Online Mortuary Science Degree Program Information

A few different schools across the United States, especially community and technical colleges, offer online degrees in mortuary science or funeral service.

We've listed our top choices below. All programs listed are accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE).

1. Arapahoe Community College

Arapahoe Community College is a public community college in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in mortuary science.

The program requires 66 credits. Courses offered in this degree program include:

• Embalming Theory
• Mortuary Law and Compliance
• Role of Death and Bereavement in Society
• Thanatochemistry

Students are required to spend a total of two weeks on campus to complete embalming and restorative art labs.

2. Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service

The Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service is a private career college in Houston, TX. It offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in funeral service that's predominantly online.

The program takes two years to complete and includes courses such as:

• Cremation and Modern Funeral Service
• Funeral Service Ethics and Compliance
• Funeral Service History
• Funeral Service Psychology and Sociology

Embalming labs and externships are required for this program. Students who are in the funeral industry can do most of these class requirements at their current place of employment.

Those not in the industry will come to campus for one week in the second, third, and fourth quarters to complete their lab and externship requirements.

3. Dallas Institute of Funeral Service

Across Texas from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service is the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. It offers a mostly-online Associate of Applied Science degree in funeral service.

There are five quarters in this program, which includes courses such as:

• Funeral Service Ethics
• Funeral Service History
• Human Anatomy
• Restorative Art

Students will need to come to campus in the final quarter to complete embalming and restorative art labs.

In-person clinical experience is required, but can be done at an approved location near you. The Dallas Institute of Funeral Service is part of the Pierce Colleges of Funeral Service System.

4. Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service

The Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service is a community college just outside of Atlanta, GA. It's a member of the Pierce Colleges of Funeral Services.

It offers a mostly-online Associate of Science degree designed to meet the prerequisites for licensure in funeral service.

The program takes six quarters to complete and includes courses like:

• Computers in Funeral Service
• Mortuary Law and Ethics
• Pathology
• Psychology of Funeral Service

Students will be required to coordinate with an approved site for in-person clinicals. At the end of the program, students will need to be on campus for embalming and restorative art labs.

5. Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Lake Washington Institute of Technology is a public community and technical college in Kirkland, WA, a city on the eastern shore of Lake Washington.

It offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in funeral service education for which many of the courses are available online. This includes courses like:

• Funeral Service Ethics
• Funeral Service Law and Compliance
• Funeral Service Microbiology
• Funeral Service Sociology and Psychology

Some embalming and restorative art courses include a lab component that must be done on campus. An in-person internship is also required.

6. Mid-America College of Funeral Service

Mid-America College of Funeral Service is another member of the Pierce mortuary colleges and is located in southern Indiana. It offers an AAS degree in funeral service primarily online.

Courses offered in this associate program include:

• Cremation and Burial Alternatives
• Embalming Theory
• Funeral Service Psychology and Counseling
• Restorative Art Theory

Embalming clinicals can be done at an approved site near the student, but students will need to be on campus towards the end of their program for embalming and restorative art.

7. Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science

The Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science is a technical college in Pennsylvania. It offers both an online diploma and associate degree program.

The associate degree program takes two years to complete in the online format. Courses offered in this program include:

• Funeral Service Law
• Psychology of Death
• Restorative Art Principles

While some clinical and practical aspects must be done in person, they can be fulfilled at an approved funeral home.