Funeral Services, AAS

The Funeral Services Program is currently accepting applications for summer 2021 admission. Please click here to apply.

Students who wish to be provisionally placed into the AAS Funeral Services Program should contact the Advising Center at advising@jtcc.edu.

PURPOSE: This two-year degree prepares students for jobs in funeral services. Students who complete this degree are eligible to take the national board exam which is required to become a licensed funeral director. This degree is offered at the Chester Campus. All career-technical degrees are guided by advisory committees comprised of local business leaders.

CREDENTIALS: An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is a major in a career-technical area that takes two years for full-time students to complete.  Although the purpose of an AAS degree is to gain skills for employment, some transfer institutions may accept some or all of the courses from an AAS major. Students who complete this degree are eligible to take the national board exam which is required to become a licensed funeral director.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: By the completion of this program, students will be expected to demonstrate an intermediate level of competency in the following skills:

1. Explain the importance of funeral service professionals in developing relationships/tips with the families and communities they serve.
2. Identify standards of ethical conduct in funeral service practice.
3. Interpret how federal, state, and local laws apply to funeral service in order to ensure compliance.
4. Apply principles of public health and safety in the handling and preparation of human remains.
5. Demonstrate technical skills in embalming and restorative art that are necessary for the preparation and handling of human remains.
6. Demonstrate skills required for conducting arrangement conferences, visitations, services, and ceremonies.
7. Describe the requirements and procedures for burial, cremation, and other accepted forms of final disposition of human remains.
8. Describe methods to address the grief-related needs of the bereaved.
9. Explain management skills associated with operating a funeral establishment.
10. Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and research skills needed for funeral service practice.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE FUNERAL SERVICES PROGRAM: The Funeral Services Program at John Tyler has been in existence for over 45 years, and is one of two funeral services programs in Virginia. Because there are limited options for studying funeral services in the Commonwealth, the College’s program is designed to be accommodating for students who may be traveling for class and/or working while enrolled in the program. Traditional classroom funeral services courses at John Tyler are offered in a one-day-a-week format, rather than the traditional two- or three-day-a-week format. This type of scheduling alleviates the need for students to attend classes on the Chester Campus more than three times per week. In addition, the program offers some evening courses and courses during the summer semester. The program has an on-site embalming lab that is used to train students through hands-on experiences.

Program Requirements and Special Conditions

1. Students must contact the Advising Center about placement in the Funeral Services Program. In addition to completing a general application to JTCC, students must also complete a Funeral Services Program Interest Form before being provisionally placed into the Funeral Services Program. To be considered for full admission into the Program, students must:
   1. Be 18 years of age or older.
   2. Complete all the non-FNS classes as well as FNS 110 , FNS 121  (or its equivalent BIO 145) and CHM 110  with a grade of “C” or better.
   3. Have at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA in all courses that count toward the A.A.S. in Funeral Services. Multiple course attempts will be averaged.
   4. All official transcripts from high school and other colleges attended must be received by the registrar prior to full admission.
   5. Must provide documentation of completion of the Hepatitis-B vaccination series (have completed two of three doses) prior to beginning FNS 113 , FNS 114  or FNS 214 . Students who do not wish to receive the Hepatitis-B vaccination must sign a declination statement.
2. If there are a limited number of slots for full-admission into the A.A.S. in Funeral Services Program, students will be ranked by GPA and whether they are currently employed in a funeral home. Students who are missing a few pre-requisite courses, with the exception of FNS 110 , FNS 121  or its equivalent and CHM 110 , may be considered for admission if space is available.
3. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA to continue in the Program. Students who fail to receive a minimum grade of “C” in any two courses with the prefix FNS will be removed from the Program. A minimum grade of “C” is required for all courses in the Funeral Services Program.
4. Once receiving full admission into the Funeral Services Program, full-time students will have 4 semesters (including summer) to complete the Program. Part-time students must completed the Program within 6 semesters (including summer). Exceptions may be made by the Funeral Services Dept. Chair on a case-by-case basis.
5. All Funeral Services courses taken previously at JTCC or any other ABFSE accredited program must have been completed within 5 years of applying for full admission to the Program.