Mortuary science degree requirements start with graduating from a program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), earning either a two-year associate or four-year bachelor’s degree that combines anatomy, embalming chemistry, restorative art, funeral law, and business coursework with a minimum of 10 supervised embalming cases. The degree itself is only part of becoming a licensed funeral professional. You will also need to pass a two-part national exam and complete a state-supervised apprenticeship, pushing the full timeline from enrollment to full licensure to roughly three or four years.
Accreditation Is the Gatekeeper
Only one accreditor matters here. The American Board of Funeral Service Education is the sole body recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation for mortuary science and funeral service programs.1American Board of Funeral Service Education. About American Board of Funeral Service Education State licensing boards and the organization that administers the national exam both require an ABFSE-accredited degree. A degree from an unaccredited school will not get you to the exam or the license.
ABFSE currently accredits 58 degree programs nationwide.2American Board of Funeral Service Education. ABFSE Directory of Accredited Programs Geography can be a real constraint. Of those, 43 offer at least some coursework through distance education, and several allow more than half the degree to be completed online.3American Board of Funeral Service Education. Distance Education – ABFSE Directory Every program requires lab work and hands-on activities on campus or at an approved facility, so the degree cannot be earned entirely from home.
Admission and Choosing a Degree Level
Admission starts with a high school diploma or GED. Most programs set a minimum GPA somewhere between 2.0 and 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and some ask for prerequisite coursework in biology or chemistry before full admission to the major. The requirements on paper are modest, but limited seats at many schools can make admission competitive.
You will pick between two credentials:
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS). The standard entry-level credential, roughly 60 credit hours and two years of full-time study, and the minimum degree accepted for licensing in nearly every state.4University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana. Associate of Applied Science in Funeral Service
- Bachelor of Science. A four-year, 120-credit-hour degree that adds general education in psychology, English, and business. Fewer schools offer it, but the extra coursework can support management roles or eventual ownership.
Both degree levels cover the same professional core; the bachelor’s layers more general education and electives on top. If you want to start working quickly, the associate degree gets you there. The bachelor’s is not required for licensure in most states.
What You’ll Study
The science sequence builds from human anatomy and physiology into specialized coursework. Embalming chemistry covers how preservative compounds interact with human tissue to slow decomposition. Microbiology and pathology teach identification of infectious diseases and biosafety protocols for handling remains. Funeral workers face real exposure risks from bloodborne pathogens and other hazards, and the science curriculum is built around keeping both practitioners and the public safe.
The professional sequence covers business operations, funeral service law, and restorative art. The law coursework focuses heavily on the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, which requires funeral providers to give consumers an itemized General Price List and prohibits practices like charging for embalming without permission or requiring a casket purchase for direct cremation.5Federal Trade Commission. Complying with the Funeral Rule Violations can carry penalties above $50,000 per occurrence, so students are expected to internalize these rules before ever meeting with a grieving family.6eCFR. 16 CFR 453.2 – Price Disclosures
Restorative art trains you in cosmetics, wax modeling, and color theory to reconstruct facial features for open-casket viewings. The curriculum also includes arrangement conference simulations, where students practice presenting service options and pricing to families in a way that is clear, compassionate, and legally compliant.
Clinical Cases and Safety Training
Classroom work is not enough on its own. ABFSE accreditation standards require every student to actively participate in a minimum of 10 embalming cases as part of the clinical curriculum.7American Board of Funeral Service Education. ABFSE Accreditation Manual Those sessions take place in campus labs or at participating funeral homes under the direct supervision of a licensed professional. Students maintain detailed logs documenting each procedure, and programs use those records to verify competence.
Clinical rotations also trigger workplace safety requirements under federal law. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard applies to anyone with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Employers at clinical sites must provide initial training at no cost to the student and repeat it annually.8Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1910.1030 – Bloodborne Pathogens The training covers exposure control plans, proper use of personal protective equipment, and what to do if an exposure incident occurs. Employers must also offer the hepatitis B vaccine free of charge to anyone with occupational exposure. State plans may impose additional requirements beyond the federal baseline, so check with your clinical site.
What the Degree Alone Doesn’t Get You
Finishing an accredited degree satisfies the educational requirement for licensure, but it does not make you licensed on its own. Two more steps stand between the diploma and practice.
The National Board Examination
The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards administers the National Board Examination (NBE), a standardized test required by virtually every state for licensure. It has two independently scored sections, and you must pass both.
- NBE-Arts, 150 questions. Covers funeral arranging and directing, marketing and merchandising, grief counseling, legal and regulatory compliance, and crematory and cemetery operations.9The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. 2026 NBE Candidate Handbook
- NBE-Sciences, 170 questions. Tests embalming, restorative art, other preparation of the deceased, and funeral service sciences including anatomy and chemistry.9The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. 2026 NBE Candidate Handbook
Each section also contains 20 unscored pretest questions mixed into the live items, so you will not know which questions count. Registration is $285 per section, $570 total, and fees are non-refundable. Retakes cost the full $285 again, and applications and payments expire one year from the date of purchase. Results are delivered as pass or fail at the end of each section.
The Supervised Apprenticeship
Nearly every state requires a supervised apprenticeship before granting a full license. Duration ranges from one to two years, with some states defining the requirement in total hours instead of calendar time.10American Board of Funeral Service Education. Frequently Asked Questions States that measure by hours typically require between 2,000 and 3,240. Whether the apprenticeship runs concurrently with the degree or has to follow it depends on your state’s rules.
During the apprenticeship you work under a licensed funeral director or embalmer who serves as your preceptor. The scope reaches well beyond embalming: transfers of remains, death certificates and burial permits, family arrangements, pricing presentations, coordination with cemeteries and crematories, and documentation for veterans’ benefits and Social Security. Your supervisor signs off on each category of work, and the state board reviews those records before issuing your license.
This is where many prospective students underestimate the time commitment. If your state requires two years of post-degree apprenticeship and your associate degree took two years, you are looking at four years minimum from enrollment to full licensure.
State Licensing and Background Checks
Licensing structures vary across the country. Some states issue a single combined funeral director and embalmer license. Others maintain separate licenses for each role. A few have added categories for crematory operators or preneed sales agents. Most states also require a state-specific jurisprudence exam covering local funeral service laws, regulations, and administrative rules, and you typically must pass the NBE before sitting for it. Initial licensing application fees range from roughly $50 to over $700 depending on the state.
Expect a background check. States generally evaluate criminal history based on whether a conviction directly relates to the practice of funeral service or the applicant’s ability to practice safely. Convictions involving fraud, theft, or abuse of a position of trust are the ones most likely to create problems. If you have concerns about your background, contact your state board before investing in the degree. A preliminary answer is far better than a disqualification discovered after years in school.
What It Costs
Tuition is the largest expense. In-state tuition at public colleges offering accredited programs averages around $5,000 to $6,000 per year, while private institutions can run close to $20,000 annually. For an associate degree, that puts total tuition roughly between $10,000 and $40,000 depending on the school. Bachelor’s programs double the timeline and push total tuition higher.
Beyond tuition, budget for the NBE at $570 for both sections, state licensing application fees from about $50 to over $700, textbooks, lab supplies, and professional attire for clinical rotations. If you need to relocate for an apprenticeship, add living expenses for that one-to-two-year period. The apprenticeship is typically a paid position, but trainee compensation tends to be modest. Prospective students sometimes focus on tuition alone and lose sight of the licensing and apprenticeship phase, which deserves its own line in the budget from day one.