Oracle function: can the list of value in an IN be coded dynamically

Hi EE,

i am an beginner with Oracle...

i have an IN clause...

sometimes, function will be working with one    value  IN  'M1' - for 1st year MED students
sometimes, function will be working with many values IN ('M2', 'M3', 'M4')  - for returning MED students

the student_classification field can have other values, so do not want to do NOT IN 'M1'

can i build the IN condition programatically like this, snippet is below:

the function compiles

BUT

i really want cnsQuote to be a value of  quote like this  '''

i am getting a compile error, so i changed it to '*' and it compiled

i appreciate any ideas.....  tx, sandra

p.s. it's probably amateur to have the SELECT appear twice, operating slightly differently
due to IF, i do not know how to build SELECT in a function programmatically

ideas are welcome...

also we have pl/developer and oracle developer and i do not know how to step thru code
so have to eyebal, insteadl... ideas are welcome...tx

============  snippet ==============
 ws_attrib varchar2(50);
 cnsQuote varchar2(1);
 
begin
  lngCount := 0;
  cnsQuote := '*';

'-- IN ('M2', 'M3', 'M4)

  If PARM_attrib = '*3' then
     ws_attrib := cnsQuote ||'M2' || cnsQuote || ',' ||
                        cnsQuote ||'M3' || cnsQuote || ',' ||
                        cnsQuote ||'M4' || cnsQuote;
  else
     ws_attrib := PARM_attrib   ;
  End if;


==== FULL FUNCTION BELOW ===

create or replace function DMC_COUNT_BY_ETHNIC_GENDER_YR
         (PARM_College      varchar2
         ,PARM_StudentPop   varchar2
         ,PARM_Gender       varchar2
         ,PARM_Ethnicity    varchar2
         ,PARM_Term         varchar2
         ,PARM_Attrib       varchar2
         ,PARM_YesNo        varchar2)


   
              return number is lngCount number;

 
 ws_attrib varchar2(50);
 cnsQuote varchar2(1);
 
begin
  lngCount := 0;
  cnsQuote := '*';


  If PARM_attrib = '*3' then
     ws_attrib := cnsQuote ||'M2' || cnsQuote || ',' ||
                  cnsQuote ||'M3' || cnsQuote || ',' ||
                  cnsQuote ||'M4' || cnsQuote;
  else
     ws_attrib := PARM_attrib   ;
  End if;
 
  If PARM_StudentPop = 'N' then
     select count(A.College)
            into lngCount
            from Academic_Study A
                   INNER JOIN PERSON P
                       ON A.person_uid = p.person_uid
         where A.College = PARM_College
                        and
               A.academic_period_admitted = PARM_Term
                        And
               P.gender = PARM_gender
                        And
               P.primary_ethnicity = PARM_ethnicity
                        And
               A.academic_period = PARM_Term
                        AND
               A.STUDENT_status in('AS', 'LA')
                        AND
               A.STUDENT_CLASSIFICATION in(ws_Attrib)
                        and
               DMC_IF_STUDENT_REG_COLLEG_TERM(A.PERSON_UID, A.ACADEMIC_PERIOD, A.COLLEGE) = PARM_YesNo;
  Else

           select count(A.College)
            into lngCount
            from Academic_Study A
                   INNER JOIN PERSON P
                       ON A.person_uid = p.person_uid
         where A.College = PARM_College
                        and
               A.academic_period_admitted <> PARM_Term
                        And
               P.gender = PARM_gender
                        And
               P.primary_ethnicity = PARM_ethnicity
                        And
               A.academic_period = PARM_Term
                        AND
               A.STUDENT_status in('AS', 'LA')
                        AND
               A.STUDENT_CLASSIFICATION in(PARM_Attrib)
                        and
               DMC_IF_STUDENT_REG_COLLEG_TERM(A.PERSON_UID, A.ACADEMIC_PERIOD, A.COLLEGE) = PARM_YesNo;
  End if;
     
  return lngCount;

end DMC_COUNT_BY_ETHNIC_GENDER_YR;