A guide to the doctoral studies program in education is presented to lessen the difficulty students often have in interpreting directives about the program. Brief historical information on the doctorate and the dynamics of fund finding are considered. The following areas are addressed: general requirements for the doctorate; graduate school admissions procedures for the doctorate; procedures after admission; the graduate study program; the dissertation proposal; writing the dissertation; errors that are frequently made in dissertation research, data analysis, and writing; and defense of the dissertation. A chart outlining general criteria for the Ed.D. and Ph.D. degree, and information about the following are included: the Graduate Records Examination, foreign language requirements, letters of recommendation and selecting committee members, factors in selecting doctoral advisory committee members, and preparing for the written doctoral examination. (SW)