The current study investigated the relation between academic rumination and achievement goal orientation using hierarchical regression. One hundred and ninety-six first year undergraduate students completed measures of depressive symptoms (BDI), achievement goal orientation (PALS) and rumination (MDRS). Analysis revealed that participants adopting performance-avoid goals were more likely to engage in brooding and reflective ruminative responses to stressful academic situations, while those reporting adopting mastery goal orientations were more likely to report lower brooding scores in stressful academic situations. Further analysis revealed that the relation between academic rumination and achievement goal orientation extended beyond a shared relationship with depressive symptoms. These findings are a first step in demonstrating a relationship between academic rumination and achievement goal orientations which may help to improve motivational intervention programs that assist students in adopting mastery goals as well as coping with stressful academic situations. / Graduate