In 1972, Dean Peter F. Krogh appointed Dr. Chester A. Crocker as the first full-time director dedicated to the MSFS program. This marked a return to academia for Crocker, who prior to his appointment to the National Security Council by Henry Kissinger was a lecturer in African government and politics at the American University.
Under this new leadership, new co-curricular programs were introduced to the MSFS, including second-year policy-oriented workshops and final oral exams administered by practitioners in the field. MSFS’s emphasis on practical skills-oriented training was praised by the Hoya as a successful example amid a hubbub of Georgetown graduate students being underprepared for future careers after graduation.