ABSTRACT
This study examines how Japanese graduate students’ career value orientations and research self-efficacy shape their aspirations toward academic and nonacademic career paths. Using survey data from 1163 master’s and doctoral students across disciplines, three value dimensions were identified: Stability & Benefits, Intellectual/Specialization, and Recognition & Prestige. Logistic regression analyses showed that Stability & Benefits negatively predicted academic and entrepreneurial aspirations but positively related to corporate R&D careers, while Intellectual/Specialization promoted academic and public-sector research careers. Recognition & Prestige weakly influenced overall choices but was positively associated with venture and entrepreneurship. Notably, research self-efficacy exerted a positive relation with both academic and venture-oriented careers. These findings highlight how career values and research self-efficacy are associated not only with traditional academic aspirations but also, for some students, with interest in venture-oriented career pathways in Japan.