Funeral Service

The Funeral Service certificate program completes the educational requirements for licensure in Funeral Service. Admission to the certificate program and/or enrollment in any FUN course requires two years (60 credits) of prior college education at a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or completion of the Funeral Service Preparatory program). Class size is limited.

Applicants to the certificate program must complete prerequisite courses of Anatomy and Physiology I and II (BIO 106 fulfills this requirement), accounting, business law, chemistry, psychology, and English composition with a minimum grade of C. An overall C+ cumulative grade point average is required for admission.

Students are responsible for securing part-time employment in an approved New Jersey or eastern Pennsylvania funeral home in order to complete the field experience and practicum courses. This requires the student to be registered as an Intern with the New Jersey State Board of Mortuary Science or as a Funeral/Student Trainee with the Pennsylvania Board of Funeral Directors.

The goals and objectives of the MCCC Funeral Service programs are: to provide students with professional training in preparation for licensure in funeral service; to prepare students to embark upon a career in a service-oriented, care-giving profession; to provide an academic environment which encourages student research and successfully integrates the theoretical, practical, and technical aspects of funeral service; and to foster the concept of education as a life-long process necessary to meet the demands of an evolving workplace with current emphasis on emerging ethical, environmental, and social issues.

Academic emphasis includes the areas of business management; public health; the social, behavioral, and natural sciences; as well as the legal, technical, and regulatory aspects of funeral service.

Upon completion of all coursework, graduates will be eligible to take the National Board Exam. Following the NBE, graduates will be cleared to take state licensing examinations.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

• Evaluate the service needs for the pre-need, at-need, and aftercare time frames;
• Create and plan activities and ceremonies designed to meet the needs of those who mourn;
• Educate the consumer regarding funeral and cremation memorialization and merchandise options;
• Evaluate, describe, and implement solutions to current embalming and restorative art situations;
• Assemble and formulate appropriate information for death certificates, obituaries, and other necessary forms and documents;
• Evaluate legal, professional, and ethical issues facing funeral service;
• Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication skills in face to face meetings, in front of small groups, and via electronic means.

Note: With proper planning, students anticipating Fall matriculation into the certificate program can normally complete the prerequisites in one Spring semester. Full-time matriculation in the day program is only available beginning in Fall semesters; full-time matriculation in the night program is only available in the Spring semester; part-time night matriculation is available both Spring and Fall semesters.

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 website (www.abfse.org).

The Funeral Service program at Mercer County Community College is accredited by the
American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)
992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108
Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097
816-233-3747 / exdir@abfse.org / www.abfse.org

National Board Examination pass rates, graduation rates (beginning in 2015), and employment rates (beginning in 2015) for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at www.abfse.org. To request a printed copy of this program’s pass rates and graduation rates: West Windsor Campus room BS105, e-mail daleym@mccc.edu or rosenbej@mccc.edu, or telephone (609) 570-3472 or 570-3474.

SEE ALSO:
Funeral Service degree program
Funeral Service Preparatory degree program