历史上的博士培训通常涉及程序化课程的内容，以及选定教员的大量独立阅读和密切指导。这个过程更像是老式的学徒制，而不是现代的本科专业。最成功的职业生涯是由才华横溢的学生与慷慨且合适的教师导师组成的快乐交汇产生的。上一代在全国范围内学术人才的广泛分布使新学者有可能通过各种计划开展职业。
Doctoral training in history typically involves something of a programmed curriculum along with a great deal of independent reading and close mentoring by selected faculty. The process resembles an old-fashioned apprenticeship more than a modern undergraduate major. The most successful professional careers result from the happy intersection of talented students with generous and appropriate faculty mentors. The wide distribution of scholarly talent across the country in the past generation has made it possible for new scholars to launch careers from all kinds of programs. We encourage potential students to scrutinize the faculty roster and look for mentors whose teaching and publication interests seem compatible. A total of 90 semester hours of graduate coursework are required for the Ph.D. degree, 30 of which may be carried forward from a qualifying MA program and at least 30 of which must be earned in residence on the West Lafayette campus. Credit for M.A. work outside the discipline of history may be authorized by the DOGE and the Graduate Committee.