Course Listings and Descriptions
听IMPORTANT: A minimum of 54 earned credits must be completed to be eligible to enroll in the Clinical Cooperative program. A Comprehensive Review is taken in the last term after all academic courses have been completed.
Anatomy for Funeral Professionals PS101
Prerequisite for NS201 Anatomy for Funeral Professions 2
The basic language of the sciences will be the focus of this course. Study and use of word parts鈥�prefix, word root and suffix– will be stressed. While scientific words used in all areas of science听will be studied, elementary anatomy mainly will be considered to reinforce the language used听in the advanced courses. In addition, improvement of study skills especially needed for learning听and remembering the words and concepts in a science course will be reviewed.
Anatomy for Funeral Professions 2 NS201
Prerequisite for Embalming EM221, Pathology PA230 and Restorative Art RA230
This course is in the realm of natural science based on anatomy and physiology. It is introductory听in nature, covers general information of practical use to any student interested in knowing about听the structure and function of the human body. The course is systems oriented with emphasis听on osteology, muscles, circulation, and the respiratory, urinary, endocrine, reproductive,听digestive, and nervous systems. Topics also will include anatomical and physiological terms,听planes of reference and body cavities and their content.
Applied Communications RF302
This course emphasizes understanding and appreciation of communication skills as they relate听to selection, organization, and expression of ideas. In written presentations, grammar and听spelling as well as content will be evaluated. Reading and speaking skills plus writing听assignments, including documented papers will develop the student鈥檚 ability to communicate听more clearly and effectively. Students will be expected to use computer databases to research听information for papers and oral presentations. Two Major objectives of this course are: 1. To aid听the student in reflecting on his/her FMC educational experience. 2. To help him/her begin to听think about continuing to apply the education and practical experiences encountered at FMC听following graduation
Business Basics BB101
Prerequisite for Essentials of Accounting EB221 and Law and Ethics LE230
A survey of elementary Accounting, Computing Skills, Small Business Management and Law will听be covered. Fundamental math skills are reviewed. Business terms and concepts that are听introduced will be followed up in the subsequent business-related courses.
Clinical Cooperative 1 CC306
A minimum of 54 earned credits must be completed to be eligible to enroll in the Clinical听Cooperative program. All prerequisites must be completed. Clinical Cooperative I (CC306) and听Applied Communications(RF302) may be taken concurrently if Applied Communications has not听already been completed in a prior term.
The purpose of CC306, Clinical Cooperative 1, is to provide the student with introductory听practical instruction and active participation in the embalming of human remains, including but听not limited to: personal protective equipment and 鈥淯niversal Precautions鈥�, cleaning and听disinfection of remains, pre-embalming treatments, the embalming, post-embalming听treatments and restorative operations, cosmeticizing, dressing, and casketing of the remains.听Students will learn and apply all applicable OSHA requirements, state, local and federal听regulations related to the care of the dead and the operation and maintenance of a funeral听home establishment.
Additionally, an FMC Clinical Coordinator or Faculty Member will visit the Preceptor Site BEFORE听the start of the student鈥檚 clinical experience to ensure the facility is properly equipped and听he/she will verify that the student is properly versed in the use, location and protocols听associated with preparation facility.
Clinical Cooperative 2 CC307
A minimum of 54 earned credits must be completed to be eligible to enroll in the Clinical听Cooperative program. All prerequisites must be completed. Clinical Cooperative 2 (CC307) and听Comprehensive Review (RV232) are taken in the last term and/or the Comprehensive Studies听course may be taken on its own after completing CC307. In this course the student will continue听to develop their practical embalming knowledge and skills through the completion 5 additional听embalming cases, one of which will be a competency embalming. The competency embalming听will take place in one of FMC鈥檚 approved Certification Sites under the supervision of a Certifying听Faculty Member. In addition, the student is expected to focus on the business and legal aspects听of maintaining a success funeral business. The student will be expected to observe two听arrangements, an at-need case as well as a pre-need case.
The student will then have an opportunity to demonstrate their arrangement abilities by听conducting a Mock Arrangement while being observed by an FMC licensed funeral service听professional. Throughout this course the student is also expected to gain experience under the听watchful eye of the Preceptor in displaying and marketing merchandise, become aware of and听dealing with the relationship between costs and income when running a successful firm and the听necessity and ways of promoting the funeral home in the community. Only by repeated practice听under the guidance of the Preceptor can the student hope to gain confidence and skills not only听to complete a funeral on his/her own, but also to maintain a successful funeral business.
Comprehensive Review RV232
Students will take this course during their last academic term to review and re-enforce the听information, which was covered and learned in their FMC coursework. Only those topics tested听on the National Board Exam (NBE) will be reviewed. Students will be required to complete听weekly homework assignments and pass final exams on each weekly topic from the National听Board Exam (NBE).
