It’s December and thoughts turn to New Year’s resolutions. Some concern personal goals; others relate to professional objectives. That type of reflection led 44-year-old Helen Eckmann to enroll in National University’s associate of arts program. A decade later, Eckmann has a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of San Diego.

Eckmann started college later in life because she’d been told in junior high that she wasn’t college material. She took bookkeeping and shorthand classes instead. “When I did so well at the AA, I was so impressed. I didn’t think of the master’s until the bachelor’s, then the doctorate,” says Eckmann, who worked as a personnel director for Raytheon, Union Bank and Jazzercise. She is now the lead faculty for management and leadership in National’s School of Business and Information Management. Her courses include one on business ethics that applies the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle to work situations.

National’s graduate business degrees range from the traditional MBA to a master of organizational leadership. The MBA consists of 13 courses, costing a total of $13,790, reports National’s fall catalog. “Regardless of education in the past, a master’s is a whole different experience,” says Eckmann. “You have the right to study what you want.”

While coursework is relevant at the graduate level, other factors will determine the best program for you. Keith Butler owned a wholesale health food bakery when he decided to earn a master of business administration. His decision to attend CSU San Marcos was based on several factors — quality of the program, cost and convenience. The 48-unit program costs $6,600. Students attend evenings or Saturdays from 16 to 24 months to earn a general MBA.

Butler, now the MBA program manager at his alma mater, advises prospective students to consider factors such as a school’s niche, entrance requirements and whether the campus is accredited. In addition to educational accreditation, look into whether a program is accredited by a professional organization like a nursing association, says Michael Reilly, chair of the University of Phoenix College of Business and Management.

What brings business professionals back to school? “A lot of people want to advance in their professions,” says Thomas Horstmann, San Diego center director for Keller Graduate School of De Vry University. “With the economy not doing so well, there may be an advantage in the future” to having an MBA degree. Keller’s graduate degrees include the MBA and master’s in strategic management. The programs for working adults span one year and four months. The average program costs $22,000.

Horstmann notes that some people enroll after considering graduate school for several years. If finances are a factor, Horstmann points out that the interest rate for federal student loans is at a low of 2.82 percent. For information about the federal Stafford Loan program, go to www.studentaid.ed.gov and search for “stafford.” Employers may provide tuition assistance, and campuses including USD and National University qualify for funds paid through the Veterans Administration.

Educational goals often are based on where people are in their careers, says Robert Sullivan, dean of UCSD’s new Graduate School of Management. The seasoned professional looks “to keep a job or stay in a profession” and asks, “Is it possible to do so?”

The person with less time in a career is likely to ask, “What are the career options at the end of a degree? What recruiters come to campus? Are graduates getting jobs? What type of jobs do they get and what percentage are employed by graduation?”

Another consideration may be how the degree is respected locally, nationally and internationally. “What generally isn’t important is the tuition. (Students are) looking for a quick payback,” says Sullivan.

Classes in UCSD’s executive MBA program start in fall 2004, with the full-time MBA program to be launched the following year. Programs are aimed at students involved in innovation, technology and life sciences, says Sullivan. The cost for courses has not yet been determined.

When researching a graduate school, plan in reverse. “See the end from the beginning. What do you want to accomplish when you finish?” asks Tony Hansford, director of the fully employed MBA program in UC Irvine’s Graduate School of Management. He says a woman working in human resources planned to earn an MBA. However, a program with HR courses would be more valuable.

With your goal established, compare curriculum at campuses, says Hansford. Does the university offer electives and do they match your objectives?

Irvine’s all-inclusive program costs $59,500. This amount covers courses, books, parking, food, enrollment, administrative support, a week studying abroad and residential courses at the end of the program. Students are cohorts, part of a group that begins studies at the same time. The program is 27 months in spring or 33 in the fall because students are off during the summer.

When charting your educational course, consider your long-term career plans. People who plan a second career as a teacher should attend a research-based institution like USD or CSU San Marcos, says Maria Gier, San Diego campus director of Chapman University College. For those seeking only professional development, Gier says there are “many choices” for business school and “most all are good.”

