Programs & Courses
Humber offers the only English-speaking Funeral Service Education program in Ontario. A funeral director has an important therapeutic function for the living. If you are a compassionate, tolerant person with a strong desire to help people of all socio-cultural backgrounds, you will have a fulfilling career in this field. Graduates are prepared for ownership and management opportunities.
Students worldwide come to Humber to attend our program, which covers all aspects of funeral home operation as well as the practical and theoretical sides of funeral service. You will build upon your excellent communications skills through behavioural science courses. A business management course helps students understand the challenges of operating a business. Students accumulate the necessary practical experience through a combination of lab work at Humber facilities and one-year internships with co-operating funeral homes in Ontario.
Note: Ontario laws provide for individuals whose religious or ethnic beliefs do not include embalming as part of funeral services to obtain a special non-embalming licence. Likewise, Humber will offer a non-embalming diploma to students who successfully complete their studies in a customized program. Admission requirements are identical, and once enrolled, students should contact the program co-ordinator to establish that they need to take the non-embalming program.
The provincial regulator, the Ontario Board of Funeral Services (BoFS), requires students to complete a one-year internship before they can be licensed. To progress into semester three, therefore, students must start a full-time (paid) internship in a funeral home after they have successfully completed exams in semester two. In September, students begin year two of studies by distance, with many assignments based on the practical experience they are gaining in the funeral home. Students must secure their own placement.
Industry partners make this program a success. Our partnership with the Ontario Board of Funeral Services allows students to complete their education while performing an internship. As a result, many of Ontario's funeral homes are also partners in ensuring students receive relevant practical experience as part of their education.
They also assist in the selection process of students for this program. One of the admission requirements is previous observation or work in a funeral home. Funeral directors who supervise this experience provide evaluation of a candidate's suitability.
Once licensed, graduates are eligible to work in any of Ontario's 564 funeral homes, and find easy transfer toward licensing in other provinces.
Note: Refer to the Selection Procedures for more information
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.
Upon acceptance into the program and prior to the start of classes, the following requirements must be completed:
The 2009/2010 fee for two semesters was
- domestic $3,052.70
- international $11,730.
For further information, refer to Fees and Financial Assistance in this publication.
| COURSE Code | Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS 101 | Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 | 4 | |
| BIOS 102 | Basic Microbiology | 1 | |
| FSER 101 | Embalming Lab 1 | 3 | |
| FSER 102 | Embalming Theory 1 | 4 | |
| FSER 103 | Orientation to Funeral Service 1 | 4 | |
| FSER 104 | Ethical Issues in Funeral Services | 2 | |
| HUMA 024 | Humanities: An Introduction to Arts and Science | 3 | |
| LANG 102 | Writing Skills for Funeral Service Education and Practical Nursing | 3 |
| COURSE Code | Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOS 201 | Pathology | 3 | |
| FSER 201 | Embalming Lab 2 | 3 | |
| FSER 202 | Embalming Theory 2 | 4 | |
| FSER 203 | Orientation to Funeral Service 2 | 4 | |
| FSER 205 | Restorative Art | 3 | |
| FSER 206 | Issues in Grief and Bereavement for Funeral Service | 4 | |
| MKTG 930 | Funeral Services – Small Business Management | 4 |
| COURSE Code | Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSER 301 | Theoretical Applications 1 (Funeral Service Education) | 4 |
| COURSE Code | Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSER 401 | Theoretical Applications 2 (Funeral Service Education) | 4 |
| COURSE Code | Course | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSER 501 | Theoretical Applications 3 (On Campus) | 3 | |
| Hours/week: | 3 |
*Note: Students in the non-embalming program stream are not required to take the following courses: FSER 101, FSER 201, FSER 202, FSER 205. In order to graduate with an Ontario college diploma in Funeral Service Education students must possess 60 credits, so students in the non-embalming program must earn 13 credits from non-program courses for which credit may be earned toward diploma completion. There are many communications, humanities and business courses available through Humber that would strengthen an individual's preparedness for a career in funeral services. Because of provincial accounting policies it is necessary for students to make up the credits in the same semester in which the unnecessary embalming courses occur, which are three credits in the fall semester of year one and 10 credits in the winter semester. If a student is not willing to make up these credits in the same semester additional tuition will apply when registration for these courses does occur.
Michelle Clarke, co-ordinator
416.675.6622 ext. 4260
