*Restricted Entry,
Associate of Applied Science Degree Program

Catalog Year 2017-2018

*Information regarding the requirements for this Restricted Entry program is available by accessing the Funeral Services Education page.

Accreditation

The Funeral Service Education degree program at Mt. Hood 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. Web: American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) at abfse.org.

Program Aims, Objectives and Outcomes

Aims of the Funeral Service Program at MHCC

The Funeral Service Program at MHCC has as its central aim the recognition of the importance of funeral service 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 geographic area where they practice;
• Professionals sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety and welfare in caring for human remains;
• Professionals who are empowered to provide compassionate and professional care of the deceased and of the bereaved.

Objectives of the Funeral Service Program at MHCC

• 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 for 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 a post-secondary level of instruction;
• To encourage student and faculty research in the field of funeral service.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Perform embalming at a basic level of proficiency
• Perform funeral directing at a basic level of proficiency
• Discuss the history and current trends in the funeral service profession
• Demonstrate the proficiency and skills needed to function as an entry-level funeral services professional
• Demonstrate responsibilities of the funeral service profession
• Demonstrate high standards of moral conduct in all funeral service settings
• Apply cognitive knowledge and demonstrate professional behavior and psychomotor skills required to function effectively in the funeral service industry
• Perform research in the funeral service industry
• Become life-long learners

The Associate of Applied Science degree in Funeral Service offered by Mt. Hood Community College can be earned by following a prescribed course of instruction which requires six quarters in residence. Transferring all non-FSE classes from accredited institutions may allow a student to complete his/her professional coursework in a three-quarter sequence, beginning each fall quarter.

Upon graduation from the Funeral Service Program, graduates are qualified to take the National Board Examination (NBE). Most states require that applicants pass the NBE as one condition of receiving a license to practice funeral directing and embalming.

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 Room AC1554, or by email at Doug.Ferrin@mhcc.edu or by telephone, 503-491-6940.

Prospective students must satisfactorily meet admission program criteria and the application deadline to be considered for admission. Application packets are available on our website at mhcc.edu/FSE. Once you have read the application packet, if you have questions, please e-mail: lradmissions@mhcc.edu.

Note: All Funeral Science Education degree requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.

MHCC National Board Passage Rate Exhibit

¹ A College Placement Test (CPT) score does not fulfill this requirement. Students must successfully complete the required mathematics course (or higher.) MTH065 must be taken prior to or concurrently with CH112.
²All first-year non-FSE coursework must be completed prior to entering the fourth quarter of the program.
³Students may elect to take the internship for three credits (FSE240A) in any two terms, summer, fall, winter or spring.
⁴Funeral Services students are not required to take the BA101 prerequisite course. Please seek Instructor consent to overwrite this requirement.
⁵ BA211 can be substituted for AC110

‡ See Associate of Applied Science degree requirements printed catalog.

Note: While graduation from high school is not required for admission to the college, national accreditation standards require that a high school diploma or the equivalent be on file before the student can be admitted to the Funeral Service Education program. Fifteen college-level credits may be substituted for this requirement.

Criteria for selecting students give priority to those applicants who have apprentice experience. Somewhat less priority is given to those with related work experience. Other criteria give priority to applicants from Oregon, then slightly less priority for Washington, Idaho and Montana applicants. All other states are treated equally. Students from California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington automatically pay in-state tuition.

More information is available, including the FSE student handbook at Funeral Service Education.