won an Oscar and Golden Globe for his leading role).