Courses may include
These are some of the courses offered in this program. It is not a complete list and courses are subject to change in advance of the academic year.
Recognizing prior learning / transfer credits
If you have previous learning (course, employment, etc...) that's relevant to your program, you may be able to apply to earn credit. Not all programs are eligible. Learn about our recognizing prior learning (RPL) process.
FUSV 1001 - Funeral Service Law and Ethics
The purpose of this course is to study the areas of mortuary law and funeral service ethics as it applies to the funeral sector professionals, business operations, and professional services. Students will examine provincial legislation. licensing board policies and code of professional conduct for the province where they are apprenticing to learn about educational, apprenticeship and licensing requirements for apprentices and responsibilities of licensed mentors, funeral directors, and embalmers. Licensing requirements and minimum standards for the operation of funeral homes and crematoria will also be reviewed.
Ethical and legal considerations for the care and custody of the patient, transfers, chain of custody protocol, death registration, authorizations, and disclosures, and arranging for various modes of disposition (e.g. Transfers, cremation, burial, donation) in Atlantic Canada will be explored.
FUSV 1002 - Psychosocial Aspects of Death and Dying
Students are introduced to current issues, concepts, and research in the study of bio-psycho-social- spiritual aspects of death, dying and bereavement. Examining the significance of end-of-life experiences, we’ll consider how we live influences how we die. We will also apply a broader holistic context to the effects of society and culture as we understand, process, and communicate about dying and death.
Understanding social, spiritual, and cultural contexts of dying through a telescopic lens, issues on death concepts across the lifespan, death anxiety, as well as and death and grief literacy will be explored. As funeral and allied health professionals, we will examine the importance of practicing cultural humility at end-of-life. This includes respect and support for end-of-life decisions about care, treatment, and comfort, dimensions of care, experiences of grief and bereavement, as well as a family/ community-centred lens for supporting expected, unexpected and traumatic deaths.
Course learning activities will support students to reflect on self-awareness including their own mortality, personal values as well as meaning of life, and death. Critical reflection on one’s personal beliefs, values, attitudes, and experiences with death and grief supports our capacity for healthy navigation of end-of-life issues, dying, death and bereavement in both personal and professional contexts.
FUSV 1008 - Contemporary Rites and Rituals
In this course, students will explore contemporary secular and religious rites, rituals, and ceremonies. Judeo-Christian religious rites and rituals will be the focus in this course. We’ll discuss traditional religious funeral practices relative to our experiences with contemporary religious and secular funeral practices within the Atlantic Canadian context.
We are witnessing a shift in religious practices and identities in our communities. As a result of this shift, the patterned, ritual ways in which we act out our emotions, bring meaning and connections to our lives, and to make sense of a loss, is changing. Students will explore opportunities to offer something different than the traditional funeral so that they can create meaningful experiences for the family and community of mourners.
FUSV 1270 - Funeral Arranging and Directing Applied Learning Practicum I
Funeral Arranging and Directing program students at NSCC increase their theoretical knowledge base and develop essential skills while apprenticing as funeral directors. All three applied learning practicum courses are designed to capture the application of theory in the funeral home setting and through engagements with the community. As the theory courses provide the foundation for the applied learning, it is expected that students will continue with their online theory courses while completing each applied learning practicum course. Documented participation in funeral procedures including transfers, preparation of documentation required for all forms of disposition, funeral arrangement conferences, pre-arrangements, set-up for funerals, tribute services, visitations and committals, directing funerals, memorial services, and committal services and all tasks as requested by the licensed mentor necessary in the provision of funeral services to client families.
FUSV 2000 - World Religions: Western Traditions
Looking beyond Judeo-Christian religious practices, a selection of the major world religions and spiritual philosophies will be explored during this course. We’ll be looking at the world religions students will most likely encounter in their work in Atlantic Canada such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Baha’i Faith and Indigenous spiritual traditions.
The evolution of funeral practices across these cultures is studied to broaden understanding of the significance of specific religious rites and rituals within the contemporary Atlantic Canadian context. Students will consider their own role in fulfilling services, religious beliefs to keep in mind, what timelines will look like for transfers, arrangements and disposition, the questions they will need to ask during arrangement conferences to meet the needs of individuals and families, as well as special considerations for preparation and disposition. Through course learning activities, students will apply knowledge of the world religions covered in this course to meet the needs of families.
