Graduate physical education is not always as it seems. Those committed to graduate education, consumers (students) and designers (administrators and faculty), hold a variety of assumptions prior to and during the academic year. Students assume they are educated by knowledgeable and dedicated mentors. Faculty assume that the curriculum meets the needs and interests of students. Administrators presume that effective teaching and learning occur in each graduate class. These assumptions may not accurately reflect the current status of graduate physical education programs. This paper examines the milieu of erroneous assumptions. Values and maxims surrounding graduate programs must be clarified. Such assumptions, by and among concerned parties, should be explicit and should be shared to produce a scholarly atmosphere for learning.