Breaking Barriers: Strategies of BIWOC Overcoming Impostor Phenomenon in Online Programs

Aim/Purpose: In the United States, where educational access is shaped by the intersecting forces of race and gender, the expansion of online doctoral education presents both new opportunities and enduring inequities. This study investigated how doctoral students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BIWOC) enrolled in online doctoral programs experience the impostor phenomenon (IP) and how their social networks and institutional supports influence these experiences. Background: While online education has expanded doctoral accessibility, BIWOC remain underrepresented in these programs and disproportionately experience academic marginalization. National data reveal that women of color represent less than 12% of doctoral degree recipients in the U.S., with even fewer advancing into academic leadership. IP among BIWOC is compounded by racialized gender stereotypes, isolation, and limited culturally affirming support. Methodology: Using a phenomenological qualitative approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 doctoral students who identify as BIWOC at a United States midwestern primarily white institution to explore their lived experiences and the role of social networks in navigating IP. Interview data were coded using thematic analysis, guided by intersectionality and impostor phenomenon theory. Contribution: This study shifts the focus from in-person academic spaces to the underexplored terrain of online doctoral education, offering practical and theoretical insight into how BIWOC navigate structural and psychological barriers in virtual learning environments. Findings: Participants reported that family, peers, faculty, and institutional relationships were critical in helping them overcome IP. However, the lack of BIWOC representation, microaggressions, and institutional biases often reinforced feelings of self-doubt. Recommendations for Practitioners: To support BIWOC in online doctoral programs, institutions should develop structured cohort mentorship programs, increase faculty diversity, and better implement culturally responsive pedagogy. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should explore IP among other marginalized doctoral students (e.g., LGBTQ+, first-generation, disabled students) and investigate the effectiveness of specific institutional interventions for reducing IP in online education. Impact on Society: Addressing systemic biases and the IP in doctoral education can contribute to greater representation of BIWOC in academia and leadership, fostering a more equitable and inclusive higher education landscape. Future Research: Further studies should analyze how different types of social networks (e.g., professional organizations, online communities) influence BIWOC’s doctoral success, as well as explore institutional policy changes that improve retention and inclusion.