FUSV 2001 - Legal Aspects of Death: Advanced Planning and Aftercare
The course topics include pre-arranged services and a review of pre-need legislation in Atlantic Canada, death benefits, advance planning considerations and client aftercare. Application and awareness of provincial legislation as it applies to prearranged funerals is important to funeral professionals. A review of the legislation specific to the sale of prearranged funeral plans for each province in Atlantic Canada will be our focus.
Students will have the opportunity to review legal terms that apply to estate planning and end of life care; and discuss important decisions that must be considered to ensure one’s wishes are known and carried out. Knowledge of available death benefits is essential in meeting the needs of client families when arranging services and providing client aftercare.
FUSV 2002 - Issues in Grief and Bereavement for Funeral Service
Funeral and Allied Health professionals are important stakeholders in integrated care who provide individuals, families, and communities support in dying, death and grief. Whether it is before a death, during the process of dying or after a death has occurred; grief is core to the experience.
North America has been critiqued for being a grief-denying society, which can impact the role the funeral professional provides. Beyond the care of the deceased, funeral professional must also support the bereaved. Self-awareness, knowledge, and strategies matter greatly to the bereaved; as well as how they are delivered.
Students will explore current research on grief and loss, through a person-centred, family-centred, and community-centred lens. Through discussions of complex legal, moral, and ethical issues on grief and loss, and practice critical self-reflection, students will consider their own biases and judgments core to their own professional practice.
FUSV 2100 - Funeral Service Business Practices
This course provides students with an introductory level understanding of funeral service business practices. Students explore best practices and strategies to create welcoming and inclusive funeral homes, sensitive to the needs of client families. Communicating with client families beginning with the first call, transfers from home, arrangement conferences, explanation of service options, merchandise selection and pricing, funeral and related services are discussed. Through course learning activities, students will apply knowledge of funeral merchandise, disposition options and requirements, third party services, contemporary trends, legislation, and ethical considerations to manage expectations of consumers and handle challenging situations.
FUSV 2180 - Funeral Arranging and Directing Applied Learning Practicum II
Funeral Arranging and Directing program students at NSCC increase their theoretical knowledge base and develop essential skills while apprenticing as funeral directors. All three applied learning practicum courses are designed to capture the application of theory in the funeral home setting and through engagements with the community. As the theory courses provide the foundation for the applied learning, it is expected that students will continue with their online theory courses while completing each applied learning practicum course. Documented participation in funeral procedures including transfers, preparation of documentation required for all forms of disposition, funeral arrangement conferences, pre-arrangements, set-up for funerals, tribute services, visitations and committals, directing funerals, memorial services, and committal services and all tasks as requested by the licensed mentor necessary in the provision of funeral services to client families.
FUSV 2290 - Funeral Arranging and Directing Applied Learning Practicum III
Funeral Arranging and Directing program students at NSCC increase their theoretical knowledge base and develop essential skills while apprenticing as funeral directors. All three applied learning practicum courses are designed to capture the application of theory in the funeral home setting and through engagements with the community. As the theory courses provide the foundation for the applied learning, it is expected that students will continue with their online theory courses while completing each applied learning practicum course. Documented participation in funeral procedures including transfers, preparation of documentation required for all forms of disposition, funeral arrangement conferences, pre-arrangements, set-up for funerals, tribute services, visitations and committals, directing funerals, memorial services, and committal services and all tasks as requested by the licensed mentor necessary in the provision of funeral services to client families.
FUSV 2300 - Funeral Service Management Practices
This course introduces the basic principles of management as they apply to the funeral service business. Students will explore the role, function, and management skills of the funeral director as manager. Management roles involving client services, personnel and financial management, marketing and public relations, product and supply inventory, and facilities and equipment will be discussed. Course cases will present interesting management problems for students to identify and offer solutions.
FUSV 7001 - Funeral Programs Orientation
Orientation for NSCC Funeral Programs.
SAFE 1000 - Introduction to WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems)
This course offers learners basic overview of WHMIS principles and establishes a solid foundation to support workplace-specific training on the safe storage and handling of controlled/hazardous products. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive basic WHMIS certification.
SAFE 1001 - Introduction to NS OH&S Act
This course offers students an introduction to the Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Act of Nova Scotia, which is required by any person employed in a Nova Scotia workplace. This is a generic, introductory course that provides basic knowledge of the Act for students and is considered to be the basis from which more specific training can be given.
