Demands of the modern workforce, coupled with rapid advances in educational technology, have created a new paradigm of doctoral learning. No longer designed with the traditional academic in mind, doctoral education has expanded to accommodate the expectations, demands, and expertise of working professionals. Simultaneously, traditional academic voices have articulated more vibrant and diverse understandings on the development and socialization of doctoral learners. Considerations of the methods, interventions, and outcomes for the development of scholars are being investigated; as highlighted by Gardner and Mendoza (2010), successful doctoral programs should consider a wider variety of scholarly outputs, development methodologies, and stakeholder perspectives. In this reflection, the author focuses on the considerations unique to adult learners, with a focus on the scholar-practitioner model. By understanding (and embracing) adult epistemological development, effective doctoral programs can simultaneously meet the needs, schedules, and demands of adult learners in a manner that socializes them for the various expectations of the profession. In this essay, the author draws on his experience in creating doctoral programs designed explicitly for the modern adult learner and discusses, in collaboration with current doctoral learners, the impact of these programmatic initiatives on the learning experience.