Stratford's Funeral Service Education course prepares the student for administrative positions in a funeral home and under the supervision of a funeral director.
This specialized program covers everything from the business fundamentals of the industry to grief counseling and embalming.
With the convenience to study at home at your own pace, you could complete this program in as little as six months, or take up to two years if you prefer. Everything needed to complete your studies is included in our one, low tuition price.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual salary for Funeral Attendants is $34,340.*
Funeral Service Administration • The Function of the Funeral Director
• Providing Social, Emotional and Legal Support
• The History of Funeral Services
• Cultural Traditions and Religious Rites
• Non-Religious Funeral Services
• Attitudes and Customs for Cremation
• Methods of Final Disposition
• Legal Requirements and Issues for the Funeral Director
• Communication with the Public, the Coroner, and the Police
• Interactions with the Bereaved
• General Funeral Arrangements
• Administration of the Funeral Home
The Funeral Service Professional • Qualities of Successful Funeral Service Professionals
• Duties, Responsibilities and Funeral day Tasks
• An Overview of the Funeral Home
• Taking the Death Call and Removing the Deceased
• An Overview of the Cemetery
• Caskets and Burial Vaults
• Selling Funeral Products
• Writing Death Notices
• Pre-need Sales
• Trends Versus Traditions
Ethics, Sociology and Grief Counseling • A Survey of Common Ethical Issues
• The Sociology of Funeral Practices
• The Process of Grief
• The Nature and Process of Mourning
• Helping People in Mourning
• Professional Resources for Helping Mourners in need
• Grief, Ritual and Ethnicity
• Bereavement and Children
• Responding to Problematic Client Behaviors
Managing the Funeral Home • The General Price List
• Alternative Price Lists for Special Groups
• Credit Regulations and Management
• The Concept of Discretion
• Managing the Finances
• Managing the Product and the Facility
• Managing Advertising and Public Relations
• Public Relations and Community Participation
• Ordering and Displaying Merchandise
Embalming • The Sociology of Embalming
• Ethics in the Care of the Dead
• Legal Considerations Related to Embalming
• The Preparation Room Environment
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Embalming Chemicals and Products
• The Embalming Process
• Pre-Injection, Injection, and Post-Injection Phases of Embalming
• Factors Influencing Embalming
• Organ Donation
• Other Types of Preparation
This educational program is an introductory course designed to help students gain knowledge necessary for the vocational application of this subject. Completion of this program does not fulfill the legal requirements of particular state licenses or certifications, which may require additional training or apprenticeships.
We take great pride in providing you with the most up-to-date textbooks and equipment. One or more of the above-mentioned subjects may, therefore, change if updating becomes necessary during the course of your studies. The order in which the course material is presented may vary.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2021 Edition
