Funeral Director, Certificate

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General Information

Mount Royal’s Funeral programs prepare students for an entry-level position in the funeral service profession. The majority of courses are delivered online and students learn from expert instructors in an interactive environment. Students may complete their online courses and work experience within their home community. Concentrate on funeral directing. Students are prepared to become licensed as a Funeral Director.

Program Duration

Program requirements for certificate completion can be completed in 12 months. Students have six calendar years from the date of initial registration in the Funeral Director certificate to complete all requirements. Students seeking an extension beyond six years may be required to complete additional course work.

Residency Requirements

Normally, 50% of the academic work completed toward the award of a Mount Royal parchment must be completed at the University, except where written approval has been given by the dean/director of the appropriate faculty. In addition, the embalming practicum and work experience components of the Funeral Service programs must normally be completed as a student of Mount Royal.

Work Experience

The work experience courses are designed to provide an extension of the learning process in a relevant work environment, giving students an opportunity to further develop their skills alongside funeral service professionals. The work experience courses are typically offered each semester and may often be completed at the same time as the academic courses.

Students are responsible to secure their own work experience placement. Given the fluctuating nature of the labour market, opportunities may vary and students should be prepared to relocate. Any student who exhibits professional misconduct before or during the work experience placement may be required to withdraw from the program.

Police Information Check

Students preparing for work experience courses may be required to provide a current Police Information Check to their Funeral Home employer, at their own expense. It is each employer’s decision to accept or reject a student for work experience placement based upon the results of police information or other background checks. Please refer to the statement regarding police information and other background checks in this calendar.

Non-Graduated Class 5 Driver’s License

Students preparing for work experience courses may be required to provide a non-graduated Class 5 driver’s license to their Funeral Home employer, at their own expense. It is each employer’s decision to accept or reject a student for work experience placement if they do not have a non-graduated Class 5 driver’s license. This may also impact the student’s ability to complete the program requirements for graduation or to gain employment in the funeral profession.

General Admission Requirements

Applicants are not required to meet the General Admission Requirements for Mount Royal University programs. Applicants must meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement (if your primary or first language is not English). In addition, applicants must present evidence of funeral-related experience. Official transcripts from all high school and post-secondary institutions attended are required.

Curriculum

The certificate is specialized in nature and requires students to complete 11 core courses (1800 hours).

Note: Occupational Programs are non-credit Continuing Education programs that do not meet General Admission Requirements. Therefore, the courses taken within these programs cannot be used towards an undergraduate degree, diploma or certificate program nor do students have access to undergraduate courses in degree, diploma or certificate programs. There is no limit to the number of non-credit academic upgrading courses you may complete.

Graduation Requirements

To be eligible for graduation, students must satisfy all program requirements.

Students must follow the graduation application procedure outlined in the current Mount Royal Academic Calendar. Applications must be submitted by the date published in the calendar.

For the purpose of progression and graduation, all students in the Funeral Director certificate must obtain a minimum grade of “C” in all courses with the following exceptions:

XFDC 20012 - Work Experience I
XFDC 20024 - Funeral Director Work Experience II with a minimum grade of “EP”.

Professional Licensing

Graduates of the Funeral Service programs may become licensed as a Funeral Director and/or Embalmer in the province of Alberta. Licensing requirements are governed by the Alberta Funeral Services Regulatory Board. Please refer to the Alberta Funeral Services Regulatory Board for all requirements - afsrb.ab.ca.

Students or graduates residing outside of Alberta should contact the provincial or national regulatory body governing funeral service in their province.