Funeral Services (2161)
This is a limited access program.
Creating competent, ethical, and confident entry-level funeral directors and embalmers committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive, non-discriminatory and supportive learning environment.
Most funeral directors see their work more as a ministry than as a business career. Families in the midst of trauma call you for guidance, kindness and understanding. They rely on you to handle the insurance, place of burial, veteran’s benefits, obituaries, travel arrangements, the funeral service and sometimes the reception afterwards. Often you work with clients planning their own funerals. And frequently you will serve the family after everyone else has gone home. Funeral directors are increasingly involved in aftercare, helping people adjust to their loss and adapt to changed lives.
This limited access associate degree program in funeral services requires a minimum of two years of college education, but students who have completed all general education courses may be able to complete the program in a minimum of sixteen (16) months. The program is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) and designed in partnership with funeral homes throughout the area. Your instructors are field professionals with an expertise in both the business and science of funeral services.
Your comprehensive training includes a one-year internship under the direction of a licensed funeral director and embalmer. During this time you will gain a full experience in all services provided by the funeral home, including removal of the deceased, embalming, preparation, dressing, death certificates and service arrangements.
The combination of a large, aging population and a shift in the business model from private funeral homes to multi-site organizations has created a need for location managers, division mangers, area vice presidents and other local and regional positions. Women in particular excel in this field as directors, sales counselors and executives. It is projected that by 2015, the majority of Florida’s funeral directors will be women.
On average, funeral directors in Duval County earned about $40,000 annually, with potential for rapid advancement.
Funeral services is a selective access program and continuance
in the program is limited based upon academic performance and
criteria. Because the program includes mortuary science
and basic science courses, high school preparation should include
biology and chemistry. In addition, the program includes courses
in liberal arts (such as English, humanities, and ethics), sciences
(such as anatomy and pathology) and clinical sciences (such as
embalming and restorative arts).
- A minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA)
on a 4.0 scale in all college work to be used for the degree.
- Completion of Funeral Services program application.
Completion of the
Required Pre-Technical Coursework
The required courses for admission to the technical phase of the
Funeral Services program are:
ENC 1101 English Composition I
BSC 2020C Human Biology
HSC 1531 Medical Terminology
*Social and Behavioral Sciences
These courses must be completed at a minimum before a student
will be considered for admission to the program.
After January 1, 2004, each accredited program in funeral service education must require that each
funeral service education student take the National Board Examination (NBE) as a requirement for graduation.
The Florida
licensure process requires 1) passing the NBE (a written comprehensive examination),
2) serving a one-year
internship under the direction of a licensed funeral director
and embalmer and 3) passing a Florida examination on rules and regulations.
| National Board Exam Statistics |
| Year |
Number of
Exam-Takers |
Number Who
Passed |
Percentage
Passing |
| 2004 |
17 |
11 |
65% |
| 2005 |
7 |
5 |
71% |
| 2006 |
15 |
10 |
67% |
This program articulates into a four-year program at the University
of North Florida. See more information
on articulation.
The Funeral Services Program at Florida Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education
(ABFSE), 3424 Ashland Avenue, Suite U, St. Joseph, Missouri 64506, telephone 816.233.3747 (www.abfse.org).
The annual passage rate of first time takers on the National Board Examination (NBE) for the most
recent three-year period for this institution and all ABFSE accredited funeral service education programs is posted on the ABFSE Web site.
Estimated cost of tuition is $4,781 (for Florida residents, as of 7/06). Contact the program manager for additional costs (textbooks, materials, fees).
State
Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers
Funeral Services (2161)
Curriculum
| General Education Courses |
| ENC 1101 |
English Composition I |
3 |
| |
*Mathematics |
3 |
| |
*Humanities |
3 |
| ***BSC 2020C |
Human Biology |
4 |
| |
*Social and Behavioral Science |
3 |
| |
Credit Hours |
16 |
| Professional Courses |
| **APA 1001 |
Applied Accounting |
3 |
| BUL 2131 |
Business Law I — The Legal Environment of Business |
3 |
| HSC 1531 |
Medical Terminology (for Health Professionals) |
3 |
| PHI 1603 |
Applied Ethics |
3 |
| HSC 1524 |
Introduction to Infectious Disease |
2 |
| Funeral Services Courses |
| FSE 1000 |
Introduction to Funeral Services |
3 |
| FSE 1105 |
Thanatochemistry |
2 |
| FSE 1204 |
Funeral Services Computer Applications |
2 |
| FSE 2202 |
Funeral Home Management |
3 |
| FSE 2060 |
Funeral Directing |
3 |
| FSE 2061 |
Thanatolgy |
3 |
| FSE 2080 |
Funeral Law |
3 |
| FSE 2100 |
Embalming I |
3 |
| FSE 2100L |
Embalming Clinical I |
1 |
| FSE 2120 |
Restorative Art |
3 |
| FSE 2120L |
Restorative Art Laboratory |
1 |
| FSE 2140 |
Embalming II |
3 |
| FSE 2140L |
Embalming Clinical II |
1 |
| FSE 2946 |
Professional Practicum I |
2 |
| FSE 2201 |
Funeral Home Operations |
3 |
| FSE 2160 |
Funeral Pathology |
3 |
| FSE 2930 |
Funeral Services Professional Review |
1 |
| FSE 2947 |
Professional Practicum II |
2 |
| |
Credit Hours |
56 |
Total Credit Hours: 72
*Refer to A.S.
