April 2002
The Director - Features
Regarding the Baccalaureate Degree as the Minimum for Licensure in Funeral Service
Given the changes in society, the workforce and other professions, the purpose of debating the educational minimum for funeral service might be "wishf
Despite four years of work and presentations to and discussions with various stakeholders, NFDA¹s Educational Issues Task Force has not been able to reach any firm conclusions about the issue of the baccalaureate degree as a requirement for funeral service licensure. Yet, it is not for lack of effort.
In Regarding the Baccalaureate Degree as the Minimum for Licensure in Funeral Service, Jacquelyn Taylor details the evolution of funeral service education, history of academic degrees, the future of education, the impact of a baccalaureate degree on the labor pool and wages, the criteria of a profession and other important considerations.
Taylor is the executive director of the New England Institute at Mount Ida College in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Prior to joining the institute, Taylor served as the president of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science for 11 years.
