Mortuary Science

MORT 085 C Work Experience 1-4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Mortuary Science Program

Must be enrolled in seven units or more in the Mortuary Science Program, including work experience. Term hours: 18 lecture and 80-360 related employment in an approved funeral establishment. This course focuses on exploring work related issues in a funeral establishment of the student's own selection. Discussion of funeral service business and related technical issues are explored. The course includes job analysis, writing a resume, self-management, self-development and employer-employee relations. May be taken for credit 4 times.

MORT 163 C  Embalming Anatomy and Pathology I 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to Mortuary Science Program

Term hours: 72 lecture. This introductory course is designed for the mortuary science student, surveys general anatomical, physiological and pathological concepts processes and terminology important to the funeral service practitioner in understanding the embalming process, articulating with allied health/forensic professionals, interpreting death certificates and protecting oneself and the public against communicable disease. Also considered are those medical and forensic pathologies presenting particular embalming and restorative problems. (CSU)

MORT 201 C Funeral Directing 5 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Mortuary Science Program.

Term hours: 54 lecture and 108 laboratory. This course is designed to acquaint the mortuary science student with general information on the practice of the funeral profession and focuses on the basic duties, responsibilities, and expectations of those practicing funeral service. This includes notification of death, transfer of remains, conduct of the arrangement conference, prefunded/preplanned funerals, religious practices, fraternal funerals and military honors, shipment of remains, cremation, aftercare and regulatory and legislative compliance. Field trip may be required not to exceed $50. (CSU)

MORT 202 C  Funeral Service Administration I 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 201 C.

Term hours: 54 lecture and 54 laboratory. This course is designed to introduce the mortuary science student to the basic principles of funeral service management and merchandising as they apply to the funeral profession, considering both service and merchandise as products provided by funeral service practitioners. Content includes construction and features of caskets, outer burial containers, and other funeral related products, as well as methods of purchasing, pricing, display, and sale of funeral merchandise and funeral services. Federal Trade Commission requirements for funeral providers in addition to the financial aspects of funeral merchandising, and the use of financial information in decision-making relative to cost analysis and control, pricing, inventory and in assessing the firm’s performance; and credit policies and practices are included. (CSU)

MORT 203 C Methods of Disposition 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 201 C and MORT 202 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 72 lecture. This course is designed to provide an overview of the history of funeral service practice with emphasis on the individuals, events, and forces that have influenced contemporary funeral principles and practices as well as the progression of associations and education within funeral service. It is intended to give the student an overview of the important points with regard to interment and cremation when working with those that choose to use a funeral service practitioner when arranging for the disposition of human or pet remains. This includes proper identification, legal authorization, use of cemeteries and crematories, required forms, containers, containers for cremated remains, cemetery and cremation merchandise, services in conjunction with disposition, arranging for disposition of the deceased, shipping remains, FTC Compliance, and the history of cremation. (CSU)

MORT 204 C  Funeral Service Administration II 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 201 C and MORT 202 C.

Term hours: 54 lecture and 54 laboratory. This is the second in a two-course sequence in Funeral Service Administration, and provides a vocationally oriented survey of funeral service management as it applies to funeral home operations, mortuary management, and financial decision-making, and covers general management technique and theory, and specific guidelines for practitioners operating a funeral service enterprise. It is designed to introduce the mortuary science student to the basic principles of management, merchandising, and effective managerial skills as they apply to the practice of the funeral profession; to the financial aspects of funeral business operation, concepts of financial management and the use of financial information in decision-making relative to cost analysis and control, pricing, inventory and in assessing the firm’s performance; and credit policies and practices. Information presented covers financial statements and their analysis, worksheets, journalizing, receivables, payables, deferrals, and accruals. Inventory costing models, depreciation models, and funeral service payroll accounts are also included. (CSU)

MORT 214 C Funeral Service Sciences 5 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Mortuary Science Program.

