This case study describes the evolution of a Master's program in community psychology from its inception in 1976 through 1984. Yin's (1978) discussion of the critical events in the routinization of innovations and his emphasis on passages and cycles are used to analyze the development of the Master's program in community psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The earliest or improvisation stage occurred at a time when the university was growing and community psychology was becoming an increasingly popular field nationally. A new faculty member was hired to lead the program. When this person left and a replacement was hired, the program moved into an expansion phase which was characterized by several crises. These included problems with faculty, student recruitment, and funding for mental health programs. The third or disappearance phase began with the development of a doctoral program in clinical psychology, concern over allocation of resources between undergraduate and graduate programs, and a move toward providing more marketable skills to the private sector as well as to public agencies. Thus while the program continues to exist and develop, it is no longer an innovation. (IS)