The curriculum will be the same as the seated, on-campus students with the exception of working in our clinical labs. The Clinical Mortuary Practice and Embalming classes throughout the program will be completed with a Preceptor Funeral Home near you. To view the rest of the curriculum, please click HERE!

• PC running Windows 7 or newer or Mac running OS 10.10 or newer
• Web Camera, speakers, and microphone (video conferencing and proctored exams)
• Reliable internet connection with recommended speeds of 8 Mbps download/2Mbps upload
• Browser: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari

Yes, students participating in the online CMP program are required to complete an in-person evaluation and embalming after the completion of their 30 required cases in person at the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science facility. This embalming will be evaluated by a CCMS instructor to confirm proficiency in the clinical skills required for graduation. This will be scheduled and coordinated with the CMP Coordinator.

Time Management: Managing time effectively is crucial and students may struggle without structure of a traditional classroom.

Lack of Communication: Online courses often require asynchronous communication which can lead to misunderstanding and delayed responses. Be sure to stay engaged and maintain communication.

Technical Difficulties: Technical issues can disrupt the learning process. Ensure a stable internet connection and devices are updated.

Lack of Social Interaction: Lack of face-to-face interaction can reduce motivation and diminish sense of support. 

Distractions at Home: Without the physical separation of a classroom, it can be difficult to stay focused.

Adapting New Learning Styles: Students are required to take more responsibility with online learning and adjusting to self-paced learning may be difficult.

CCMS is transforming death care education! We are the oldest school of our kind and exceed accreditation standards. Compare us to other schools.

If you are interested in helping others and making a difference, funeral service could be just the career you’ve been looking for. Read more about careers in funeral service.

Visit our Cincinnati page for info and helpful links to get to know this great, all-American city.

Absolutely! Register for an Open House page or schedule a one-on-one visit by contacting:

Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science Director of Admissions

admissions@ccms.edu or 513-618-1926

Ccms.edu is the primary source of information about CCMS.  You may also contact our Dean of Enrollment Management or visit the College.

Typically no. You’ll have to earn general education credits at a regionally accredited college or university before enrolling in CCMS. Learn more about our prerequisites.

Applicants must earn general education credits at a regionally accredited college or university before enrolling in CCMS. It is to your advantage to take classes in the sciences, as well as social science and business courses. For more information, see prerequisites and our Transfer Credit Worksheet.

There are a number of ways:

1. You can contact your college

2. Look up your college in the Department of Education's database

3. Contact our Dean of Enrollment Management who would be happy to assist you. 

Although we can’t recommend any particular school, we have developed “college transfer agreements” with many colleges/universities. The advantage of attending one of these schools is that your coursework will be tailored to meet our prerequisites. Learn more about college transfer agreements.

Click here for information on how to apply.  

We recommend you apply when you are approximately 1/2 way complete with your prerequisites.

We accept applications year-round.

New cohorts start each Spring (January) and Fall (August). See the Academic Calendar for more information.

No. 

There are many funeral service-related scholarships available to students. In addition, CCMS offers the Academic Excellence Scholarship to incoming students. Visit our Financial Aid page for more information.

Congratulations!  Current information on financial aid is located at https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-scholarships/overview/ .   You will need to file the appropriate Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form at studentaid.gov in order to receive Federal and state sources of aid. 

You should file the appropriate FAFSA as soon as you are aware of your interest in CCMS.  CCMS will not be able to make an award for you until you have submitted your confirmation deposit, but we may be able to estimate an award for you to give you a ballpark idea of your eligibility. 

At CCMS, the FAFSA covers a two-semester award year starting with your term of entry (also referred to as your cohort).  To receive aid beyond the first two semesters, you will need to reapply for aid using the appropriate FAFSA form at that time.

Example:   a student begins a degree program (AAS or BMS) at CCMS starting with Fall 2024.  The student files the 2024-25 FAFSA form and is awarded aid for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.  For Summer 2025 (and Fall 2025, if the student is in the BMS program), the student will need to file the 2025-26 FAFSA when it is available.  A student starting Spring 2025 would file the 2024-25 FAFSA to cover Spring 2025 and Summer 2025.  The student would reapply with the 2025-26 FAFSA for Fall 2025 (and Spring 2026, if the student is in the BMS program).

CCMS participates in Title IV aid programs; the programs are the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work Study, and Federal Direct Student Loans.  CCMS participates in the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) for eligible Ohio residents.  For other state programs, please check with your state higher education agency to determine if grants can be exported to other states, such as Ohio. 

CCMS also has a number of scholarships available for application.  Information is available at https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/types-of-available-aid/ .  You may also wish to pursue outside scholarships; you are welcome to do so, but please be careful when applying for outside awards as you do not want to fall victim to a scam.  You should never have to pay to apply for or receive a scholarship.  If you are awarded outside funds, you must notify the CCMS Financial Aid Office since outside awards must be considered when making your overall award.

If you receive outside funds, you should direct the payment to the CCMS Accounting Office for application to your student account and notify the CCMS Financial Aid Office of the award.

SPECIAL NOTE:  In the case of students who already have Bachelor’s Degrees or Master’s Degrees prior to attendance at CCMS, please refer to question Q6 in this list for explanation.

