This article examines the operational and administrative underpinnings of Vanderbilt University's Ed.D. program. It explores the ways in which the admissions process, program orientation, and other academic and support services were reconceived when Peabody College formally launched its redesigned Ed.D. program in the summer of 2004. Further, it situates the mission of Peabody's education doctorate--the training and preparation of practitioner-scholars in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary settings--within the context of program administration.