This study looks into the elements that influence student motives for enrolling in maritime courses at the University of Visayas. This study uses a descriptive research approach, the study investigates three major variables: effort, performance, and rewards to among the maritime students. A researcher made questionnaire was distributed to a sample of third year maritime students. The findings show that students are highly motivated by the expectation that their efforts will result in successful academic performance and desirable career outcomes. The expected benefits of completing the program, such as professional chances, financial security, and international job experiences, provide the most motivation. These findings emphasize the need to align student expectations with practical benefits and indicate further ways to boost student motivation and performance, including strengthening career counseling, expanding hands-on learning, and highlighting global prospects. This research advances our knowledge of the relevance of the expectation theory to maritime education and offers practical suggestions for enhancing student engagement and retention..