Exploratory Studies Explore. Discover. Decide

Current Student FAQs

The "What If?" Worksheet is a great tool to check how your courses will fit into any of the 200+ Purdue majors.  It's available in MyPurdue > Academics tab > "Destination: Graduation" section > MyPurdue Plan link.  Click here for an informative What If Worksheet video from the Purdue Registrar.

Exploratory Studies students learn how to use MyPurdue Plan in EDPS 10500, plus any Exploratory Studies advisor would be happy to walk you through it!

So many courses count!  Each of the eight categories in the University Core Curriculum (UCC) has a long list of courses that count towards it.  All Purdue students must complete one course from each category, except Science which requires two.  Not sure what a course involves by just the title? Look up the description on the Purdue Catalog > Catalog Search (upper left corner) > Change "Entire Catalog" to "Courses" > Type in the course's prefix letters (e.g. AGEC, BIOL, CM), click "Whole Word/Phrase", then search.

Keep in mind that many Purdue majors have specific courses or “selectives” that count towards each of the UCC categories.  This means that the UCC requirements can often overlap with degree requirements.  Your Exploratory Studies advisor can assist you in choosing courses from each of the UCC categories - just ask!

New first-year students are required to meet with their academic advisor twice during the fall semester: once for a September Check-In and once for a Spring Registration appointment. Each semester thereafter, students are only required to meet with an advisor for their Registration appointment.  However, students are welcome and encouraged to meet with their Exploratory Studies academic advisor whenever they have questions!  Just make an appointment on Boiler Connect. 

Students on academic probation (semester GPA and/or overall GPA less than 2.0) are advised to meet with their academic advisor within the first two weeks of the semester for a Laying Tracks appointment. For more information, check out our Laying Tracks FAQ page.

Log into Boiler Connect, then click the “Make an Appointment” blue circle in the top right corner and follow the prompts to schedule the appointment. You should receive a confirmation e-mail once the appointment is submitted. In addition, advisors usually e-mail a direct link to schedule an appointment for September Check-Ins, Registration, and Laying Tracks.

The Academic Success Center (ASC) is your one-stop shop for academic resources. They offer Supplemental Instruction (SI) for some of the more difficult Purdue courses, time management workshops, and peer success coaching to name a few. Your advisor can also recommend resources for your specific needs.

During your registration appointment, your advisor will work with you to fill out an electronic Advisor Course Recommendation (ACR) form that has your Registration PIN on it. The ACR is saved in MyPurdue and is accessible to students in the Scheduling Assistant by clicking on Advisor Recommendation. In addition, EXPL advisors usually upload a copy of the ACR to the Appointment Summary in Boiler Connect so that students can easily find their PIN.

In general, the process is pretty straightforward: Have the college that offered the course(s) send an official, final transcript to the Purdue Office of Admissions.  This includes dual-credit courses taken in high school.  For more information, visit our Transferring Credit page.  There is also a helpful Course Equivalency Guide to learn how the credit will transfer before enrolling.

Purdue-West Lafayette offers a huge selection of summer courses, both on campus and online. Current students will use their spring registration PIN to register for these classes. Refer to the Course Equivalency Guide to learn how courses from other colleges transfer to Purdue.  Regional Purdue campuses (Purdue-Northwest, Fort Wayne, etc.) are not listed on this worksheet, so talk with your Purdue academic advisor to learn how these courses post to your Purdue transcript.

Incoming first year students can stay in Exploratory Studies for up to four semesters (two years).  Transfer and CODO-in students have a limit on how many credit hours they can register for as an EXPL student. This is based on the number of credit hours they have completed or transfer to Purdue when they start in EXPL. Your advisor will communicate with you how much time you have left in EXPL during your Registration appointment each semester.