A career in funeral service calls for varied skills: counseling people at a difficult time in their lives, understanding basic science, and operating a business.

Mortuary Science is not a degree-earning program at Iowa.  Students complete the foundational coursework needed to apply to a mortuary.  Some students will choose to earn a four-year degree. Others my decide to complete  the minimum coursework needed to apply to mortuary school.

Requirements are not standard.  Students should research the course requirements for the mortuary science programs that interest them.

Pre-Mort Sci accordion

Many UI students wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an area of interest ahead of pursuing professional education in mortuary science.  Others wish to fill the minimum hours noted above.  In either case, the courses areas below are suggested as preparation for study in mortuary science.  Students may wish to check requirements for specific mortuary school programs to discover what course areas are needed for admission to those programs.

  • Communication:  rhetoric and literature
  • Natural Sciences:  biology, microbiology, anatomy, chemistry, physiology
  • Social Sciences:  psychology
  • Business:  statistics, management, business law, basic computing
  • Humanities:  art history, music history, religious studies

Many UI students wish to pursue a bachelor’s degree in an area of interest ahead of pursuing professional education in mortuary science.  Others wish to fill the minimum hours noted above.  In either case, the courses areas below are suggested as preparation for study in mortuary science.  Students may wish to check requirements for specific mortuary school programs to discover what course areas are needed for admission to those programs.

  • Communication:  rhetoric and literature
  • Natural Sciences:  biology, microbiology, anatomy, chemistry, physiology
  • Social Sciences:  psychology
  • Business:  statistics, management, business law, basic computing
  • Humanities:  art history, music history, religious studies

Licensure in Iowa requires completion of:

  • 60 semester hours, not including vocational courses, at an accredited college with a Grade-Point Average of 2.00 or higher. (Des Moines Area Community College, the state of Iowa’s only mortuary science program, requires 64 semester hours of work.)
  • A mortuary education course of 12 months or longer
  • A 12-month internship under the supervision of a board-approved mortician
  • Registration with the Iowa State Board of Mortuary Science.

If you would like to obtain licensure in the state of Iowa, contact the Iowa Board of Mortuary Science and register with the board before enrolling in a mortuary education program.

If you are interested in practicing in another state, visit the American Board of Funeral Service Education and the National Funeral Directors Association websites or contact the board in the state where you would like to practice to learn more about that state's regulations.

Gain familiarity with the career by talking to funeral directors at local funeral homes.  Ask if you may job shadow at a funeral home or attend funerals.  Study the education and life commitment of those who work in the field.  You will need letters of reference from professionals who know you well and can attest to your interest in this career. The experiences you gain at a funeral home will be valuable for both applying to mortuary school and licensing.