Initiation of an M.P.H. Degree Program: Reengineering Resources in a Metropolitan University to Meet Urban Needs

Abstract

The Age of Abundance has passed and the new era of scarcity has us feeling powerless to begin any new programs in the universities, let alone those in human services or urban revitalization. This article offers an account of how the Virginia Commonwealth University confronted the shrinking resources for its urban mission by creating a Master of Public Health degree program. We recount here some of the obstacles that we confronted and how we extracted existing elements from the University and professional communities with which to build the program. Finally, the article reports how, despite our initial concern that the scant resources would hinder the quality of the program, the MP.H. has now become a brisk hub of activity and personnel that combines much needed service to the urban community with the best of professional education.