Term hours: 90 lecture. This introductory course, designed for the Mortuary Science student, surveys general anatomical, chemical, physiological, and pathological concepts as they relate to the preparation, presentation, and sanitation of the human remains. Field trips may be required not to exceed $50. (CSU)

MORT 215 C Embalming 5 Units

Prerequisite(s): MORT 214 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 63 hours lecture and 81 hours laboratory. This course is designed to include basic orientation, history of embalming to present times, moral and sanitary considerations of embalming, methods of handling human remains, including those of a contagious or infectious nature, demonstration of the various methods of preparation and disinfection treatment of bodies contaminated by radiation. The emphasis is on the development of embalming techniques, exposure to dead human remains having various diseases, treatment of localized areas by supplemental methods of preservation and the application of embalming theories ranging from pre-embalming analysis to funeral home visitation room appearance, in a laboratory environment. Mortuary Science students will become familiar with the nature of chemicals utilized in the mortuary setting, as they develop a qualitative understanding of the chemical aspects of tissue decomposition and preservation. Embalming of protein and the effects relative to the blood, body pigments and tissue staining are a primary emphasis of the course. The laboratory component provides a culmination of theory, practical knowledge and applied skills necessary to enhance the dead human remains through the embalming and restoration process. Field Trips may be required not to exceed $50. (CSU)

MORT 216 C Restorative Art 5 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 214 C and MORT 215 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 lecture and 108 laboratory. A detailed study is made of each of the facial features and its relationship to a complete restoration, with emphasis upon major restorations and explains how all previous restorative art work can be used to complete each type of case. Color theory and cosmetology are also discussed. In the lab, the student has an opportunity to follow through with the modeling in clay and other modeling media of the features studied, both as a single feature and using plaster of Paris heads for reproduction; the student will perform feature modeling in wax on both plaster of Paris and latex heads. In addition, there is practical work in cosmetics, hair dressing, color pigments and preparation of death masks. $170 Material Fee-Payable at Registration (CSU)

MORT 234 C  Funeral Services Ethics and Laws I 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 204 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 72 lecture. This course, designed for the Mortuary Science student, surveys the American legal system, its development, and the major bodies of law as they relate to the legal environment in which the funeral business operates. The legal aspects of funeral service contracts, funeral service sales, and the use of commercial paper are also considered. This course will also look at the professional ethics used by funeral service providers as it relates to the legal aspects of the funeral home establishment. (CSU)

MORT 236 C  Funeral Service Ethics and Laws II 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 234 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 72 lecture. This course is a continuation of MORT 234 C designed to expose the mortuary science student to sources of law, legal status of the dead human body, duty of burial, right to control funeral arrangements, final disposition, and liability for funeral expenses; torts involving the dead human body and the funeral director; wills, estate, and probate proceedings; cemeteries and related issues; state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to funeral service; as well as the legal aspects of being a licensed funeral director/mortician. (CSU)

MORT 248 C Funeral Service Thanatology 6 Units

Prerequisite(s): MORT 201 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 72 lecture and 108 laboratory. This course is an introduction to thanatology and basic psychological terminology and theories, with an emphasis on the study of grief, bereavement, and mourning as well as the grief process, normal and abnormal, and the resolution of grief. The content provides the knowledge required of the funeral director to work effectively with families as a facilitating agent. The needs of the families served are studied in relation to the design and implementation of the funeral rite. Follow-up programs initiated by the funeral director are examined in detail as well as community support groups with whom the funeral director participates. Major emphasis is placed on the student identifying problem areas in the field, making a plan for intervention, and making appropriate referrals to community professionals, in addition to the study of concepts, techniques and procedures used by the funeral director in his/her role as a counselor. Field trips may be required not to exceed $50. (CSU)

MORT 281 C Funeral Service Practicum 4-12 Units

Prerequisite(s): MORT 201 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 18 lecture and 162-594 laboratory. This course provides practical experience in embalming, funeral directing, cemetery operations, and crematory operations in a mortuary/funeral home, cemetery or crematory environment under the supervision of a licensed funeral service practitioner. It includes active participation in planning and directing of ten or more funerals. It is to be taken only after all other MORT courses have been passed, except co-requisite(s), and is to be taken in the semester prior to graduation. (CSU)

MORT 282 C Embalming Externship 1 Unit

Prerequisite(s): MORT 242 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 laboratory. This course is designed as a culmination of theory, practical knowledge and applied skills necessary to enhance the dead human remains through the embalming and restoration process. Field Trips may be required not to exceed $50. (CSU)

MORT 288 C  Funeral Service Capstone (formerly MORT 297 C) 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of all required general education courses and graduation requirements for the Associate in Science Degree Mortuary Science.