degree General Education Requirements.
**Any higher level accounting course may be substituted for APA
1001.
***The BSC 2010C prerequisite has been waived for students enrolled
in this program.
You have two options in this program: the associate
in science (A.S.) degree, which can prepare you for employment
or transfer to a state university, and the associate in applied
science (A.A.S.) degree, which is intended primarily for students
who want immediate employment after graduation. If you choose
the A.S. degree you must take MAC 1105, MGF 1106 or a higher level
mathematics. The A.A.S. degree requires MAT 1033 or higher. Please
see an advisor to determine the option that is best for you.
Clinical agencies may require students to undergo
drug screening and criminal background checks prior to placement
in the agencies for clinical experiences. Students whose drug
screening and criminal background checks are unsatisfactory may
be denied access to clinical experiences by the clinical agencies.
Withdrawal from the program may be necessary if students cannot
be placed for clinical experiences.Clinical agencies may require
students to undergo drug screening and criminal background checks
prior to placement in the agencies for clinical experiences.
Students who are unable to complete the clinical requirements after acceptance into selective access programs are not eligible for refunds of tuition.
The Funeral Services Program at Florida Community College has as its central aim recognition of the importance of funeral
service education personnel as:
- members of a human services profession,
- members of the community in which they serve,
- participants in the relationship between bereaved families and those engage in the funeral service
profession,
- professionals knowledgeable of and compliant with federal, state, provincial/territorial and local
regulatory guidelines in the state of Florida, as well as
- professionals sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety and welfare in caring for human
remains.
The goals of the Funeral Services Program at Florida Community College are as follows.
- To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession.
- To educate students in every phase of funeral services, and to help enable them to develop the
proficiency and skills necessary for the profession.
- To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral services profession to the community at large.
- To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct.
- To provide a curriculum at the post secondary level of instruction.
- To encourage research in the field of funeral services.
- To serve as a liaison to funeral service practitioners and the community at large.
- Provide an integrated Funeral Services curriculum for the benefit of our students and community.
- Provide a program of continuing education in Funeral Services for the benefit of our graduates and
other Funeral Services professionals practicing in our community.
The objectives of the Funeral Services Program at Florida Community College are as follows.
- Prepare students for entry level into the
funeral services profession. This includes educating students
in every part of funeral services including developing the skills
necessary to function in the field. Students will have a thorough
understanding of the background of the profession and will understand
the profession’s role as a human services profession and
the profession’s responsibilities to the community at large.
- Establish a student-centered environment.
Students will be guaranteed access to faculty advisement and
counseling with appropriate interventions as needed.
- Establish clinical affiliations with local
funeral homes and contractors.
- Promote student retention and success. Remediation
services and the full complement of college resources (Career
Development Center, Library, Learning Center, counseling, advising,
scholarships and financial aid) will be made available to students
individually or in groups to facilitate retention and success.
The Funeral Services Advisory Committee will provide input on
how the program is meeting the needs of employers in the community.
- Implement continuing workforce education
programs to meet the needs of graduates and funeral services
professionals in the community to meet the state of Florida
requirements for licensure renewal.
- Emphasize the highest standards of ethical
conduct.
- Encourage research in the field of funeral
services through class assignments and individual and group
projects.
- Offer an integrated curriculum comprised
of general, technical and clinical education at the postsecondary
level.
- Assure the quality of the clinical experience.
- Foster awareness of the state of Florida’s
statutory rules and regulations governing funeral directors
and embalmers.
- Consult with the Funeral Services Advisory
Committee and representatives of the funeral services business.
- Conduct in-service education for affiliate
faculty in the clinical training facilities on request.
- Evaluate the program qualitatively and quantitatively,
and provide flexibility for changes indicated by the evaluation
process.
