Mortuary Science, AAS

CIP 120301 (MOR)

Mortuary Science is a field of human and community service which offers a variety of work, intellectual challenge and satisfaction of helping the bereaved through life’s most trying period. The program prepares individuals to become a mortuary science practitioner, funeral director and embalmer.

Accreditation Status: The Mortuary Science Degree Program at Arapahoe Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE). The Board can be reached at 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097, 816.233.3747, www.abfse.org.

National Board Examination scores, graduation rates, and employment rates for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at www.abfse.org. To request a printed copy of this program’s scores and rates, go to the office of the Mortuary Science Department Chair, M4935, or by email at Martha.thayer@arapahoe.edu, or by telephone at 303-797-5954.

Admission Requirements

Admission to Arapahoe Community College
Complete a Mortuary Science application
Interview with the Mortuary Science Department Chairperson if requested.
Students should review course descriptions for prerequisites and co-requisites before enrolling.

Aims and Purposes:

The ACC Mortuary Science Program recognizes mortuary science 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 and local regulatory guidelines.
Professionals sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety and welfare in caring.

In addition, the program objectives are:

To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession.
To educate students in every phase of funeral service and to help enable them to develop the proficiency and skills necessary of the profession.
To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community at large.
To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct.
To provide a curriculum at the postsecondary level of instruction.
To encourage research in the field of funeral service.

Program Requirements

General Education Courses (27 credit hours)

ACC 121 - Accounting Principles I 4 Credits
BIO 201 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab: GT-SC1 4 Credits
BIO 202 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab: GT-SC1 4 Credits
BUS 216 - Legal Environment of Business 3 Credits
COM 125 - Interpersonal Communication 3 Credits
ENG 121 - English Composition I: GT-CO1 3 Credits
MAN 128 - Human Relations in Organizations 3 Credits
PSY 101 - General Psychology I: GT-SS3 3 Credits

Major Courses (39 credit hours)

HPR 240 - Role of Death and Bereavement In Society 3 Credits *
MOR 100 - Introduction to Funeral Service 3 Credits *
MOR 210 - Embalming Theory I and Lab 4 Credits
MOR 215 - Funeral Merchandising 3 Credits
MOR 220 - Mortuary Law and Compliance 3 Credits
MOR 224 - Thanato-Microbiology/Pathology 4 Credits
MOR 225 - Embalming Theory II and Lab 4 Credits
MOR 230 - Restorative Art and Lab 4 Credits
MOR 235 - Funeral Directing and Counseling 3 Credits
MOR 243 - Thanatochemistry 3 Credits
MOR 260 - National Board Exam Review 1 Credit
MOR 280 - Internship 4 Credits

Note(s):

*HPR 240 and MOR 100 are open enrollment with completed prerequisites; enrollment in all other Major Courses requires official acceptance into the Mortuary Science program.

Total: 66 credit hours

Graduation Requirements

All MOR courses must be completed within four years of starting the Major Courses.
All major, general education and other courses required for this degree must be completed with a “C” or better to meet graduation requirements (major courses may only be repeated once).
To graduate, students must apply for graduation and complete the graduation survey (available via myACC). (form available at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation)
After applying for graduation, all correspondence to a student about the status of their program conferral will be sent to their student email address only.
As a graduate of a Career and Technical Education program you will be contacted by an ACC employee in approximately six months to verify your employment information. This information gathering is a federal requirement to ensure that ACC receives certain federal funding.