Chapman offers master’s degrees in human resources and organizational leadership. “They give you the skills you need to be a master,” she says. Each program consists of 12 courses. The program lasts from 16 months to two years and costs about $12,000.

Time management is another consideration for prospective students, advises Reilly of University of Phoenix. “If you’re working 40-plus hours a week, are you willing to spend from 10 to 20 hours per week on school for two years?” You may need to discuss that time commitment with your family and employer. The employer may give you time off and provide tuition assistance.

After assessing your schedule, determine what educational delivery model fits your situation, says Reilly. Some campuses offer a combination of online and on-campus classes. University of Phoenix has that blended format. In addition, an entire MBA program is available online and the doctorate of business administration is almost completely online.

The university’s MBA consists of 16 courses taken over 21 months. The program costs $19,000 plus books and materials.

School officials realize that not all students are the same, so courses are delivered to meet students’ needs, says Jerry Singleton, USD business school director of graduate operations.

USD offers working adults programs that begin on tracks in September, January and May. Courses are online and on-campus. Classroom courses are scheduled around a work schedule. Many are in the evening, and one enrolled in the graduate real estate program can attend a 7:30 a.m. class before work. “There’s a lot of flexibility,” including the ability to go to school full time,” says Singleton. MBA programs are 48 units, MS programs range from 30 to 36 units. Each course in the MBA and International MBA program costs $775.

Resolving to attend graduate school isn’t as simple as starting a diet. Some people bring a five-year-old brochure when meeting with Candace Williams, director of SDSU’s executive MBA program. “They’ve been thinking about it that long. There’s never going to be a perfect time,” she says.

People tell Williams they’re enrolling because their employer offers tuition assistance, the children are out of the house or everyone working for them has an MBA.

Those in the EMBA program are experienced managers. They enroll to meet the challenges of the job and to advance, says Williams. SDSU’s two-year all-inclusive program consists of daylong classes on Friday and Saturday every other week. “We feed them well, provide comfortable eight-hour chairs and help with textbooks and registration,” says Williams. The program costs just under $35,000, and the next session begins in August 2004.

When researching business schools, find out if there is time to change your course of study “while maintaining the integrity of the degree,” says Stuart Noble-Goodman, business school dean at the University of Redlands. Just as undergraduates sometimes change majors, you may decide another program fits your goals.

Noble-Goodman recommends looking for a business program “embedded in a liberal arts tradition.” These programs emphasize skills like thinking critically, analyzing and solving problems, and effective oral and written communication.

Redlands’ courses include a classic economist program that covers Karl Marx and more. “Our mission is to produce leaders who think creatively,” says Noble-Goodman. Redlands offers a two-year MBA program that costs about $25,000.

What about the person who has an MBA degree? The next step could be a doctorate of business administration offered at campuses including Alliant International University. Career change often is the goal of working adults in this program, says Ali Abu-Rahma, assistant dean of the college of business. These students look ahead to a post-retirement career as a consultant or teacher. “It’s really strategic planning,” says Abu-Rahma.

Alliant’s doctoral program takes three to four years. The program consists of 24 courses. Some classes may be waived if a person took the classes in a core MBA program and earned a grade of B or higher. “Most get waived,” so the average doctoral program consists of 20 courses and costs $45,000.

The university offers several forms of financial assistance. Some DBA students teach classes, earning money to pay for tuition, says Abu-Rahma. In addition, the university offers a tuition reimbursement program for graduate and doctoral students. If an employer offers 75 percent tuition reimbursement, the university Business and Industry Tuition Assistance Program provides the other 25 percent.

When evaluating the personal and financial cost of graduate school, consider the price and the payoff. “Are you going to be working long enough to pay off student loans? Do you want to pay off your student loans with social security checks?” asks Gier.

Once you’ve finished your research and are enrolled in business school, Eckmann has some advice for scholastic success: “Sit in the front of the class and do your homework.