Directed Studies DS099
Carries no course credits; taken with a selected basic academic course for credit
Since most material on quizzes and exams at FMC are covered in classroom lectures, this course听will focus on the techniques of listening, observation, note taking, and testing to assist students听in making better use of the classroom lecture as a fundamental learning tool and to suggest听strategies for reading and answering test questions. Students enrolled in Directed Studies must听be simultaneously enrolled in the same selected FMC introductory course such as: Introduction听to the Social Science, Business Basics, etc. The course content of the Directed Studies course will听be drawn from the selected introductory course. For example, a discussion on note taking might听include an analysis of a tape-recorded segment of an actual lecture from the introductory听course.
NOTE: SK099 and DS099 are Pass-Fail courses with no academic credits earned
Embalming EM221
Initially the history and the reasons for the development of embalming will be reviewed. The听changes which occur from immediately before the death to shortly following the death and how听these changes impact the embalming procedure will be examined. The various pieces of听equipment used for the embalming procedure and the way in which they work will be discussed.听A review of the chemistry of decomposition and of embalming plus the anatomy of the听circulatory system including the triangles, vessels used, and the anatomical guides and lines will听be emphasized. The OSHA hazard communication standard and the Medical Waste Tracking Act听also will be examined.
Chemistry for Embalming EC212
Prerequisite for Embalming EM221
An introduction to the basic principles of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and听biochemistry, will be followed by the chemistry of disinfection, embalming and cosmetology.听The nature of decomposition, formulation of embalming chemicals and disinfectants and their听functions are stressed. Emphasis is placed on chemical terms and reactions which are necessary听to appreciate the need to retard decomposition, prevent the spread of disease and aid in making听the remains presentable to the bereaved.
Essentials of Accounting EB221
Basic accounting practices will be reviewed and those concepts pertaining to funeral service will听be emphasized. This course also will review the practical use of computers in funeral service.听Lastly, management principles as they affect funeral service and the interaction with families听and the community will be reviewed.
Funeral Directing FD221
Prerequisite for Marketing and Merchandising MM230 and Law and Ethics LE230
The practical aspects of funeral directing and operations of the funeral home as a small business听are the emphasis of this course. Family interactions during home removal of the body and听discussions at the home of the deceased, meetings with the family at the funeral home,听merchandise selection, crisis counseling, the role of the funeral director at the wake or calling听hours, and at the place of the service will be examined. How to handle difficult families or听situations will be discussed. Role playing is an important part of these aspects of the course.听Filling out of death certificates, various government benefit forms, filing death notices and听arrangement conferences will be covered. Additional considerations of the management of the听funeral home as a small business and the religious and cultural variations across the population听are considered.
Funeral Profession FP212
Prerequisite for Marketing and Merchandising MM230 and Law and Ethics LE230
This course begins with a brief history of funeral service. It covers topics from the ancient听civilizations’ death and burial customs through the Middle Ages and the renaissance to the rise听of medical embalmers and the English undertaker. It examines the rise of North American听funeral customs from early colonial times to the development of the contemporary funeral听practices. Important differences and similarities between the various religious traditions听prevalent in modern American society will be discussed. The psychological, sociological, and听religious purposes of the funeral service are discussed. Lastly, the sociologic implications of听funeralization are given. This includes a discussion of the changes in symbolism and customs of听funeral service resulting from changes in the family structure in this country. Woven throughout听this course is an emphasis of helping the student to communicate information learned, through听verbal and written means, to their classmates. Each student will observe and report on 5 funeral听services
Funeral Service Management FM 201
Prerequisite: Essentials of Accounting
This course will cover management technique and theory as they apply specifically to funeral听service and ownership of a funeral establishment. Students will examine the scope of听operational policies and procedures within a funeral home and will discuss the process of听handling situations within house management versus outside consultants. The importance of听regulatory compliance from a management perspective will be discussed in detail, with a focus听on Federal FTC regulations. The FTC Funeral Rule will be fully reviewed and covered in full.
Introduction Chemistry and Microbiology CM101
Prerequisite for Embalming Chemistry EC212 and Microbiology/Sanitation/Public Health听SP221
The basic principles of each of these disciplines will be discussed. Students will study aspects of听basic inorganic chemistry including modern atomic theory and organic chemistry including the听12 basic molecular types. The chemistry of disinfection and sterilization will be reviewed.听Pathogens and the diseases they cause, prevention of disease, some of the mechanisms for听disease communication and how to protect the population from transmission of infections will听be covered.
Introduction to Social Science SS101
Prerequisite for Psychology of Grief PS212
In this basic course the students will gain a broad general introduction to the social sciences,听primarily psychology and sociology, to understand the more advanced courses such as Grief听Psychology, Sociology, History and Funeral Directing. This course also will aid students in听improving their reading and writing abilities. It also will review study skills and how successfully听to apply them as they study. Skills such as note taking, time allotment, determination of the听most relevant course information and the best environmental conditions for study are reviewed听using the course data and concepts as an example.
