Jefferson State Community College – Funeral Service Education Program

Jefferson State University in Birmingham, Alabama, offers a unique curriculum for people working full-time at a funeral home. The program enables them to meet their individual states' licensing requirements. Funeral home directing, embalming, communication skills, and social sciences are all covered in the Funeral Service Education program.

The Funeral Service Education Program is built on the cooperative education philosophy. It is meant for people who are actively working toward fulfilling their state licensing requirements after completing a training program approved by the state. Students must finish the training program required by the state where they plan to practice before being eligible for licensure.

The student receives instruction in public health, embalming, funeral directing, social science, and applied science, in addition to a strong basis in communication skills. Graduates can take the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards' National Board Examination or the Alabama Board of Funeral Service's state board examination.

The American Board of Funeral Service Education and Jefferson State Community College's Funeral Care Education Program seek to prepare graduates for entry-level funeral service jobs by providing instruction in all facets of funeral care.

Rather than physically visiting a Jefferson State campus or instructional site, students enrolled in online courses access their courses using the Blackboard course management system, where they get 80% or more of their instruction. Email, live chat, message board, and phone are all ways for students to communicate with the instructor and other students. Most courses have weekly tasks with deadlines.

Founded: 1963
Tuition fee: $11,000 - $17,000
Website: https://www.jeffersonstate.edu/