diff --git a/api/src/Controllers/StudentController.cs b/api/src/Controllers/StudentController.cs
index 11f12f6..52f1e98 100644
--- a/api/src/Controllers/StudentController.cs
+++ b/api/src/Controllers/StudentController.cs
@@ -163,6 +163,30 @@ public class StudentController : BaseController
             });
         }
 
+        if (dto.GoalParentId.HasValue)
+        {
+            var summary = await _studentRepository.GetGoalSummaryAsync(idStudent);
+            var parentGoal = summary?.Goals.FirstOrDefault(g => g.GoalId == dto.GoalParentId.Value);
+
+            if (parentGoal is null)
+            {
+                return BadRequest(new ResponseResult<StudentGoalItem>
+                {
+                    Success = false,
+                    Message = "Parent goal not found."
+                });
+            }
+
+            if (parentGoal.GoalParentId.HasValue)
+            {
+                return BadRequest(new ResponseResult<StudentGoalItem>
+                {
+                    Success = false,
+                    Message = "The selected parent goal already has a parent."
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
         var created = await _studentRepository.InsertGoalAsync(idStudent, userId, dto);
         if (created is null)
         {
diff --git a/api/src/DataAccess/Models/DataTransferObjects/CreateGoalDto.cs b/api/src/DataAccess/Models/DataTransferObjects/CreateGoalDto.cs
index be3c3ec..4dad0a3 100644
--- a/api/src/DataAccess/Models/DataTransferObjects/CreateGoalDto.cs
+++ b/api/src/DataAccess/Models/DataTransferObjects/CreateGoalDto.cs
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ public class CreateGoalDto
     public string? Title { get; set; }
     public string? Description { get; set; }
     public string? Category { get; set; }
+    public Guid? GoalParentId { get; set; }
 }
diff --git a/api/src/DataAccess/Repositories/StudentRepository.cs b/api/src/DataAccess/Repositories/StudentRepository.cs
index 126d70e..a9d44d1 100644
--- a/api/src/DataAccess/Repositories/StudentRepository.cs
+++ b/api/src/DataAccess/Repositories/StudentRepository.cs
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ public class StudentRepository
             new
             {
                 p_id_goal = newGoalId.ToString(),
+                p_id_goal_parent = dto.GoalParentId?.ToString(),
                 p_id_student = idStudent.ToString(),
                 p_id_user = userId.ToString(),
                 p_title = dto.Title,
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.html b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.html
index 3af25da..e820cbd 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.html
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.html
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@
             />
         </div>
 
+        @if (parentGoalOptions().length > 0) {
+            <div class="field">
+                <label for="goalParentId">Parent Goal <span class="optional">(optional)</span></label>
+                <select id="goalParentId" [(ngModel)]="form.goalParentId" name="goalParentId">
+                    <option [ngValue]="null">None</option>
+                    @for (goal of parentGoalOptions(); track goal.goalId) {
+                        <option [ngValue]="goal.goalId">{{ goal.title }}</option>
+                    }
+                </select>
+            </div>
+        }
+
         <div class="field">
             <label for="description">Description</label>
             <textarea
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.scss b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.scss
index b307370..1375b7a 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.scss
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.scss
@@ -68,8 +68,14 @@
     color: #333;
 }
 
+.optional {
+    font-weight: 400;
+    color: #999;
+}
+
 .field input,
-.field textarea {
+.field textarea,
+.field select {
     padding: 0.5rem 0.75rem;
     border: 1px solid #ddd;
     border-radius: 6px;
@@ -80,7 +86,8 @@
 }
 
 .field input:focus,
-.field textarea:focus {
+.field textarea:focus,
+.field select:focus {
     border-color: #4f46e5;
     box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(79, 70, 229, 0.15);
 }
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.ts b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.ts
index 17297e4..0dffcc7 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.ts
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/add-goal-modal/add-goal-modal.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Component, inject, input, output, signal } from '@angular/core';
+import { Component, computed, inject, input, output, signal } from '@angular/core';
 import { FormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
 import { CreateGoalDto } from '../../../shared/classes/create-goal.dto';
 import { StudentGoalItem } from '../../../shared/classes/student-goal';
@@ -19,16 +19,22 @@ export class AddGoalModal {
     private readonly studentService = inject(StudentService);
 
     readonly studentId = input.required<string>();
+    readonly existingGoals = input.required<StudentGoalItem[]>();
     readonly goalCreated = output<StudentGoalItem>();
     readonly cancelled = output<void>();
 
     protected readonly isSubmitting = signal(false);
     protected readonly errorMessage = signal<string | null>(null);
 
+    protected readonly parentGoalOptions = computed(() =>
+        this.existingGoals().filter(g => g.goalParentId === null)
+    );
+
     protected form: CreateGoalDto = {
         title: '',
         description: '',
         category: '',
+        goalParentId: null,
     };
 
     // ************************** Properties ***************************
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.html b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.html
index 6f721bb..f38b1a8 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.html
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.html
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 @if (showAddModal()) {
     <app-add-goal-modal
         [studentId]="studentId"
+        [existingGoals]="goals()"
         (goalCreated)="onGoalCreated($event)"
         (cancelled)="onModalCancelled()"
     />
@@ -19,8 +20,12 @@
     <p class="error">{{ errorMessage() }}</p>
 }
 
-<div class="card-grid">
-    @for (goal of goals(); track goal.goalId) {
-        <app-goal-card [goal]="goal" />
-    }
-</div>
+@if (goals().length === 0 && !errorMessage()) {
+    <p class="empty-state">No goals yet. Click <strong>+ Add a Goal</strong> to get started.</p>
+} @else {
+    <div class="card-grid">
+        @for (goal of goals(); track goal.goalId) {
+            <app-goal-card [goal]="goal" />
+        }
+    </div>
+}
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.scss b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.scss
index 0007838..592f50b 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.scss
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/desktop/components/goal-list/goal-list.scss
@@ -52,6 +52,13 @@
     margin: 0 0 1rem;
 }
 
+.empty-state {
+    color: #888;
+    font-size: 0.9375rem;
+    margin: 2rem auto;
+    text-align: center;
+}
+
 .card-grid {
     display: flex;
     flex-wrap: wrap;
diff --git a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/shared/classes/create-goal.dto.ts b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/shared/classes/create-goal.dto.ts
index 8d8f55e..6fb0304 100644
--- a/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/shared/classes/create-goal.dto.ts
+++ b/ui/winstudentgoaltracker/src/app/shared/classes/create-goal.dto.ts
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@ export interface CreateGoalDto {
     title: string;
     description: string;
     category: string;
+    goalParentId: string | null;
 }