The Mortuary Science Department at Cypress College prepares people for a career that cares for the dead and comforts the living. As a mortuary science student, you will prepare for employment as a funeral director and embalmer. The Cypress College Mortuary Science Program prepares the students to take the National Board Examination, California Embalmers Examination, and the California Funeral Directors Examination.

In support of this mission the following are the Program’s Learning Outcomes:

• 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.

The Mortuary Science Program objectives are as follows:

• 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 them to develop proficiency and skills necessary for the profession, as defined in the Preamble at the beginning of Chapter 9 of the Manual on Accreditation;
• To educate students concerning the responsibilities of funeral service profession to the community at large;
• To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct;
• To provide a curriculum at the post-secondary level of instruction;
• To encourage student and faculty research in the field of funeral service;
• To qualify students for professional licensure examination.

Cypress College is one of 15 community colleges in California to pilot a baccalaureate degree program. The Funeral Service Bachelor of Science Degree began in fall 2017 for those students who have previously completed an ABFSE-accredited program of study.

Students who have completed the Associate in Science Degree in mortuary science and are interested in completing the baccalaureate degree, can begin working on the lower division general education courses required for bachelor’s degree offered by CSU and UC by completing CSU lower division general education breadth or IGETC certification.

The Mortuary Science Program at Cypress College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097 (816) 233-3747 www.abfse.org