Dan Morris doesnt know exactly where he wants to be in the future, but thinks he knows precisely what he needs to have to get there.


The 32-year-old is working full time as a project manager at Spokane-based Itron Inc. and is attending Gonzaga University part time to earn a masters degree in business administration. Scheduled to graduate in December, Morris thinks the MBA eventually will help him reach his lofty career goals.


Its hard to say what the end result will be, but I want to be either a leader in business or own my own company, Morris says. Having the tools that an MBA will give me will help in either of those arenas.


Morris isnt alone; the three schools here that offer the advanced degree all report increased enrollments this year.


In some cases, educators say, students like Morris seek MBAs to help them attain long-term goals. Increased enrollments, however, typically are fueled more by students who are hoping to gain what Morris already hasgainful employment.


In poor economic times, we get more students, says M. David Gorton, Eastern Washington Universitys MBA director. Its just a fact.


The MBA programs at Gonzaga and EWU offer classes during off-business hours to accommodate working professionals who attend school part time, and the majority of students in both programs are in that situation. During the past year, however, more full-time MBA students have enrolled, a trend that educators attribute to the tough job market.


In some cases, new students had lost jobs and had decided to take a year off from work to earn an MBA, Gorton says. Some even have used severance pay to fund their education, he says.


Gary Weber, assistant dean at Gonzagas School of Business, says that in other instances, students have opted to go directly into Gonzagas MBA program after earning a bachelors degree. Typically, those students couldnt land jobs after finishing their undergraduate work and decided to get an MBA in hopes that it would make them more marketable.


At Gonzaga, MBA enrollment has climbed 5 percent to 10 percent annually during the last few years, and now includes 155 full-time and part-time students, Weber says. Of those, about 60 percent are part-time students, and 40 percent are full time, he says.


Gonzaga is projecting that enrollment in its MBA program will continue to grow at its current pace.


Enrollment in EWUs MBA program jumped by a third this year, and the program currently has 55 full- and part-time students.


Gorton says the pipeline for future MBA students looks good, too. The number of students currently enrolled in EWUs pre-MBA program is almost as high as the number of students in the MBA program. The pre-MBA program includes a core group of undergraduate business courses and is a prerequisite for prospective MBA students who dont have an undergraduate business degree.


We have a large group coming through right now, and I think were going to keep most of them, Gorton says.


In addition to the Gonzaga and EWU programs, St. Louis-based Webster University offers an MBA program for part-time students here through its Fairchild Air Force Base satellite campus. Webster has about 70 such campuses worldwide, roughly a third of which are on military bases.


Currently, about 50 students are enrolled in Websters MBA program, up from about 30 students a year ago, says Peter Williams, director of Websters Fairchild campus.


Williams says that program has grown even though overall enrollment at Websters Fairchild campus has remained static, at about 85 part-time students. Some students there have switched to the MBA program from a masters program in computer resource and information management due to concerns about lagging job prospects in the sluggish technology industry.


The increased interest in MBA programs here is consistent with a national trend. In an annual study conducted by McLean, Va.-based Graduate Management Admissions Council, most of the schools surveyed said that they received more applications from prospective students for the 2002-2003 school year than they had received for the previous academic year.


The growth is occurring despite a study released last summer by two researchers from Stanford Universitys School of Business that questioned the value of an MBA degree. The study drew widespread media coverage and prompted rebuttals from a number of MBA programs.


Gorton says it might make some question the worth of an MBA from a private school that charges upwards of $100,000 for such a course of study. He says an MBA from EWU costs far less, but still is of value to students.


Tuition at Gonzaga is more expensive than at Washingtons state schools, but Weber says students still find an MBA to be a worthwhile investment.


Our graduates have found (an MBA) is still a differentiating factor, he says. In a challenging job market, it can make a difference on whether you get the interview and ultimately get the job.


Still recruiting


While MBA enrollment is growing here, none of the programs has reached a saturation point, and none is turning away qualified applicants.


At Gonzaga, Weber says the graduate business school programs, which include a master of accountancy as well as the MBA, currently have a total of 180 students.


Our goal is to see enrollment grow to 240 to 250 students in the graduate business programs, he says.


EWU, to attract more students, has added entrepreneurship classes to its MBA curriculum to provide more specialized training for those who hope to start their own businesses some day.


He says the school is looking at offering additional specialized coursework and expects to introduce additional programs in coming semesters.


Webster started its Fairchild campus in 1999 as a higher-education option for military personnel and their family members, but is trying to bolster its civilian student enrollment there to counteract potential swings in enrollment from mobilization of military personnel.


Currently, about 90 percent of the students at Websters Fairchild campus either are active military personnel, family members of active military, or retired military. The other 10 percent are civilians.