Funeral Service Education, AAS

93 CREDITS

Admission Dates: Fall

Program Mission: The Funeral Service Education AAS degree prepares students to achieve entry-level proficiency as embalmers and funeral directors.

Funeral service professionals provide counsel, service, and emotional support for those who have experienced the death of a loved one. Students also learn how to manage a successful business in the high-tech global economy.

The Funeral Service Education degree program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 3414 Ashland Avenue, Suite G, St. Joseph, Missouri 64506 (816) 233-3747.  Web:  www.abfse.org.

Funeral Service Education AAS degree graduates will:

• be prepared for entry level positions as a funeral director and embalmer
• recognize the historical roots of contemporary funeral service practices**
• use appropriate terminology to facilitate communication with members of allied professions, the public, and the funeral service industry
• differentiate among the representative chemicals in embalming fluid (arterial, cavity, and accessory) and describe their respective functions and chemical principles**
• discuss and demonstrate safe environmental work practices through proper disposal of contaminated materials, and proper methods of disposal of blood and body fluids during and following the embalming process**
• explain and demonstrate the preparation of the infant, autopsy and non-autopsy embalming techniques and procedures while demonstrating and describing the use of embalming instruments, equipment and sundries, and embalming techniques and procedures
• comply with OSHA’s hazard communication standard, formaldehyde standard, and bloodborne pathogens standard
• identify the purpose of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), describe its effect on funeral service and who must comply with the FTC Funeral Industry Practices Rule, explain how to comply and follow the FTC Rule
• identify the pathological conditions and etiological factors which require special procedures in the removal, handling, preparation, and disposition of human remains.
• identify the laws, rules, regulations and management practices affecting funeral service and adhere to a standard of ethical behavior in personal and professional conduct
• be  prepared to succeed on the National Board Exam and the state board exam
• demonstrate critical thinking, teamwork, communication, intercultural appreciation , and technical and information literacy skills
• meet Social Science, Humanities, Written Communication, and Quantitative Reasoning distribution area outcomes

The FSE program has as its central aim the recognition of the importance of funeral service personnel as:

• Members of a human services profession,
• Members of the community in which they serve,
• Participants in the intimate relationship between bereaved families and those engaged in the funeral service profession,
• Professionals knowledgeable of and compliant with federal, state, provincial/territorial, and local regulatory guidelines in the geographic area where they practice as well as
• Professionals sensitive to and knowledgeable of the responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare in caring for human remains.

The program has the following purposes:

• To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession.
• To educate students in every phase of funeral service, and to help enable them to develop the proficiency and skills necessary to become functional members of the profession.
• To educate student concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community.
• To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct.
• To provide a comprehensive curriculum at the post secondary level of instruction.
• To encourage research in the field of funeral service.

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 rates, go to the Funeral Service Education office, Room A109, Allied Health Building or by email at jamye.cameron@lwtech.edu or by telephone at (425) 739-8306.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology does not offer every course each quarter. It is the student’s responsibility to consult the Class Schedule and work out an individual schedule with an adviser or counselor. Any developmental coursework a student may be required to complete may increase the program length.

Note: In order to better prepare students for today’s careers and tomorrow’s opportunities in the field of funeral services, this program was revised to include additional course work in restorative arts and an additional lab credit in microbiology. The program credit total increased from 90 to 93 credits. Students who began the program in Winter 2016 are affected by this change.