Over the last 20 years, there has been growing evidence of mental health issues in doctoral candidates worldwide (Zhang et al., 2022; Barry et al., 2019; Gewin, 2012; Radison & DiGeronimo, 2005). Practicing mindfulness meditation, which is one way to cope with stress and anxiety (Kabat-Zinn, 1991), could be a useful practice for these PhD students. However, despite all the evidence that suggests the health benefits of having a regular meditation routine, motivating graduate students to practice meditation can be challenging (Franco, 2020). This study addresses this challenge by assessing a 5-week mindfulness meditation course designed to support graduate students in developing a habit of practicing mindfulness meditation. Graduate students in PhD degree programs, many of whom worked and/or had families, were recruited to participate in a 5-week online mindfulness meditation course. Principles from social cognitive learning theory, particularly self-efficacy, guided course structure and activities, helping to better understand and interpret participants\u27 experiences and growth throughout the course. Interviews were conducted mid- and post-course to find out how effective the online course was in helping participants to make a habit of practicing mindfulness meditation and to understand what factors of the course were most effective in changing their mindfulness meditation practice. Participants took the Self-Efficacy for Mindfulness Meditation Practice surveys, pre-, mid-, and post-course to inform qualitative data from interviews
