Curriculum for the
Certificate Program

Also see Curriculum Flow Chart.

The Certificate program is for individuals wanting to become funeral directors but not embalmers. The one-year, 33 credit hour program consists of the following classes (also see flow chart):

ENGL 1301 Freshman Composition I

PSYC 2301 Introduction to Psychology

PSYC 1370 Psychology of Grief
or
SOCI 1370 Sociology of Death and Dying

SPCH 1311 Fundamentals of Speech

MRTS 1191 Special Topics

MRTS 1211 History of Mortuary Science
MRTS 1301 Contemporary Funeral Service Practices
MRTS 1310 Funeral Service Clinical Orientation
MRTS 1342 Mortuary Management I
MRTS 2335 Mortuary Jurisprudence
MRTS 2342 Mortuary Management II
MRTS 1386 Internship - Funeral Services & Mortuary Science I

TOTAL CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR THE CERTIFICATE 33

The certificate program is not accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education owing to the fact that it does not include instruction in (Embalming, Restorative Art, Microbiology, Pathology, Chemistry, and Anatomy). Students graduating from this program are not eligible to take the National Board Examination or any state board examination for which graduation from an ABFSE accredited program is required. However, the certificate is recognized by the Texas Funeral Service Commission and successful examination in the Funeral Service Arts area of the National Board Exam is accepted for registration as a provisional funeral director licensee. After September 1, 2003, the Texas Funeral Service Commission will not recognize the Funeral Service Arts area of the National Board Exam but instead will recognize the Texas State Board of Funeral Directing.