Funeral Director Certificate

CCMS offers a certificate program option for individuals who seek formal education as a funeral director (only) or other death care related professions without any need for college prerequisites.

The Funeral Director Certificate program is an online program that awards hours and brings formal education to qualified individuals pursuing a career as a licensed funeral director (not embalmer), funeral assistant, pre-need counselors, insurance professionals, cemetery personnel, or anyone else in the death care profession who want to receive comprehensive knowledge in funeral service arts to better serve the public.

This program prepares a student with the necessary knowledge to pass the National Board Examination arts section.

Certificate program at-a-glance:

• Hours Earned: 30 certificate hours (no academic credits are earned)
• Delivery: Online, distance-learning
• Length: 7 months, 2 semesters (each 14 weeks in length) - or go at your own pace (you choose the number of certificate hours you enroll in per semester)
• Cost:  $450 per certificate hour with no additional costs for fees or textbooks

Prerequisite: High school diploma or GED

Complete the 4-question Readiness Check before you apply with no obligation 

CERTIFICATE PROGAM COURSES FOR FALL 2023 (COURSE DESCRIPTIONS LISTED UNDER ALL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM COURSES BELOW):

• FDC 1008: Thanatological Aspects of Human Loss (3 certificate hours) – taught by Wanda Lee
• FDC 1005: Postmortem Science (4 certificate hours) – taught by John Vinnedge
• FDC 1003: Funeral Service Organization and Management – (2 certificate hours) – taught by Codi Kindoll
• FDC 1006: Funeral Service Memorialization and Remembrance Products (2 certificate hours) – taught by Codi Kindoll
• FDC 1007: Mortuary Jurisprudence (3 certificate hours) – taught by Codi Kindoll

ALL CERTIFICATE PROGRAM COURSES:

FDC 1001 - HISTORY OF DEATH CARE AND FUNERAL RITUALS 3 hours

Exploration of funeral practices and beliefs of all major cultures from pre-Egyptian times to the 21st century will special emphasis on developments in the United States focused on the expansion of chemical preservation, the advent of the funeral home, the enhancement of burial receptacles, and the expansion of mortuary education are emphasized. The students will also study ethical aspects of funeral service. The mechanics and the dynamics of a variety of ethnic, religious, and social groups approach to funeral rites, rituals and ceremonies is also covered. From the first notification of death through the final disposition emphasis on respect and understanding of the principles and practice of funeral ceremonies is presented to the student.

FDC 1002 - DESAIROLOGY, COLOR THEORY, AND COSMETOLOGY 1 hour

This course is for individuals who are not seeking licensure as an embalmer of the dead. This is an introduction course focused on color and lighting and their application in the Funeral Service profession. Instruction centers around the history of color, the Prang System, principles of pigmentation, psychology of color, and color in illumination. Also included is information about floral arrangements and interior design.

FDC 1003 - FUNERAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT 2 hours

The role and function of the funeral professional as an effective management person are defined and explored regarding leadership in establishing and implementing policies after decision analysis. Areas stressed in this class include personnel management, motivation, continuing education training, control mechanisms and systems, insurance management and the physical facilities and funeral equipment care. How to purchase a funeral establishment is also covered. Instruction includes lectures supplemented by funeral home case problem analysis designed to develop the ability to recognize and solve management challenges.

FDC 1004 - FUNERAL SERVICE ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES 3 hours

Introduction to basic accounting principles including double entry bookkeeping, the accounting cycle, journalizing, and posting, the trial balance and reading the financial statement and understanding and interpretation of the profit and loss statement. Banking procedures are explained with emphasis on reconciling the bank statement. Payroll accounting, depreciation, and accounting for a personal service enterprise is covered as it applies to funeral service. Also, online banking and internet banking services are covered.

FDC 1005 - POST-MORTEM SCIENCE  4 hours

This course is an integration of the art and science of embalming, embalming and restorative art literacy, and of the personal and community health risks as it relates to post-mortem health concerns. This course covers general pathology, preparation room management, the history of disease, and the identification and selection of embalming chemicals. The course also explores the rules and regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and how to comply with these requirements. This course will also offer a section on the History of Embalming and procedures for identification and viewing of remains that have not had chemical preservation.

FDC 1006 - FUNERAL SERVICE MEMORIALIZATION AND REMEMBRANCE (Merchandising) 2 hours

This course is designed to develop a high degree of product knowledge. Areas of concentration include all aspects of the cremation process, and cremation memorial selections; the manufacture and construction methods of memorial products including cemetery property and monument seletion. Planning of dispalys of prducts, color schemes, lighting, and methods of display, and presentation approaches which helps the client in making informed decisions is also covered. Also, the student is introduced to the Funeral Rule of the Federal Trade Commission.

