Funeral Service Technology, A.A.S.

The Funeral Service Technology degree program offers a curriculum leading to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Funeral Service Technology. The Associate of Applied Science degree program in Funeral Service Technology at Northwest Mississippi Community College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097: phone (816) 233-3747: fax (856) 579-7354: website www.abfse.org.

National Board Exam Pass Rate Statistics:

3-Year Average	Arts	Science	2019 Stats	Take	Pass	Pass Rate
15-16-17	68%	86%	Arts	2	2	100%
16-17-18	67%	74%	Science	2	1	50%
17-18-19	73%	64%

2019 Program Information:

New Students: 17	Graduates: 4	*Timely Graduates: 4
Percent Employed: 100%	**Left Before Completion: 13
* Timely graduation = program completion in 1.5 times the designated program length
** Left before completion = new enrollees who left before completing the program: did not finish

National Board Examination pass rates, 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 221 at Northwest’s DeSoto Center in Southaven, or contact Angela Hopper at (662) 280-6136 or email ahopper@northwestms.edu.

Special admissions requirements: As applications and supporting documents are submitted, an applicant review will be conducted by an admissions committee. Applicants meeting all of the minimum requirements may be selected into the new class. Each class has a limited enrollment, and selection is made on a competitive basis. Admission to the college does not guarantee admission into the Funeral Service Technology program.

Specific minimum admission requirements include:

1. Two applications:
   1. Application for admission to Northwest Mississippi Community College with required high school and college transcript(s) and ACT scores (to be sent to the Senatobia campus).
   2. Application to the Funeral Service Technology program, ACT scores, and college transcripts (to be sent to Angela Hopper, program director, Funeral Service Technology Department, Northwest Mississippi Community College/DeSoto Center, 5197 W.E. Ross Parkway, Southaven, MS, 38671).
2. The American College Test (ACT) is required for admittance:
   1. Composite score of 18.
   2. Applicants with less than a composite score of 18 should retake the ACT. (Contact the College for exam dates.)
   3. ACT requirements are waived for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. (ACT scores are still required.)
3. To transfer from another Funeral Service Technology program, applicants must meet the specific admission requirements as well as:
   1. Be in good standing and be eligible to return to their previous school.
   2. Provide a statement explaining reasons for transferring to Northwest Mississippi Community College.
   3. A grade of “C” or better is required for transfer subjects and must be comparable to those offered at NWCC. (Catalog descriptions are required on transfer subjects.)
   4. All courses included in the Comprehensive Review class and those that are tested by the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board (NBE) will not be accepted unless they have been taken within one (1) year of the transfer request. (FST, Accounting, and Chemistry)
   5. See Transfer Credit requirements on page 32 of this Bulletin for graduation requirements.
4. Deadline:
   1. Applications and supporting documents for the Fall Semester (August) must be received by July 15 and for the Spring Semester (January) must be received by November 15.
   2. Applicants will be accepted and notified when all of the minimum requirements have been met and approved.
5. Once all documents have been received, with the minimum ACT score of 18 or transcripts showing conferment of a B.S. or B.A. degree, the applicant will be invited for an interview for program admission.
6. If accepted into the program, the applicant must attend a mandatory orientation period prior to registration.

Readmission requirements:

1. All students applying for readmission will be reviewed by a Funeral Service admissions committee.
2. Students that are enrolled in the Funeral Service Technology program, but miss one full semester(s) must reapply for admission.
3. Students who have been out of the Funeral Service Technology program for a period of one (1) year or more must repeat all FST courses along with accounting and chemistry.

Upon completion of the program, the student is qualified to write the National Board Examination (NBE) for license requirements. The NBE is not required by the ABFSE for graduation, but is required by most states in order to practice funeral directing and/or embalming in that state (the NBE is required for program completion under Northwest guidelines).

The annual passage rate of first-time takers on the National Board Examination (NBE) for the most recent three-year period for this institution and all ABFSE accredited funeral service education programs is posted on the ABFSE website (www.abfse.org).

Designed to prepare students for immediate employment as funeral directors and embalmers, the program offers funeral service education for this unique and highly personalized profession.

The aims and objectives of the Funeral Service Technology program are:

Funeral Service Aims and Objectives

The central objective of Northwest Mississippi Community College’s ABFSE-accredited Funeral Service Technology program is to educate students in every phase of funeral service so that program graduates are prepared for entry-level employment in funeral service. In support of this objective, NWCC has adopted the following Learning Outcomes:

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the accredited program, students will be able to:

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

Recognizing the importance of the care of the bereaved, the department has designed a curriculum not only to educate the student in the care of the deceased, but also in the care of the living. To meet this need, classes are offered in funeral directing, funeral home management, sociology, grief, and death related psychology.

Grading System for Funeral Service Technology Only
94 to 100 = A
93 to 87 = B
86 to 80 = C
79 to 0 = F

Note: Academic courses, such as accounting and chemistry, that will be tested by the Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards must have a grade of “C” or better to be accepted.