Funeral service management is a fulfilling and important career path. Those who work in this field have the privilege of helping families in grief while paying tribute to those who have departed. Many who enter into this profession feel a sense of duty to the departed, making certain that their last wishes for placement and memorialization are honored.

Because this career path deals intimately with families and the community, professionals enjoy the chance to work with many people. While there are ways to learn about the industry and prepare for future career growth, pursuing a degree in funeral service management can be exceptionally beneficial in the short and long term. In many cases, you can work in the field to gain on the job training from professionals who have a world of experience. At the same time, you can work to complete your degree in funeral service management to prepare for a better career future and to enhance your current and future knowledge.

The Benefits of Pursuing a Degree in Funeral Service Management

A funeral service manager needs a number of skills that you might not automatically realize. Certainly, they need to understand the science behind the scenes. This includes the biological aspect of death and dying, as well as the proper way to prepare a body. These are specialty subjects, but there are other aspects of running a successful funeral service business that a degree program can help you master.

Here are a few of the things you will learn in a good degree program from funeral service management:

• Event Planning for Funeral Services. Event planning is an intricate field in its own right but planning a funeral or any type of memorial service is a special field. Often the family members feel a great need to make the event perfect, so it’s important that someone with experience can calmly help them make the best choices for the event. Coursework will help you understand all the nuances of planning so that no steps are missed when you’re in the field, working with families.
• Entrepreneurship and Business Skills. A funeral service is a business. In order to be successful, the administrative issues need to be mastered. A good degree program will help you understand the business side of the funeral service industry. In this way, you can make better decisions to steer your future employer or your own independent funeral service when the time comes.
• Mortuary Sciences. Thanatology is covered extensively within a funeral service management degree program. These subjects include working with and preparing the body for burial or cremation as well as any regulatory requirements you need to meet when working.
• Human Resources. Having a good grasp of the HR department and the responsibilities involved in hiring and employing people will aid you in working in a management capacity in the future.
• Psychology and Dealing with Grief. There are courses and electives available to help you master the art of working with families in crisis and during intense periods of grief. This training is hugely beneficial because you’ll be better prepared to offer help to families and have the resources to provide them with the information they need to heal.
• Cultural Education. Because funeral service management deals with the public, it’s important that you build a working knowledge of all races and backgrounds so that you have a good foundation in creating the funeral services that meet their spiritual and emotional needs.

Outside these courses, a Bachelor of Science in Funeral Service Management (BFSM) will also include electives. You can choose to study green burial options, more advanced leadership skills as they apply to the funeral service industry or any of a wide array of elective courses.

Are You Interested in Pursuing Your Bachelor of Science Degree?

If you’re interested in a career in funeral service management, a degree can help you reach your career goals. The education you receive will also make you more equipped to be of service to your clients.

At Mid-America College of Funeral Services, we offer a Bachelor of Science degree program that you can take entirely online. This allows you to work in the field while you complete your studies. Contact us today to learn more about our program.