Funeral Service Certificate

Program and Faculty Advisors: Olga Retana (oretana@ntcc.edu) • 903-434-8313; Rebecca M. Robidas Gardner (rgardner@ntcc.edu) • 903-434-8314: Manuel Osorio (mosorio@ntcc.edu) • 903-434-8206; Benjamin Schmidt (bschmidt@ntcc.edu) • 903-434-8337

Students should consult a program advisor or an academic advisor prior to starting the Funeral Service Certificate.  Even though Northeast has an open-door policy, the Funeral Service program must limit its enrollment due to the availability of clinical affiliations.

Applicants must meet minimum academic standards to be considered for admission. The funeral service certificate has been developed for those interested in pursuing a funeral director’s license only. Application information and forms are located on the Funeral Service Program’s website at www.ntcc.edu/funeralservice.

Program Mission

Funeral directors are professionals who serve others during a great time of loss, pain and grief. The mission of the NTCC Funeral Service program is to successfully combine the study of behavioral, physical and applied mortuary sciences for the goal of preparing graduates for careers as knowledgeable, skilled and innovative funeral service professionals. Program graduates will be prepared to serve members of their communities in a manner that is efficient, dignified and caring.

Upon completion of the Associate of Applied Science Degree at NTCC, students will be able to:

• 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.
• 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.

This academic program is designed to meet specific state or professional needs. It is not accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education owing to the fact that it does not include instruction in the following areas: anatomy, chemistry, embalming, microbiology, pathology, and restorative art. Students graduating from this program are not eligible to take the National Board Examination or any state board examination for which graduation from an ABFSE accredited program is required.

CIP: 12.0301