FDC 1007 - MORTUARY JURISPRUDENCE 3 hours

This course presents the principles of business and mortuary law and ethical issues in funeral service that are important to the successful practice of the funeral service profession.

Topics presented as they relate to funeral service are: What should be done with the dead (ethically significant questions, contracts, legal instruments, agency, bailments, wills and estates, torts, the legal status of deceased human beings, custodial rights, the rights and duties of disposition, the rights and duties of the funeral, liabilities, liability for funeral expenses, and regulations pertaining to licensing of individuals and funeral homes. Included in this class will be Comparative Statutory Law and Ohio Statutory Law.

FDC 1008 - THANATOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN LOSS 3 hours

Building upon the knowledge gained through the course on the History of Death Care, grief itself is analyzed from both the sociological and psychological perspectives. Symptoms of the bereaved are studied. Attention is given to the funeral director's own attitude toward death anxiety, and the therapeutic value, purpose and benefit of rites, rituals, and ceremonies in experiencing human loss. The relationship between complicated grief and moving forward in the grief process is studied. In addition, death in America is explored as to its effects on both the individual and different social groups. Central to the course are general sociological and psychological phenomena regarding family and groups structures and dynamics, human capacities, motivations, and emotions as they relate to the funeral and mourning experience. Material is presented about the individual and social group's abilities to understand and embrace death, grief, bereavement and mourning from childhood to old age.

FDC 1009 - GOVERNMENT IN FUNERAL SERVICE 2 hours

The Funeral Rule of the Federal Trade Commission governing the funeral profession and the death benefits available to eligible persons are studied. Special emphasis is placed on eligibility requirements and procedures for survivors to obtain benefits from Social Security, Armed Forces, Veterans Administrations, Medicaid, Title 19, and Supplemental Security Income. In addition, OSHA, the ADA are covered in detail, and particularly the hiring practices of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Programs which place government constraints in the operation of a funeral home such as, Truth in Lending, Pre-Need regulations, Federal Wage and Hour, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics are explored.

FDC 1010 - CEMETERY AND CREMATION FUNDAMENTALS 2 hours

A study of the roles cemeteries and crematories take in today’s deathcare practices. Historical perspectives of cemeteries and crematories are presented to understand their influential pasts, and to protect their futures. In-depth examinations of appropriate form, documentation, statutory, and regulatory requirements are explored to promote responsible professionalism within future deathcare providers. The science and statistics of interment and cremation are provided to encourage an understanding of how funeral professionals can adapt to an ever-changing landscape of final disposition options.

FDC 1011 - 21st CENTURY FUNERAL SERVICE – HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT 2 hour

Hospitality management training and celebrant training make up the substance of this course. The course approaches these subjects in the “How to” methodology whereby the students are given step by step implementation instructions.

FDC 1012 - COMMUNICATING THE VALUE, PURPOSE AND BENEFIT OF FUNERAL RITES, RITUALS AND CEREMONIES (BEFORE A DEATH HAS OCCURRED) 2 hours

Creating Sacred/ Intentional Space, Intentions and Purpose, Types of Ceremony, Introducing Ceremony, Ceremonial Stages, and Intentional Acts, Meaningful, Symbolic Action, Witness, Resources, Place, Ceremonial Tools, Ritual, Sensory Experiences, The Elements, Meaningful, Symbolic Objects, Structure and Spontaneity
Rites of Passage

• Definition and Scope
• The Stages Inherent to Rites of Passage
• Rites of Passage Maps
• Preparation
• Populations
• Life Change and Transformation
• Death, Loss, and Endings
• New Roles and Responsibilities for the 21st century funeral professional
• Culture and Diversity
• Meaning, Symbols, Metaphor
• Questions to explore intention, cultural/ spiritual belief
• Personal, Family and Ancestral relationship with Ceremony and Ritual
• Personal, Spiritual, Cultural Relevance
• Eliciting Meaning and Metaphor
Community and Family
• Role of Community
• Independence and Interdependence
• Confirmation and Recognition
• Deep Listening and Mirroring Practice
• Role of the Mentor Funeral Professional

FDC 1013 - FUNERAL SERVICE PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS 1 hour

This course is an introduction to the philosophical study of morality, including the theory of right and unethical behavior, the theory of value (goodness and badness), and the theory of virtue and vice. The funeral service ethic of reverence for the dead will be the beginning focus of the class. Additional ethical topics will be, business ethics, honesty, diligence in service to humanity, dependability, and the ethical consequences of performing an essential service to a community when a death occurs.

Complete the 4-question Readiness Check before you apply with no obligation 

The FDC program is a certificate only program and does not earn academic credit toward a degree.  This academic program is designed to meet specific state or professional needs.  It is not accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.  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.  This program currently does not qualify for Title IV Federal aid.