Term hours: 36 lecture and 108 laboratory. This course is designed to provide the mortuary science student with an overview of considerations relevant to the operation of the funeral home as a small business through the use of hands-on experience with appropriate mortuary science computer software, as well as the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule. $110.00 materials fee - payable at registration (CSU)

MORT 402 C  Funeral Service Standards of Practice 3 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission into the baccalaureate degree pilot program, and completion of MORT 297 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 lecture. This course is designed to provide an integrative approach for ongoing development of critical thinking skills, best practices evaluation, and application of skills based competencies. Students will be challenged to integrate their learning from any previous funeral service, mortuary science or related training and education, past and present work settings as well as life experiences. This process will be facilitated through the development of a professional portfolio, collaborative group learning, class discussions and the use of blended learning approaches. Recommended: This course should be taken as soon as possible upon acceptance into the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program. Field trips will be required.

MORT 430 C  Cemetery and Crematory Operations 3 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to Baccalaureate degree pilot program and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C, and completion of MORT 297 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 lecture. This is an advanced course designed for the funeral service practitioner that surveys cemetery and crematory processes necessary with working with a funeral entity as well as examining the legal ramifications and notifications necessary when working with the bereaved families. Field trips will be required. Enrollment limited to those accepted into baccalaureate degree pilot program.

MORT 450 C  Issues and Trends in Funeral Service 3 Units

Prerequisite(s): Admission to Baccalaureate degree pilot program and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 lecture. This course covers selected current issues of importance to the funeral service industry. Emphasis on issues impacting California funeral service practices. Field trips will be required. Enrollment limited to those accepted into baccalaureate degree pilot program.

MORT 482 C Clinical Embalming 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Embalmer license and Funeral Director license, or funeral service practitioner certification and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C. with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 18 lecture and 162 laboratory. This course is designed as a culmination of theory, practical knowledge and applied skills necessary to enhance the dead human remains through the embalming and restoration process. Field Trips may be required not to exceed $50. Enrollment limited to those accepted into baccalaureate degree pilot program.

MORT 492 C Funeral Service Externship 4 Units

Prerequisite(s): Embalmer license and Funeral Director license, or funeral service practitioner certification and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 18 lecture and 162 laboratory. This course is designed as a culmination of theory, practical knowledge and applied skills necessary to enhance memorialization of the dead human remains through the funeralization and disposition process. Field Trips may be required not to exceed $50. Enrollment limited to those accepted into the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program.

MORT 495 C Mortuary Jurisprudence 3 Units

Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into baccalaureate degree pilot program and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 54 lecture. This course is a continuation of MORT 285 C and provides the funeral service practitioner with a review of sources of law, state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to funeral service; as well as the legal and ethical aspects of being a licensed cemetery manager and crematory manager. Field trips will be required. Enrollment limited to those accepted into the baccalaureate degree pilot program.

MORT 497 C Funeral Service Practicum I 2-12 Units

Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into baccalaureate degree pilot program upon completion of all required lower division courses and completion of MORT 297 C with a grade of C or better and completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 402 C, MORT 430 C, MORT 450 C and MORT 495 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 18 lecture and 54-594 laboratory. This course provides practical experience in embalming, funeral directing, cemetery operations, and crematory operations in a mortuary/funeral home, cemetery or crematory environment under the supervision of a licensed funeral service practitioner. It includes active participation in planning and directing of ten or more funerals. This course is one of two capstone courses of the major. It is to be taken only after all other MORT courses have been passed, except co-requisite(s), and is to be taken in the semester prior to graduation. Enrollment limited to those accepted into the baccalaureate degree pilot program.

MORT 498 C Funeral Service Practicum II 2-12 Units

Prerequisite(s): Completion of or concurrent enrollment in MORT 497 C with a grade of C or better.

Term hours: 18 lecture and 54-594 laboratory. This course provides practical experience in embalming, funeral directing, cemetery operations, and crematory operations in a mortuary/funeral home, cemetery or crematory environment under the supervision of a licensed funeral service practitioner. It includes active participation in planning and directing of ten or more funerals. This course is one of two capstone courses of the major. It is to be taken only after all other MORT courses have been passed, except co-requisite(s), and is to be taken in the semester prior to graduation. Enrollment limited to those accepted into the baccalaureate degree pilot program.