Dec 22, 2024  
2024-2025 SLCC General Catalog 
  
2024-2025 SLCC General Catalog

Mortuary Science: AAS (CTE)


Associate of Applied Science | 65 credits

Program Website
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Program Description

The Mortuary Science program is designed to educate students in all phases of funeral service with special attention being given to the high ethical conduct within the funeral service profession. The knowledge and skills learned will allow students to acquire positions working in funeral homes as funeral directors, embalmers, grief facilitators and pre-need specialists. In addition, the program is designed to develop funeral service professionals who are active in the community in which they serve, who are knowledgeable and compliant with federal, state and local area guidelines where they practice, who participate in building relationships with bereaved families and those engaged in the funeral service profession and are sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety and welfare in caring for human remains.

During the course of the program, students will actively participate in embalming and restorative art procedures of deceased humans through lab sessions at the school and by being placed in a funeral home for training purposes. Students will be responsible for providing their own transportation to clinical sites.

Research projects into the field of funeral service will be required. Courses will run in four consecutive semesters. To graduate from the program the student must obtain a C grade or better for all program courses. After completion, students will be prepared for licensure in the state of Utah.

The Mortuary Science program is designed to give students the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to acquire entry-level positions in the funeral service profession and to encourage research in the field of funeral service.

Career Opportunities
The Mortuary Science program is designed to give students the fundamental knowledge and skills needed to acquire entry-level positions in funeral homes/mortuaries, cemetery management, and allied funeral service professions.

Transfer/Articulation Information
Please refer to the Student Resources section of the SLCC University Transfer webpage.

Total Program/Course Fees
Tuition per semester: http://www.slcc.edu/student/financial/tuition-fees.aspx
Mortuary Science Student Course Fees: $936.00
Books: $2,378.00
NBE Practice Exam: $120.00

NOTE: Fees may vary based upon specific registration and are subject to change.


GENERAL ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

  • Be admitted to SLCC as a matriculated student. See http://www.slcc.edu/apply/index.aspx
  • High School Graduate or equivalent.
  • For transfer credit, submit OFFICIAL, SEALED transcripts for ALL colleges and universities where prerequisite course work has been completed. Send to: SLCC Office of the Registrar and Academic Records, 4600 South Redwood Road, P.O Box 30808, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0808
  • Also, a request to have an OFFICIAL evaluation of student’s transcript(s) must be submitted to the SLCC Transfer Evaluation Office. The form is located at: http://www.slcc.edu/transcriptevaluation/. This process may take 4-6 weeks and must be completed before a student’s application will be considered.
  • Complete SLCC placement exam, or submit current SAT/ACT test scores, if MATH and ENGL course work have not been transferred to SLCC (required before you are able to register for classes that have MATH and ENGL courses as prerequisites). See: www.slcc.edu/testing

MORTUARY SCIENCE PROGRAM SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

This program is selective admission and has additional requirements to be accepted into the degree program. Specific requirements and process can be found here: http://www.slcc.edu/mortuaryscience/admissions.aspx. Please contact the Health Sciences Admissions Office, healthsciencesadmissions@slcc.edu or 801-957-6253, for additional information.


Ethical Practice Statement
Faculty and students in the Salt Lake Community College Mortuary Science Program will display professional and ethical behavior at all times. Program faculty and students shall:

  • Demonstrate concern for the well-being and safety of the recipients of their services.
  • Refrain from actions that cause harm.
  • Display respect towards the deceased, their family, peers, the mortuary, and the program.
  • Keep personal information about the deceased, their family, and peers confidential.
  • Provide service in a fair and equitable manner.
  • Comply with institutional rules, local, state, federal, and international laws.
  • Treat colleagues and other professionals with respect, fairness, discretion, and integrity.
  • Remain compassionate and respect the feelings of those they serve.
  • Be honest and truthful in their actions.

Specialized Accreditation
The Funeral Service associate degree program at Salt Lake 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: www.abfse.org.

National Board Examination pass rates, graduation rates, and employment rates for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at www.abfse.org in the Directory of Accredited Programs.

Licensure Information
We have made a good-faith effort to collect state licensure requirements for the SLCC programs of study that lead to professional licensure. You can view additional information about state licensure requirements on our Professional Licensure webpage.

General Education Requirements


Complete all General Education courses. Refer to Notes for program specific requirements and recommendations.

  

Program General Education Notes


REQUIRED:

Quantitative Studies (QS): MATH 1010 or higher, MATH 1035 Recommended

Human Relations (HR): MKTG 1960  or
                                         HS 2050

RECOMMENDED:

Composition (EN): ENGL 1010 with APA referencing

Communication (CM): COMM 1010  or
                                       COMM 1020  or
                                       COMM 2110

Life Science (LS): BIOL 1610/1615

A minimum 15 credit hours in general education is required.                        

Program Requirements


Time to Completion & Graduation Map


  • Mortuary Science AAS: Full-time  
  • Time to completion is four semesters based on a full-time minimum of 15 credits per semester. Less than 15 credits per semester will increase time to completion.

Program Learning Outcomes


Program learning outcome alignment with Student Learning Outcomes  in brackets.

  • Explain the importance of funeral service professionals in developing relationships with families and communities they serve. [1,2,5,6,7]
  • Identify standards of ethical conduct in funeral service practice. [1,2,6,7]
  • Interpret how federal, state, and local laws apply to funeral service in order to ensure compliance. [1,4,7]
  • Apply principles of public health and safety in the handling and preparation of human remains. [1,2,4,7]
  • Demonstrate technical skills in embalming and restorative art that are necessary for the preparation and handling of human remains. [1,3,4,7]
  • Demonstrate skills required for conducting arrangement conferences, visitations, services, and ceremonies.  [1,2,4,5,6,7,8]
  • Describe the requirements and procedures for burial, cremation, and other accepted forms of final disposition of human remains. [1,2,4,6,7]
  • Describe methods to address the grief-related needs of the bereaved. [1,2,4,5,6,7]
  • Explain management skills associated with operating a funeral establishment. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
  • Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and research skills needed for funeral service practice. [1,2,7,8,9]