Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory has been adapted by Lent, Brown, and Hackett (1994) to form social cognitive career theory (SCCT). The theory posits three interlocking steps in academic and career development: interest, choice goal, and choice goal action. Self-efficacy, outcome expectations, barriers, and supports are hypothesized to influence transitions between steps. Ethnicity is hypothesized to shape supports and barriers thereby affecting these transitions. In the present study, SCCT was used to assess prediction of interest and choice goal to pursue doctoral study in psychology in N = 308 psychology students (n = 118 African Americans and n = 190 Caucasian Americans). Logistic regression revealed that the hypothesis of self-efficacy and outcome expectations predicting interest was unsupported ?[superscript 2] (5, N = 308) = 5.765, p = 0.330. Also revealed was that of the variables hypothesized (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations, barriers, and supports), only interest predicted choice goals ?[superscript 2] (11, N = 308) = 156.757, p < 0.001. As hypothesized, an independent-samples "t" test determined that African Americans reported more barriers (M = 3.13, SD = 0.88) than Caucasians (M = 2.33, SD = 0.67), t(190) = -8.34, p < 0.001, d = -1.00. The hypothesis that African Americans (M = 3.92, SD = 0.56) had fewer supports than Caucasians (M = 3.84, SD = 0.66) was unsupported t(262) = -1.03, p < 0.30, d = -0.12. Findings suggest that culturally sensitive strategies targeting the development and maintenance of interest in doctoral study may increase enrollment rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]