Funeral Service and Mortuary Science major
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science: courses, careers, and where to study
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science prepares students to care for the deceased and support grieving families while running the practical, regulated business of a funeral home.
A Funeral Service and Mortuary Science major prepares students for careers in the funeral service industry and for work as funeral directors or morticians. The field blends several distinct skill sets: the clinical side of mortuary science, including anatomy, pathology, embalming, and restorative art; the human side of grief support and family counseling; and the operational side of running a funeral home as a small business. Coursework also covers funeral law, professional ethics, and the regulatory requirements that govern handling, documentation, and final disposition. Unlike a counseling or social work program, the emphasis here sits squarely on the practices, products, and obligations specific to funeral service. Students learn to treat each family with dignity and to coordinate the many logistical, legal, and ceremonial details that surround a death, often under tight timelines and in moments of considerable emotional weight for the people they serve.
This field is most commonly entered through an associate's degree, the typical level of education for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers, though some students pursue a bachelor's program. Whatever the degree, classroom study is paired with hands-on preparation work and a supervised apprenticeship in a working funeral home, where students apply embalming, arrangement, and family-care skills under licensed supervision. Graduates work in funeral homes, mortuaries, crematories, and cemetery operations, and some move into management or ownership of a firm. Be aware that practicing as a funeral director or embalmer is a licensed occupation: states require passing examinations and meeting apprenticeship and education standards before independent practice, and the specifics differ from one state to another. Anyone considering this path should confirm the licensure rules where they intend to work before enrolling.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $49,800 and projects employment to grow about 3.1% from 2024 to 2034; an associate's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Funeral Service and Mortuary Science maps to CIP 12.0301, Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General, within the CULINARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that generally prepares individuals for careers in the funeral service industry and for licensure as funeral service directors or morticians. Includes instruction in the basic elements of mortuary science and the business, counseling, and operational aspects of funeral service.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Funeral Service and Mortuary Science is awarded as
Of the 2,613 Funeral Service and Mortuary Science credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate24%639
- Associate67%1,760
- Bachelor's8%214
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Mortuary science fundamentals, including anatomy and pathology
- Embalming techniques and preparation of the deceased
- Restorative art and cosmetology
- Grief support and family counseling
- Funeral law, regulations, and documentation
- Professional ethics in funeral service
- Funeral home business operations and management
- Arrangement conferences and final disposition planning
- Sanitation, safety, and handling standards
Typical careers
- Funeral Director
- Mortician
- Embalmer
- Funeral Arranger
- Crematory Operator
- Funeral Home Manager
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers median $49,800).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | $49,800 | 3,200 | +3.1% | Associate's degree |
| Funeral Home Managers | $76,830 | 2,600 | +4.1% | Associate's degree |
| Embalmers | $56,280 | 600 | +1.3% | Associate's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Funeral Service and Mortuary Science does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Funeral Service and Mortuary Science major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Funeral Service and Mortuary Science program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Funeral Service and Mortuary Science department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Funeral Service and Mortuary Science program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Funeral Service and Mortuary Science credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Commonwealth Institute of Funeral ServiceTX · 170
- Dallas Institute of Funeral ServiceTX · 168
- Jefferson State Community CollegeAL · 145
- Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeNC · 144
- Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science IncPA · 121
- Gupton Jones College of Funeral ServiceGA · 114
- Piedmont Technical CollegeSC · 104
- Worsham College of Mortuary ScienceIL · 103
- Mid-America College of Funeral ServiceIN · 102
- Des Moines Area Community CollegeIA · 88
- American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral ServiceNY · 82
- John A Gupton CollegeTN · 72
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Funeral Service and Mortuary Science credentials were awarded
One state has a distinct enough set of Funeral Service and Mortuary Science colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Funeral Service and Mortuary Science schools by state
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in California
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Florida
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Georgia
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Illinois
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Maryland
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Massachusetts
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in New York
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in North Carolina
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Pennsylvania
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science in Texas
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Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Funeral Service and Mortuary Science degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Personal Care & Service careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Funeral Service and Mortuary Science degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Funeral Service and Mortuary Science path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.