Funeral Service Education
Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
@ Forest Park
Serving families in their time of need requires the skillful touch of trained professionals and the funeral service education program prepares students to provide for people as funeral directors or embalmers. Through this program, students learn about mortuary law, restorative art, funeral directing, embalming and the psychology of grief. STLCC is the premier funeral service education school in the region.
Required Courses
The recommended academic plan blends general education requirements with options for areas of concentration to ensure students get the most out of their certificate or degree.
The Funeral Service associate degree program at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097, 816-233-3747. National Board Examination scores, graduation rates and employment rates for this and other ABFSE accredited programs are available at the ABFSE website. To request a printed copy of this program's scores and rates, go to the Funeral Service Education program office in Room W407 at the Forest Park campus, email dcoughran@stlcc.edu or call 314-644-9327.
Program Outcomes
| Year | Total Enrolled | # of New Students | # of Grads | Timely Grad* | Graduation Rate** | Did not finish*** | Overall % Employed | Employed in Funeral Service |
| 2022 | 41 | 15 | 13 | 13/13 | 100% | 0 | 69% | 62% |
| 2021 | 41 | 13 | 12 | 12/12 | 79% | 3 | 58% | 50% |
| 2020 | 46 | 18 | 12 | 12/12 | 90% | 3 | 42% | 33% |
*Timely graduation = complete program in 1½ times designated program length.
**Graduation rate reflects cohort graduation rate (% of students from original cohort completing in the designated year)
***Left before completing the program; did not finish.
National Board Statistics
| Single Year | School Pass Rate | National Pass Rate |
| 2022 Arts | 50% | 69% |
| 2021 Arts | 44% | 68% |
| 2020 Arts | 67% | 73% |
| 2022 Sciences | 44% | 64% |
| 2021 Sciences | 25% | 57% |
| 2020 Sciences | 100% | 64% |
Prerequisites:
Prior to applying for admission to the Funeral Service Education program, the student must submit a program application, three professional character references, a written personal narrative and complete a minimum of 40 hours of documented job shadowing which has been completed and verified under the direct supervision of a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and which must also occur in an unaffiliated and licensed funeral service establishment, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in high school or for 15 hours of college work (100 level or higher). Students with fewer than 15 hours of college credit must have both a 2.75 GPA in high school and a 2.75 GPA in college. In addition, the student is required to meet with the program director and/or other Funeral Service Education faculty for a personal interview.
Funeral Service Education Program Admission Requirements
Program Objectives
- Explain the importance of funeral service professionals in developing relationships with the families and communities they serve.
- Identify standards of ethical conduct in funeral service practice.
- Interpret how federal, state, and local laws apply to funeral service in order to ensure compliance.
- Apply principles of public health and safety in handling and preparation of human remains.
- Demonstrate technical skills in embalming and restorative art that are necessary for the preparation and handling of human remains.
- Demonstrate skills required for conducting arrangement conferences, visitations, services, and ceremonies.
- Describe the requirements and procedures for burial, cremation, and other accepted forms of final disposition of human remains.
- Describe methods to address the grief-related needs of the bereaved.
- Explain management skills associated with operating a funeral establishment.
- Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and research skills needed for funeral service practice.
Faculty and Staff
St. Louis Community College expands minds and changes lives every day by offering high-quality educational experiences leading to degrees, certificates, employment, university transfer and life-long learning.
Hands-on Learning
Gain practical experience at modern facilities at local funeral homes as well as in the classroom. Skills include: mortuary law, restorative art, funeral directing, embalming and psychology of grief.
Cost of Attendance
For more information on cost of attendance visit MoSCORES.
Program Career and Salary Information
Pursuant to Missouri HB 1606 (2018), information regarding the number of credit hours, program length, employment rate, wage data, and graduates employed in careers related to their program of study at St. Louis Community College can be found at https://scorecard.mo.gov/. Search using School / Program “St. Louis Community College” and choose the degree or credential type of interest.
The following limitations to the data apply - Information provided is based on the most recent cohorts available. Typically, most recent cohorts for wage and completion data are six years prior to the current academic year. Time to complete a program of study varies depending on the number of credit hours students earn per semester.
Contact Us
Hours for all campuses: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
All Locations
314-539-5004
STLCC-FuneralServices@stlcc.edu