Funeral Services (2161)
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.
Funeral directors interview the
family members of the deceased to facilitate and assist with the arrangements
for the funeral services. Services include coordination with clergy members, or
other persons who will officiate, the logistics of funerals, preparing obituary
notices and having them placed in newspapers, arranging for pallbearers, and
clergy, scheduling with the cemetery the opening and closing of a grave,
decorating and preparing the sites of all services, and providing for the
transportation of the remains, mourners, and flowers between sites. They also
direct preparation and shipment of remains for out-of-state burial. Embalming
is a sanitary, cosmetic, and preservative process through which the body is
prepared for interment. Funeral directors also handle the paperwork involved
with the person’s death.
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. Because the
funeral services 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). The Florida licensure process requires
passing the National Board Examination (a written comprehensive examination),
serving a one-year internship under the direction of a licensed funeral
director and embalmer, and passing a Florida examination on rules and regulations.
This program strives to
meet the needs of northern Florida for qualified funeral directors and
embalmers by providing a training program that is supported by the local
Funeral Services community and is accredited by the American Board of Funeral
Services Education, 3432 Ashland Ave., Suite U, St. Joseph, MO 64506, (816.233.3747).
Creating competent,
ethical, and confident entry-level funeral services directors and embalmers
committed to professional development through life-long learning in a positive,
non-discriminatory and supportive learning environment.
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 engaged 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.
The Funeral Services Program at Florida Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 3432 Ashland Avenue, Suite U, St. Joseph, Missouri 64506, (816.233.3747).
The annual pass 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 (www.abfse.org).
- 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.
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.
Year |
# of Takers |
# Who Passed |
% Who Passed |
| 2004 |
17 |
11 |
65% |
| 2005 |
7 |
5 |
71% |
| 2006 |
15 |
10 |
67% |
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.
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 (tuition rated for Florida residents, as of 7/07). Contact the program manager for additional costs (textbooks, materials, fees).
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. |
Course Number and Title |
Credits |
General Education |
| ENC 1101 |
English Composition I |
3 |
| |
*Mathematics |
3 |
| |
*Humanities |
3 |
| ***BSC 2020C |
Human Biology |
4 |
| |
*Social and Behavioral Science |
3 |
| |
Credit Hours |
16 |
Required 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 |
Introduction to 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./A.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 the Funeral Services, Emergency Medical Services and Pharmacy Technician programs.
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.
Students who are unable to complete the clinical requirements after acceptance into selective access programs are not eligible for refunds of tuition.
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