In April 1995, the Purdue University Senate approved a three-year pilot program for beginning, exploratory, undecided freshmen students. This pilot, called the Undergraduate Studies Program (USP), was modeled after a program at The Pennsylvania State University. In August 1996, 212 students started with USP. In February 1999, the Purdue University Senate approved USP as a permanent program for entering freshmen students effective August 1999.

In June 2001, the University Division of the Office of the Dean of Students was merged with USP, adding reentry, readmit, and change of degree objective continuing students to the population served by USP.