Funeral & Allied Health Services

This program prepares you with the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively in the two most popular careers of this industry: funeral directing and embalming. Although you may choose to pursue only one of these avenues as a career, you’ll benefit immensely from having a sound understanding of the other, related discipline.

The most effective funeral directors are "people persons"—open-minded, compassionate, non-judgmental and responsive communicators. Should you pursue this as a career, you will meet bereaved people of all religious denominations and all socioeconomic circumstances, who will rely upon your support, good organizational skills and knowledge of the products and services available to them when making funeral arrangements.

Embalmers are fascinated by the science of the human body. Their good hand-eye coordination and technical proficiency enables them to identify illness and disease in the body and to assess its effect, if any, on public health. As a Funeral and Allied Health Services student, you will acquire the skill and confidence necessary to work efficiently. You’ll learn the importance of teamwork and will become familiar with the technical language and medical terminology used by your colleagues in the health professions.

No matter your career path, you must be organized, ethical and open-minded, eager to embrace teamwork and free to work long and flexible hours. Throughout this program, you will focus on classroom learning with some practical experience. However, most of your hands-on skills will be developed during the apprenticeship that follows.

• NSCC has been offering this program for 15 years. It is Atlantic Canada's only such program that is available on-site and, in part, online.


• The Funeral and Allied Health Services program enjoys close contact with Atlantic Canada's funeral service industry. It is responsive to industry's needs and demands and, as such, gives graduates the best possible chance of securing fulfilling employment in the field. There are two ways to complete this diploma program.
  
  
  
  1. Pre-apprenticeship Model - combines in-class and online learning with practical work experience. Courses are delivered primarily online for the first semester (January to May) and in-class for the remainder of the program. You are also required to participate in funeral home practicums and an additional five-week work term to complete the program.
  
  
  2. Apprenticeship Model - provides online learning for students who are registered as funeral director and embalmer apprentices at funeral homes in Atlantic Canada.
  
  
  
  

Upon completion of the Funeral and Allied Health Services diploma program, students may either qualify for apprenticeship or qualify for licensing as funeral directors and/or embalmers. Apprenticeship requirements for graduates of the pre-apprenticeship diploma program include an apprenticeship ranging from 6-20 months in duration, depending on their area of interest and province of practice. Following the apprenticeship, a licensing examination(s) is required for licensing. Licensing examinations may include both a written examination and a practical examination. For more information on provincial licensing requirements, contact your respective Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors.

• Most graduates choose to work as funeral directors and embalmers, but employment options are many. Graduates work as pathologist’s assistants, morgue attendants, funeral planners and funeral service educators.


• Graduates are also hired by hospital and university laboratories; crematoria; answering services for funeral homes; and businesses specializing in cemetery management, funeral stationery, removal services, and the manufacture of embalming chemicals, caskets and monuments.

• High School Graduation Diploma or equivalent.


• A valid driver's license.


• Work/Volunteer Observation Experience - All prospective students must participate in a minimum of 5 funeral home cases in a funeral home under a licensed funeral director. Once the application has been received the prospective student will be provided with the appropriate paperwork for the funeral home cases from Admissions prior to approaching a funeral home to set up the Work/Volunteer Observation Experience.


• Apprenticeship Model Applicants – In lieu of the 5 funeral home cases, applicants for the Apprenticeship Model Diploma program are required to submit a letter of recommendation from the funeral home in support of the application to Central Admissions. This letter should outline the applicant's work experience and participation at the funeral home and confirm that the applicant will serve his or her apprenticeship with that funeral home. As well, Apprenticeship Model program applicants moving on to the second phase of the selection process are no longer required to participate in a personal interview. Applicants will need to provide proof of registration of apprenticeship from their provincial licensing Board to Central Admissions.

Health & Human Service Student Requirements – Additional program requirements are outlined in the Admissions section. Instructions on how to complete these requirements will be provided with your acceptance notification.

• This program is available for part-time study. You have the option to complete your program online or through a combination of courses delivered in-class and online.


• If you choose a part-time study option, you must still apply to the program and meet all the admission requirements. Once accepted, you will be referred to a Registrar at one of our campuses to discuss your learning plan and schedule.


• Tuition for part-time study option is calculated on a per course basis and is paid at the beginning of each semester.


• The time to complete a certificate or diploma program through part-time study will vary and depend on the schedule you choose and number of courses you complete each semester.

• Applicants moving on to the second phase of the selection process will be required to participate in a personal interview. All applicants may not be interviewed.


• The following criteria are evaluated in the selection process:
  
  
  
  • academic preparation
  
  
  • work/volunteer observation experience
  
  
  • interpersonal/communication skills
  
  
  • written pre-test at time of interview which evaluates knowledge of profession through previous work experience or pre-admission observation experience.
  
  


• In Atlantic Canada, licensed funeral directors and licensed embalmers work as Funeral and Allied Health Services professionals, many holding both licenses. The Board of Registration of Embalmers and Funeral Directors administers the issuing of licenses and governs the course of instruction.


• During work/volunteer observation experience and while participating in practicums, students will be expected to wear clothing appropriate to the profession. Students will be required to sign an agreement on ethical conduct and confidentiality.


• The pass mark for this program is 75%.