May 10, 2025  
2025-2026 SLCC General Catalog 
  
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2025-2026 SLCC General Catalog

Mortuary Science: AAS (CTE)

Associate of Applied Science | 67 credits

Program Website
Academic Advising

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

Verification of high school graduation or equivalent (GED) will be required before the (program) admissions deadline. Send official high school transcripts to HighSchoolTranscripts@slcc.edu.

Program course prerequisites must be completed before the start of the program with a C grade or better:  MORT 1010 must be completed with a B grade or better.  

  • Any Written Communication (WC) course [ENGL 1010 with APA referencing recommended]
  • MATH 1010 (QS) or any (QL), [MATH 1035 recommended]
  • Any Life Sciences LS) course [BIOL 1610/1615 recommended]
  • ACCT 1110 or 1250
  • MORT 1010 with a grade B or better
  • Complete a job shadow as outlined on the Mortuary Science admissions page.
  • Participate in required program informational session   

Note: The Mortuary Science program has both priority and final deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to examine each course description for details of other prerequisite classes. Those prerequisites must be satisfied before the designated program prerequisite course may be taken. AP Credit: AP scores of 3 or higher for a prerequisite course will be considered for admission into the program; however, this does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Application submission does not guarantee admission to the program. Please see the Mortuary Science program academic advisor with questions.

See the Mortuary Science webpage for essential information regarding completion of program application and additional application requirements: http://www.slcc.edu/mortuaryscience/index.aspx.

MORTUARY SCIENCE PROGRAM ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Once admitted into the program, students may be required to complete the following to receive a full offer toward matriculation.

  • Immunizations
  • Background Check
  • Drug Screening

Please note: Additional conditions may need to be met depending on program, please see program website for details.

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 Mortuary Science 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: http://www.abfse.org www.abfse.org.

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

Licensure Information
Graduation from the Mortuary Science program does not guarantee the ability to obtain a Utah state license to practice in the funeral arts. Licensure is the exclusive right and responsibility of each state. In order to practice this profession, students must satisfy individual state requirements, independent of SLCC graduation requirements. It is highly recommended that students consult in advance with the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL), or similar agencies in other states, to find out more about eligibility for licensure. DOPL can be reached at 801-530-6628 or at their website.

Selective Admissions Requirements

This program has 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.

Selective Admissions Critera

Selective Admissions Course Requirements

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 Intermediate Algebra (QS)  -  4 credits  or any Quantitative Literacy (QL)  course, MATH 1035 - Quantitative Reasoning with Integrated Algebra (QL)  recommended 

Human Relations (HR): MKTG 1960 - Professionalism in Business (HR)   or HS 2050 - Ethical, Social, and Legal Issues in Health Care (HR)   

Breadth Areas: 1 course from 1 of the Breadth Areas  is required; the Life Sciences (LS)  course used for Selective Admission will satisfy this requirement

RECOMMENDED:

Communication (CM): COMM 1010  or COMM 2150  

Life Sciences (LS): BIOL 1610 /BIOL 1615     

A minimum of 17 credit hours in General Education coursework is required for accreditation.  Students who complete the General Education requirements above in less than 17 credit hours will be required to take additional General Education courses to reach this minimum.         

Program Requirements

Required Courses (50-51 credits)

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]