While doctoral education is well-established in traditional academic environments, the role, value and function of online doctoral education is less clear. Interwoven with concerns about the online delivery format is the changing focus of doctoral education. As a function of social, technological and economic pressures, doctoral programs are expanding the traditional emphasis on basic research to include more integrated, applied models of inquiry. Understanding the unique needs and educational objectives of a scholar-practitioner model shifts concerns about online doctoral education from an emphasis on mode of delivery to an awareness of how the mode of delivery aligns with the broader learning model. The issue is not online or face-to-face, but rather rests in alignment of the theoretical model with development of curriculum and academic support structures. This paper highlights specific strategies and theoretical approaches underlying the creation of a doctoral online learning model focused on maintaining academic excellence while adapting to meet the needs of modern learners.