Funeral Directing | Arkansas State University

About This Program

The Funeral Directing technical certificate program is designed to allow students the option to serve as funeral directors without the embalming portion of the curriculum. The courses in the Technical Certificate will also meet the prerequisites for the Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Science. The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) does not accredit this certificate since it does not include embalming. Therefore, students completing this certificate will not be eligible to sit for the National Board Exam or any other state board exam. However, students may be employed by funeral homes as funeral directors. According to the ABFSE, “This academic program is designed to meet specific state or professional needs. It is not accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. Students graduating from this program are not eligible to take the National Board Examination or any state board examination for which graduation from an ABFSE accredited program is required.”
Through the use of compressed video, this program can be attended on the campuses of:

ASU - Mountain Home
ASU - Jonesboro
ASU - Beebe

LINKS:

Classes in the core of the funeral science program are held only on Tuesdays and Thursdays in order to help students maintain lives and jobs while attending school. Commuting is also reduced by making it possible for students to attend these classes at any of the three sites shown above. Instructors are usually teaching from the Mountain Home campus and the classes are connected to the other sites via compressed video. In other words, by using microphones, cameras and video displays, students at any campus can interact with the instructor and other students at any time during class. Instructors also travel to the other sites and teach from there several times each semester. By using this technology and timing, most students in the northern 2/3 of Arkansas and Southern 1/3 of Missouri find it entirely feasible to get their funeral science education from ASUMH. This is especially evident in the employment figures below.

PDF Program Application

*Applications Due October 31*

Contact Info

Dr. Jeffrey Hicks
Funeral Science Director
870-508-6164
jhicks@asumh.edu

Matt Buel
Funeral Science Instructor
870-508-6157
mbuel@asumh.edu

Skills Learned

Care of the bereaved

Funeral directing

Job Opportunities In

Funeral Director

$109

Tuition Per Credit Hour

3 SEMESTERS

Program Duration

36

Credit Hours

Classes You'll Take

Funeral Directing

Management and Merchandising

Psychology and Counseling

DEGREE CHECKLIST

Related Degree Options

Business Administration - General Business (TC)

Transferable Degrees & Stackable Credentials

Transferrable degrees are programs of study that allow students to complete general education courses. Many students who intend to transfer to another college/university complete these degree programs.

Stackable Credentials are Technical Certificates that might be “stacked” to meet requirements for a higher-level certificate or degree program like an associate's degree.

Stackable Credentials

Funeral Science (AAS)

Ready to Get Started?

APPLY NOW SCHEDULE A TOUR REQUEST INFO

BIOL 1013 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology for Non-Healthcare Majors OR BOTH		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
	BIOL 2004 Human Anatomy and Physiology I & Lab	Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
	BIOL 2014 Human Anatomy and Physiology II & Lab	Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
CIS 1053 Computer Essentials		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
COMM 1203 Oral Communication		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
ENG 1003 Composition I		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
MATH 1113 Applied Math or higher-level math (provide course name/number in space below)		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade
ORT 1001 First Year Experience for Funeral Science		Final Grade OR Mid-Term Grade

I understand the program has a specific course rotation that I am required to follow each semester.	* Initials * Date
I understand that all Funeral Science Education curriculum course work must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.	* Initials * Date
I understand that I must maintain a 2.5 GPA and will only be allowed to retake courses from which I withdrew or failed in the first semester upon admission to the program.	* Initials * Date
I understand that I am responsible for any costs associated with the program, including field trips and any required visits to the Mountain Home campus.	* Initials * Date
I understand that it is my responsibility to know the licensing requirements for any state in which I intend to practice.	* Initials * Date
I understand that students who have previously been convicted of a crime may be restricted from certain clinical facilities and may be ineligible for some state licenses.	* Initials * Date
I understand that students who have a physical disability should contact the state in which he/she plans to seek licensure to determine if the disability will affect licensure.	* Initials * Date
I understand that a current driver’s license is required prior to enrolling in a clinical or practicum course.	* Initials * Date
I have read and understand the program dismissal policies contained within the Funeral Science Student Handbook.	* Initials * Date

School of Business & Technology

Funeral Directing