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The Funeral Service Education (FSE) program is restricted entry and applicants to the program must meet certain criteria before their application will be considered. Applicants are selected through a point-based system. Currently, the program admits students every Fall term as either first year or second year status.

As members of a human service profession and community members, Funeral personnel must be sensitive to their responsibilities to bereaved families, to human remains, and to public safety, health and welfare. Funeral personnel must know and comply with federal, state and local guidelines regarding the scope of their practice.

Every state has different requirements. Generally, states require a one or two-year apprentice or intern period, before or after graduating from an accredited funeral service program. Most states require an associate degree in Funeral Service in addition to the apprenticeship and successful passing of the National Board and state law examinations in order to become a licensed funeral director and embalmer.

The entry level funeral service professional earns wages roughly equivalent to a first-year public school teacher. This amount will vary depending on the volume of business, the local economy, and the qualities and skills of the individual.

How to Apply

Admission Requirements

The information below is based on the application requirements for Fall term 2023 admission. The program accepts 20 first year students per year and second-year students as space allows. To be eligible to apply, applicants must meet the requirements described below by the application deadline of April 7, 2023 at 5pm. Courses must be completed with a "C" grade or higher. Below are your steps for applying:

1.  Admission to MHCC

Apply for General Admission to MHCC if you are new to MHCC or not have attended in the last four (4) terms. Select AGS in Health Professions as your major. Please note it could take 1-2 business days to receive your MHCC ID number. 

2.  FSE Application Fee ($35)

Pay the $35 FSE non-refundable application fee located at https://mhcc.edu/FSEApplication. You will need to upload your payment receipt to submit with your FSE application.

3. Driver's License:

Provide your current driver's license information on your application form. The ability to drive is an essential skill for work in the field. Funeral homes require that interns, apprentices and licensees possess a valid driver's license. Funeral home personnel are covered under the company's insurance, and lack of a valid license or driving-related convictions are reasons a funeral home may not hire an applicant, or may terminate a current employee.

4. Resume:

All applicants must upload a current resume to submit with your application. The resume should include both related and unrelated work experience along with any volunteer information and dates. Funeral Service related work experience examples include apprenticeship, body removal, embalming remains, employment in a funeral home, etc. If you have Funeral Service related work experience, provide documentation as noted below to receive additional application points. If you do not have Funeral Service related work experience, documentation is not required. For assistance with your resume, contact the Career Planning and Counseling Center at 503-491-7432.

5. Related Work Experience Verification Letter (optional)

Priority consideration and point awarding is given to applicants who have an apprenticeship or related work experience. Verification documents must be uploaded to the application and can be met in one of the following ways:

• Registered apprenticeship (in those states where it is permitted by law).
• Work experience in which the applicant is exposed to matters related to dying and/or death (examples: removals, embalming, work in a funeral home, C.N.A, C.M.A., etc.). 
  

All verifications must be on company letterhead and signed by supervisor/apprenticeship supervisor.

6. Transcript Requirements

Applicants receive points for college-level credits earned. Applicants that have not completed 9 semester credits or 13.5 quarter credits of college level courses (excluding developmental courses) from a regionally accredited school, with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher must submit a high school or GED transcript.The high school transcript must show a graduation date and the GED transcript must show an overall "Pass" score. Applicants who took their GED test at MHCC must still submit their official GED transcript. Applicants can obtain their official GED transcript from www.ged.com.

Applicants must submit official transcripts from every regionally accredited college attended, regardless of program relevancy, program length, or age. Applications will not be considered without all official transcripts on file at MHCC. Transcripts must be official (unopened) and issued directly by the institution from which the course(s) were taken. Coursework showing as transferred from one institution to another is not accepted. Official electronic transcripts (e-transcripts such as Parchment or EDI) submitted via secure electronic delivery service are acceptable and may be submitted to ar@mhcc.edu. If submitting transcripts by mail, send to:

Mt. Hood Community College – FSE Application
Admissions, Registration and Records
26000 SE Stark St.
Gresham OR 97030

• Regionally Accredited Institutions: Required from all institutions attended.
• Non-Regionally Accredited Institutions: Not required.
• AP, CLEP, DSST or IB Transcripts/Scores: Required only if using for admission requirements and must be issued directly from College Board or International Baccalaureate in a sealed envelope. (see https://mhcc.edu/CreditAlternatives)
• Foreign/Non-US Based Educational Transcript: Required only if using for admission requirements and must be evaluated by an outside credential service before the application deadline. The evaluated transcript must be submitted by the application deadline for the program. For more information visit: www.mhcc.edu/internationaltranscript. Evaluation processing for foreign transcripts is time consuming, and our process could take up to six weeks. It is best to start this process early. A foreign bachelor's degree does not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.
• MHCC transcript: Not required, already on file.

If an up-to-date transcript is on file (showing most recently completed coursework with nothing in progress) applicants do not need to submit another copy. Courses may be in progress at the time of the application submission but an updated transcript showing posted grades for all coursework for winter term must be received by the application deadline.

7. Academic Prerequisite Coursework

Requirement to Apply as a First-Year Student

Applicants must meet the prerequisites outlined below by one of the options listed. See specific guidelines at the bottom of the page for each option.

Placement Scores

• Students may be able to use the Accuplacer College Placement Test (CPT), Smarter Balanced, GPA/high school records or GED scores for meeting the academic skills requirements. Learn more at https://www.mhcc.edu/CoursePlacement.
• Applicants using the Accuplacer College Placement Test (CPT) are encouraged to practice for the test and review English and math concepts by using Accuplacer’s free study app.
• CPT scores are valid for five years and cannot be older than 4/7/18.
  

Requirements to Apply as a Second-Year Student

Selection as a second-year student is based upon points awarded for the above items (4-6) plus points for the number of general education courses completed from the list below by the application deadline. Transfer coursework used to fulfill second year program entrance requirements must be a direct equivalent to the MHCC courses list below. Non-MHCC students need to submit official transcript(s) and request a transcript evaluation. Evaluations can take up to six weeks, please plan ahead. Students can verify transfer equivalency by running a degree audit after their transcript evaluation is complete.

Second year applicants must complete all courses listed below with a “C” grade or higher by the end of Summer term, August 2023.  For in progress courses not taken at MHCC, official transcripts showing grades earned must be received on or before September 8, 2023.

• AC110 General Accounting I (BA211 Principles of Accounting I may be substituted for AC110. However, AC110 is the recommended course to take.)
• MO111 Medical Terminology
• BI100 Survey of Body Systems OR BI121 Anatomy and Physiology I OR BI231 Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• CH104 General Chemistry for Health Professions, OR CH151 Basic Chemistry OR CH221 General Chemistry
• BA131 Introduction to Business Computing OR CIS120 & CIS120L Computer Concepts with Lab
• Any HE, HPE or PE course (3 credits required for degree completion)
• MTH065 Beginning Algebra II (or higher) OR MTH058 Quantitative Reasoning. Note: MTH058 from PCC is not equivalent to MTH058 at MHCC and does not meet the math requirement.
• PSY201 General Psychology OR PSY202 General Psychology
• COMM100 Basic Speech Communication OR COMM111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking OR COMM115 Introduction to Intercultural Communication OR COMM218 Interpersonal Communication OR COMM219 Small Group Communications OR PSY101 Psychology of Human Relations
• WR121 English Composition

NOTICE TO SECOND YEAR STUDENTS  — If you are accepted as a 2nd year student but do not complete the courses listed above, your acceptance may be revoked, and you will need to reapply the following academic year. Alternatively, you may be considered for a 1st year student position if a seat becomes available.

Point Award System