Funeral Service Education 6050, A.S. Career/Tech

A Two-Year Program Leading to the A.S. Degree

This program adheres to the institutional commitment to student success in both human development and achievement of educational goals. The challenge is met by providing a comprehensive program, which includes a wide variety of educational experiences aimed at developing skills necessary for practice in funeral service, as well as knowledge that is basic to the ideal of good citizenship. This program enables students to develop the proficiency and skill necessary for entry level placement in funeral service. It also addresses those measures of public health and ethical conduct required to uphold and foster the dignity of funeral service. The program will adhere to ethical practices in all student-related matters. Upon completion of their studies at Vincennes University, the funeral service education students will be able to comply with the goals of the program. The goals of the funeral service program are: 1) the student will demonstrate the cognitive knowledge necessary for satisfactory performance in an entry-level funeral service position; 2) the student will demonstrate an ability to perform basic embalming techniques; 3) the student will be able to apply the cognitive knowledge in a practical setting working in an entry-level funeral service position; and 4) encourage students and faculty to perform research in the field of funeral service. Successful completion of the A.S. Program allows students to transfer to a baccalaureate institution.

The Funeral Service Education Associate Degree Program at Vincennes University is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ  08097 (816) 233-3747. Website: www.abfse.org

National Board Examination pass rates, graduation/retention rates, and job/placement/employment rates for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at www.abfse.org in the Directory of Accreditated Programs. To request a printed copy of this program’s scores and rates, go to the Funeral Service Education Degree Program office, located in the Center for Health Sciences building, Room 215, or by email at hshp@vinu.edu, or by telephone at 812-888-5469.

All students, including Distance Education students, will be required to travel to approved Indiana preceptor locations to complete required embalmings and embalming certification. The distance education students are required to attend the restorative art principles application review on the Vincennes Campus during the final spring semester of the program. Students will schedule the embalmings with preceptors at approved sites with permission of the Program Chair. Students are required to complete a minimum of 10 embalmings under Preceptor and Chair supervision. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of an accredited program, 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.
• Apply principles of public health and safety in the 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.

Admission Requirements

1. Meet admission requirements for the University.
2. Applicants must complete the Funeral Service Education secondary application found at vinu.edu/hsapp.
3. Possess physical and mental health acceptable for performance in the occupation as determined by the Funeral Service Education Department.
4. Applicant may repeat an academic course only one time in order to achieve a grade of C or better.
   1. Applicants must hold no current grade less than a C in any required general education course.
   2. Applicants with current grades less than a C in required general education course are not eligible for admission.
   3. Required non-funeral service education courses may only be repeated one time in order to raise the grade to a C or better. This includes prerequisites to required courses.
5. Applicants must have the following prerequisites completed with a grade of C or better prior to admission to the Funeral Service Education program: 1) BIOL 107 / 107L ; 2) ENGL 101 ; 3) COMM 143 ; 4) HSGN 104 ; 5) 100-level higher Math (MATH or MATT).
6. Age limits on courses: only BIOL 107 /BIOL 107L  and CHEM 110 /CHEM 110L  taken less than five years prior to admission to the Funeral Service Education Program will be considered for credit, and only HSGN 104  taken less than three years prior to admission to the Funeral Service Education Program will be considered for credit.

Orientation Information

Students admitted on campus will be required to attend an in-person Funeral Service Education Degree Program orientation the Friday before classes begin in January. Online students are required to attend the orientation virtually. You must be available to attend if selected for admission into the program. Students selected for admission will be provided additional details via email.

Notes

Compliance with all criteria does not guarantee admission to the program. 

Students that are selected for admission to the program will need to meet additional requirements in order to begin the program. These requirements for FSE include, but are not limited to:

1. Submitting required health forms/immunizations as directed.
2. Submitting Student Handbook Signature Page.

Criminal History Statement

Students who have a felony conviction could be denied by licensing boards to obtain a funeral director/embalmer license. It is the student’s responsibility to investigate board policies in advance of applying for the Funeral Service Education Degree Program.

Standards for Progression and Graduation

Funeral Service Education students must achieve a minimum grade of C in each Funeral Service Education (FNRL) course, and Science course and maintain a 2.0 semester average, based on grade point average (GPA) for the current semester.

Readmission Standards

Readmission standards apply to any student that was unsuccessful in passing or withdrew from an FSE course (FNRL) following admission into the Program or any student failing to maintain the Standards for Progression and Graduation.

1. Applicants may be readmitted to the program one time only.
2. Applicants seeking to reenter the program at the point in which they withdrew, must reenter the program within one year and complete the program within 3 years total. Otherwise, the student may apply for readmission, if eligible, to begin the program in its entirety.
3. The effective catalog for students readmitted to the program in courses beyond the first semester will be the effective catalog at the time of the first admission.
4. Qualified applicants will be readmitted on a space-available basis. In the event that the number of applicants exceeds available space, positions may be offered to applicants with higher qualifications.
5. Applicants for readmission must submit a readmission application by the deadline established by the Funeral Service Education Department.
6. All applicants must have a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 in order to be considered for readmission.
7. Applicants that have received a grade less than a C in more than one Funeral Service Education course are not eligible to reapply for admissions.
8. Students not successfully completing FNRL 130 , FNRL 110 , and/or FNRL 230  must reapply to the program and will be considered alongside all other applicants.
9. Applications are reviewed on an individual basis by the Funeral Service Education Department.
10. In accordance with the University Grievance Policy, applicants who believe they have extenuating circumstances to these readmission standards may submit a letter of appeal to the Funeral Service Education Department Admissions Committee to explain the situation.