Funeral Disposition & Ethics SE102
Funeral service personnel are faced with a wide variety of families with a variety of ideas, needs,听and wants. This course focuses on the cremation process, the industry terms, along with other听trendy disposition topics. Often times funeral directors are too busy to allow themselves time听to experience funeral related seminars, workshops, or other related funeral industry events听keeping that in mind this course will host exclusive guest speakers to discuss the casket industry,听the technology that is making waves, donor service programs, green burials and other听alternatives and death doulas. This course will allow the professional to experience a wider听range of information and understanding than he/she would otherwise have. Often this听information is not and cannot be provided by academic courses. Examples of course work听include participation in discussion regarding current topics, interaction with the content, a book听study, listening to in-house speakers such as allied health professionals, clergy, and grief听caregivers, as well as funeral service professionals. In addition, this seminar course will require听some readings and reports.
Business & Funeral Law LE230
The purpose of this course is to examine the areas of law and ethics. The course will begin with听a study of Business Law. During this phase, students will examine federal, state, and local legal听requirements for conducting business. Since Mortuary Law is of major importance to students听studying to be funeral service professionals, much of the course will examine those local, state,听and federal laws which involve consumers arranging for funerals, both at-need and pre-need.听Discussion of funeral funding plans such as trust funds and life insurance will also be included.听The legal aspects of employer/employee relations in the funeral home, and the law governing听actions of funeral directors as agents are also considered. Last, students will consider the major听role that ethics plays in the funeral business and life of the funeral director/embalmer.
Marketing and Merchandising MM230
Merchandising and pricing techniques plus methods of display within casket/vault/ clothing听selection area and The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule will be discussed in detail. This听course also will examine the evolution of the funeral director’s role as a provider of funeral听goods and services. Construction of caskets, coffins, and outer burial containers and the听material of which they are made will be examined. Several theories of casket display and markup and pricing strategies will be considered in depth.
Microbiology/Sanitation/Public Health SP221
Prerequisite for Pathology PA230)
With special application to funeral service, this course examines the basic principles of microbial听physiology and immunology. The significant areas covered are disinfection, control, prevention,听pathology, and epidemiology of bacterial, viral, fungal, and protozoan diseases. The role of these听organisms in decomposition, the position of the funeral director in public health, the basic听concepts of disinfection and sanitary consideration of other health measures such as waste听safeguards in the preparation room and the purification and chemical disposal will be examined.
Pathology PA230
This course introduces the student to the basics of pathology beginning with the history of听pathology followed by terms necessary to discuss diseases and their implications. Later听discussions of the major diseases affecting the body systems and their impact on embalming听and restorative art are discussed. Importance is placed on the recognition and descriptions of听diseases which are contagious at or shortly following the death. Safety measures involving听removals and embalming are discussed
Psychology of Grief PS212
In this advanced psychology course students will gain an understanding of the phases of grief,听and what the funeral director can expect from client families in grief. The influence of the听bereaved person鈥檚 culture and religion and of the psychological and sociological environment in听which the bereaved lives on grief and mourning will be considered. The differences between听grief counseling and grief therapy are discussed. The process for making referrals to competent听professionals of persons experiencing complicated mourning is considered. The role of the听funeral director as a crisis intervention counselor who guides client families through arranging听a meaningful funeral is developed. Finally, the effect of stress and possible burn out of the听funeral director will be covered.
Restorative Art RA230
The purpose for this course is to provide the student with the techniques, terminology, and听basic principles of restorative art. The anatomy of the facial area and the hands will be听reinforced. Practical experience using mortuary cosmetics, waxes, and heads to produce facial听features and a complete head and face is an important feature of this course. The course will听prepare the student for the reconstruction of body parts distorted by traumatic injury and听disease. The theory of color and its relation to displays of the deceased, chapel and casket听display room lighting and various restorative art techniques and concepts is emphasized. An听overview of cosmetics, a review of the composition of mortuary cosmetics and their use also听will be included in this course.
Study Skills Improvement SK099
Carries no course credits
This course will help students who come to FMC deficient in study and reading skills gain the听ability to read, comprehend course materials and organize their course work to study efficiently听and remember the necessary information. Memorizing skills, highlighting, making, and using听flash cards, selecting important concepts from large bodies of material and other techniques to听aid student learning will be reviewed. Using the Multimedia Center as a tool for research,听learning critical evaluation and thinking, and gaining the benefits of beginning on the path of听learning will be emphasized. This course is recommended to academically weak students and听those on academic probation.
NOTE: SK099 and DS099 are Pass-Fail courses with no academic credits earned
