Dec 10, 2024  
Catalog 2023-2024 
    
Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Mortuary Science

Location(s): Catonsville


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Important Information


Short Description


The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Mortuary Science is required for mortician licensure in the State of Maryland.

Type of Credential


Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)

Program Code


S 712

Contacts and Additional Information


Acting Program Director
CCBC Catonsville, Diane Donaldson
443-840-4372 or ddonaldson@ccbcmd.edu

Additional Information:

Disclosures


CCBC cannot confirm whether the course or program meets requirements for professional licensure in states other than Maryland. If you plan to apply for licensure in a state other than Maryland, contact that state’s licensing board to determine whether the CCBC course or program meets requirements for licensure in that state. If you need assistance finding contact information for your state, click here .

Semester Sequence


This is a suggested schedule for a student who has completed any developmental course work and has no transfer credits. Refer to the College catalog for specific requirements in selecting General Education Courses . Students are required to complete the English and Mathematics General Education requirements in the first 24 credits.

Semester 1 - Prior to Selective Admissions*


Semester 2 - Prior to Selective Admissions


Short Session


Courses Needed for This Program*


Prerequisites - 3 Credits


Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the Mortuary Science Program. This includes general education requirements, general education electives, prerequisites and program requirements.

General Education Requirements and Electives - 21-22 Credits


Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the Mortuary Science Program. This includes general education requirements, general education electives, prerequisites and program requirements.

General Education Electives:


Choose courses in each category from the list of approved General Education Courses . One course must be a Diversity course.

  • Arts and Humanities or Social and Behavioral Sciences (WMST 101  or HIST 116  recommended) 3 Credit(s).
  • Biological and Physical Sciences (BIOL 109  recommended) 3-4 Credit(s).

Program Requirements and Electives - 46 Credits


Program Requirements:


Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the Mortuary Science Program. This includes general education requirements, general education electives, prerequisites and program requirements.

Total Credits Required for Degree: 70*


Note


*Credit students who are new to college (no successfully completed transferable college credits from other institutions) are required to take ACDV 101 - Academic Development: Transitioning to College . This 1-credit course is designed to be taken in the first semester at CCBC. Students must provide an official transcript(s) from an accredited institution to document successful completion of college coursework for the ACDV 101 requirement to be waived.

Program Description


The Mortuary Science associate degree program at Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097 (816) 233-3747. Web: www.abfse.org, and is designed to train students for positions as morticians and prepare them to meet the State’s licensing requirements. The Maryland State Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors requires 1,000 hours of apprenticeship with 20 funeral assists and 20 embalming assists. In order to be eligible for an apprenticeship, the student must be enrolled in a school accredited by the ABFSE and must have a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average, to be verified with an official copy of the college transcript before the individual petitions the Board for approval of an apprenticeship program.

Students who elect this curriculum should recognize that certain specialized courses may not transfer to some four-year colleges. It is the responsibility of out-of-state students to familiarize themselves with their own state’s licensing laws as they relate to apprenticeship and educational requirements.

The Mortuary Science Program at CCBC-Catonsville aims to recognize the importance of funeral service personnel as:

  • Members of human services profession;
  • Members of the community in which they serve;
  • Participants in the 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 geographical area where they practice; and
  • Professionals sensitive to the responsibility for the public health, safety, and welfare in caring for human remains.

The Mortuary Science Program at CCBC-Catonsville’s objectives are as follows:

  1. To enlarge the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession;
  2. To educate students in every phase of funeral service, and to help enable them to develop the proficiency and skills necessary for the profession;
  3. To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community at large;
  4. To provide a curriculum at the post-secondary level of instruction; and
  5. To encourage students and faculty research in the field of funeral service.

School of Health Professions Policies


Students in the School of Health Professions are expected to conduct themselves according to an honor code, exhibit professional behavior, and communicate effectively in English. Participation requires that students provide proof of health insurance, immunizations, tuberculosis (TB) test, submit to drug testing and a criminal background check. Students are expected to pay these and other program specific costs.

Admission


Applications for all School of Health Professions programs, except Dental Hygiene and Physician Assistant, are processed in a Central Application Service called CCBC CAS. The link to the CAS and the application instructions are located in the program admissions packet at the School of Health Professions website. You will need a CCBC student ID number and a CCBC student account password to complete the application. If you have questions about the CCBC CAS process, contact the School of Health Professions Admissions Office at (443) 840-2810 or read the FAQ selections at the bottom of each page inside the CAS application.

 Mortuary Science is a degree program within CCBC’s School of Health Professions (SHP). Admission is a separate process from admission to CCBC. Admission to the college does not imply admission into the Mortuary Science program and is competitive and selective depending upon grades in prerequisite courses and overall CCBC GPA. For details, see the program packet. The deadline to apply to the MORS program is June 15 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester.

To apply to CCBC’s Mortuary Science program,

  1. Students must first complete CCBC General Education requirements, General Education electives, and prerequisites prior to applying to the Mortuary Science Program.
  2. Once students enter the Mortuary Science Program, they have four years to complete the A.A.S. degree in Mortuary Science. All courses that fall outside of the four-year timeframe will not count towards graduation requirements.
  3. Students are required to take the National Board Examination (NBE) in MORS 200 - Funeral Service Seminar.  Taking the National Board Examination is a mandatory graduation requirement. The current cost for the NBE is $570.
  4. Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the Mortuary Science Program. This includes General Education requirements, General Education electives, prerequisites, and program requirements.

Program Outcomes


Upon completion of this degree, students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate competency skills of an entry level licensed Mortician to work in funeral service;
  2. successfully complete the National Board Examination (NBE);
  3. demonstrate skills that will enable the student to be culturally knowledgeable as a funeral service practitioner;
  4. create relationships with professionals involved directly or indirectly with funeral service, i.e., cemeteries, crematoriums, funeral sundry suppliers, counselors, hospice centers, and other similar associations; and
  5. explain the various professional associations at a local, state, and national level.

Other


Accreditation


Program Accredited by ABFSE:  Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) - Mortuary Science

Initial Accreditation:  1973
Last Comprehensive Review:  2017
Next Comprehensive Review: 2023

Re-accreditation:  April 2017 for a period of 7 years

Most Recent Accreditation Decision:  April 2017 - Re-accreditation with no stipulations

National Board Exam


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 Mortuary Science Office, Room CLLB 105, Classroom and Laboratory Building or go to http://www.ccbcmd.edu/Programs-and-Courses/Schools-and-Academic-Departments/School-of-Health-Professions/Mortuary-Science/National-Board-Exam.aspx or email ddonaldson@ccbcmd.edu.

PROGRAM INFORMATION – CCBC Catonsville

Year

Total
enrolled

# of New Students

# of Grads

Timely Grad*

Graduation
rate

Did not finish**

Overall % Employed

Employed
In FS

2022

72

34

21

7/21

33%

3

100%

76%

2021

56

13

14

8/14

57%

3

100%

79%

2020

60

27

25

16/25

64%

a

84%

84%

*Timely graduation = complete program in 1 1/2 times designated program length.
**Left before completing the program; did not finish.

NATIONAL BOARD STATISTICS

Year

% Pass Arts*

% Pass Sciences*

2022

82%

78%

2021

93%

86%

2020

100%

96%

2019

90%

85%

*School pass rate is based on 1st time test takers within one year of graduation.

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