 CCMS uses the Financial Aid Cost of Attendance (COA) as a starting point for aid.  The COA includes actual tuition and fee costs billed by the school for the two-semester award as well as standard allowances for items such as books/supplies not included in tuition and fees, transportation, housing, meals, and miscellaneous costs that are not billed by the school but incurred by the student.  You can find current COA information at https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/financial-aid-and-scholarships/cost-of-attendance/ . 

Need-based awards are determined by using the COA minus the Student Aid Index (SAI) from the FAFSA form.  Non-need-based awards are based on award criteria, and total aid must not exceed the COA.  Awards are subject to program limits and may be a combination of need-based and non-need based funding. 

Any awards accepted by the student will be applied to tuition and fees first; if there is a remaining credit balance after all accepted awards are disbursed, the student will receive a credit balance refund to help offset other costs.

For a semester-by-semester breakdown of tuition and fee costs billed by CCMS, please see:   https://www.ccms.edu/admissions/tuition-and-fees/ .

CCMS awards all aid at the maximum limits available to students.  There are times when aid resources cover some charges but not all of them.  If this situation occurs and the student needs additional funding to cover the charges, the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is available to students considered dependent on the FAFSA form.  This is a loan that the parent would apply for on behalf of the student; the Parent PLUS Loan is limited to a maximum of the COA minus awarded aid.  Parent PLUS Loan proceeds can be used to assist with housing, food, transportation, and other costs if needed.  The parent is the borrower for this type of loan.  Parent PLUS Loan information as well as  online credit check and Master Promissory Note (MPN) completion is located at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/parent .

As a last-resort option, private alternative loans are available to students who meet the requirements.  Like Parent PLUS Loans, the student can apply for up to a maximum of the COA minus awarded aid.  Students must meet the credit requirements of private alternative loans, and lenders often require creditworthy cosigners for this type of loan.  Unlike other types of aid, the student must find a lender, apply for and meet all of the application requirements set forth by the lender, and then CCMS will be notified to certify the loan.  Although CCMS cannot recommend one private alternative loan lender over another, helpful information and a list of some of the lenders can be found at https://finaid.org/loans/ .  Please keep in mind that private loan lenders make their own rules; eligibility requirements, interest rates, repayment terms, etc., will vary from lender to lender.

If you have an Associate’s Degree already before attending CCMS, you will still be eligible for all types of aid.  Prior loan borrowing and Pell Grant awards do impact the annual and lifetime limits for these programs, so it is possible that you may have less than full eligibility for your attendance at CCMS.  Your FAFSA form results will tell you if this is an issue, and CCMS will also notify you of specifics if this is the case.

If you have a Bachelor’s Degree before entering CCMS, you will only be eligible for Federal loans and possibly Federal Work Study but no other types of aid since Title IV regulations and Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) regulations prohibit students with prior Bachelor’s Degrees from receiving grants.  Students with prior Bachelor’s Degrees will also be subject to undergraduate annual and lifetime loan limits; prior borrowing will affect the annual and lifetime maximum and could potentially limit the amounts available for attendance at CCMS.

Students who hold Master’s Degrees before entering CCMS are subject to undergraduate loan limits since CCMS is an undergraduate institution.  The Financial Aid Office will calculate your loan eligibility and notify you if there is an issue.

SPECIAL NOTE:  In the case of students who already have Bachelor’s Degrees or Master’s Degrees prior to attendance at CCMS, the FAFSA must be filed as an undergraduate with a prior degree.  For the question asking if you hold a bachelor’s degree or have completed the requirements for one prior to your semester of entry at CCMS, you must answer YES if this is true.  For the question asking if you are working on a Master’s or Doctoral program at the beginning of the academic year of your entry, you must answer NO since CCMS is an undergraduate institution and you are applying to receive aid as an undergraduate.

Yes, CCMS participates in all types of Veterans Benefits.  Please contact the CCMS School Certifying Official (SCO), the Registrar, at registrar@ccms.edu or (513) 761-2020 for more information and application procedures.

We offer two degree programs – the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) and the Bachelor of Mortuary Science (B.M.S.). Read more about degree programs.

Yes, we offer Distance Education classes for both our Associate of Applied Science and Bachelor of Mortuary Science programs. 

See the Academic Calendar

You will receive your official schedule at orientation. If you enroll in the Spring, you will have afternoon classes M-F as well as one day of morning lab per week. If you enroll in Fall, you will have morning classes M-F as well as one day of afternoon lab per week. See sample schedules. 

At this time we do not have an on-campus bookstore. See the AAS textbook list and BMS textbook list. 

Yes, we have a library dedicated to mortuary science and a full-time Library Director.

Read about our AAS graduation requirements and BMS graduation requirements. 

No, we do not.

Check out our Housing & Employment page for links to apartment finder websites.

Definitely; it's a great opportunity. Check out our Housing & Employment page for options.

Check out our Cohort Connection Facebook page, designed just for students and alumni. Try posting a roommate request there.

Refer to the Relocating section of our Housing & Employment page.

There are several ways to learn more about licensing requirements:

1. Visit the Licensing Requirements on our website to view the current licensing requirements in each state.

2. Visit your state licensing board for information.

3. The National Funeral Directors Association compiles licensing requirements for all 50 states.

*Please note that our list is updated annually and the most up-to-date information can be found on your individual state's licensing website.

Requirements for apprenticeships vary by state. Click here to see state requirements.