Funeral Services Degree in Hackensack, NJ

Funeral Service

Associate Degree

For More Information Call

201-379-1884

Start a unique and rewarding career in funeral service

Study close to home at our campus in Hackensack
Learn how to restore the body through embalming and other procedures in fully-equipped laboratory classrooms
Prepare for a career in funeral directing, funeral arrangement, and positions in a medical examiner’s office

When many think about the funeral industry, they may imagine it’s a cold and dark field to work in, but the skills required for the job are much closer to that of a counselor or makeup artist in many ways. Professionals in this field strive to honor and celebrate life, carefully restoring and preserving the body, and providing compassion and console to family members and friends as they are gathered to remember the deceased. This unique funeral service degree at Eastwick College can be completed in as little as 24 months, significantly quicker than other programs offered in the area, and prepares you to enter the workforce in the capacity of a licensed practitioner, including positions in embalming, funeral directing, funeral arrangement, and various positions in a medical examiner’s office.

Funeral Service Student Handbook

Eastwick College’s Associate in Applied Science in Funeral Service program is designed to prepare the student to enter the workforce in the capacity of a funeral service intern, which includes embalming, funeral directing, funeral arrangement, pre-need, various positions in the Medical Examiner’s Office, and other related funeral service jobs.

Program Mission

Eastwick College educates students in the AAS in Funeral Service in every phase of funeral service so that program graduates are prepared for entry-level employment in funeral service.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

Explain the importance of funeral service professionals in developing relationships with the families and communities they serve.
Identify standards of ethical conduct in funeral service practice.
Interpret how federal, state, and local laws apply to funeral service in order to ensure compliance.
Apply principles of public health and safety in the handling and preparation of human remains.
Demonstrate technical skills in embalming and restorative art that are necessary for the preparation and handling of human remains.
Demonstrate skills required for conducting arrangement conferences, visitations, services, and ceremonies.
Describe the requirements and procedures for burial, cremation, and other accepted forms of final disposition of human remains.
Describe methods to address the grief-related needs of the bereaved.
Explain management skills associated with operating a funeral establishment.
Demonstrate verbal and written communication skills and research skills needed for funeral service practice.

The Funeral Service associate degree program at Eastwick College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), 992 Mantua Pike, Suite 108, Woodbury Heights, NJ 08097 (816) 233-3747. Web: www.abfse.org.

Licensure Information

In New Jersey, graduates of the program must meet the licensure requirements of N.J.A.C. 13:36-3.1, which include graduation from a program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, passing scores on the National Board Exam (administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards) as well as the Mortuary Jurisprudence Examination and the Practical Examination (administered by the New Jersey State Board of Mortuary Science).

Students applying for admission to the funeral service program at Eastwick College and looking to obtain licensure outside of New Jersey should contact their respective state board of funeral service regarding that state board’s approval of this program of instruction.

Program Outcomes

Source: Annual Report submitted to the American Board of Funeral Service Education (www.abfse.org)

Graduation & Employment

Year	Total Enrolled	# of New Students	# of Grads	Timely Graduation	Graduation Rate	Did not Finish	Overall % Employed	Employed in Funeral Service
2024	56	56	20	20/20	41%	17	100%	100%
2023	66	31	16	15/16	63%	14	100%	94%
2022	74	56	12	11/12	63%	13	92%	92%

National Board Exam Statistics

Arts	Takers	School Pass Rate	National Pass Rate	Sciences	Takers	School Pass Rate	National Pass Rate
2024	16	50%	78%	2024	14	43%	73%
2023	11	55%	78%	2023	9	56%	69%
2022	6	17%	69%	2022	4	25%	64%

ABFSE Standard 11.5.1 Compliance Statement

National Board Examination pass rates, graduation rates, and employment rates for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at https://www.abfse.org/html/dir-nj.html. To request a printed copy of this program’s pass rates, graduation rates, and employment rates, please contact:

Tara Scarponi-Danniballe
Director of Funeral Service Education
250 Moore Street,
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Phone: 201-488-9400
Tscarponi@eastwick.edu

The aim of Eastwick College’s AAS in Funeral Service e program is to prepare competent funeral service professionals who promote the importance of their work as

members of a human services profession;
members of the community in which they serve;
participants in the relationship between bereaved families and members of the funeral service profession;
practitioners of who are knowledgeable of local, state, and federal regulations as they pertain to the geographic area where they practice;
professionals who are sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare in caring for human remains.

Program Objectives

To develop and expand the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession.
To educate students in every phase of funeral service and to help enable them to develop proficiency and skills necessary for the profession, as defined by ABFSE.
To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community at large.
To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct.
To provide a quality curriculum at the associate degree level that is comparable to that of quality funeral service education programs and exceeds regulatory requirements.
To encourage student and faculty research in the field of funeral service.
To provide a firm base of general education encompassing basic skills relevant to funeral service practice in a variety of funeral business and professional settings.

Licensure Information

Program Outcomes

Source: Annual Report submitted to the American Board of Funeral Service Education (www.abfse.org)

Graduation & Employment

Year	Total Enrolled	# of New Students	# of Grads	Timely Graduation	Graduation Rate	Did not Finish	Overall % Employed	Employed in Funeral Service
2024	56	56	20	20/20	41%	17	100%	100%
2023	66	31	16	15/16	63%	14	100%	94%
2022	74	56	12	11/12	63%	13	92%	92%

National Board Exam Statistics

Arts	Takers	School Pass Rate	National Pass Rate	Sciences	Takers	School Pass Rate	National Pass Rate
2024	16	50%	78%	2024	14	43%	73%
2023	11	55%	78%	2023	9	56%	69%
2022	6	17%	69%	2022	4	25%	64%

ABFSE Standard 11.5.1 Compliance Statement

Tara Scarponi-Danniballe
Director of Funeral Service Education
250 Moore Street,
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Phone: 201-488-9400
Tscarponi@eastwick.edu

The aim of Eastwick College’s AAS in Funeral Service e program is to prepare competent funeral service professionals who promote the importance of their work as

members of a human services profession;
members of the community in which they serve;
participants in the relationship between bereaved families and members of the funeral service profession;
practitioners of who are knowledgeable of local, state, and federal regulations as they pertain to the geographic area where they practice;
professionals who are sensitive to the responsibility for public health, safety, and welfare in caring for human remains.

Program Objectives

To develop and expand the background and knowledge of students about the funeral service profession.
To educate students in every phase of funeral service and to help enable them to develop proficiency and skills necessary for the profession, as defined by ABFSE.
To educate students concerning the responsibilities of the funeral service profession to the community at large.
To emphasize high standards of ethical conduct.
To provide a quality curriculum at the associate degree level that is comparable to that of quality funeral service education programs and exceeds regulatory requirements.
To encourage student and faculty research in the field of funeral service.
To provide a firm base of general education encompassing basic skills relevant to funeral service practice in a variety of funeral business and professional settings.

Licensure Information

Program Outcomes

Source: Annual Report submitted to the American Board of Funeral Service Education (www.abfse.org)

Graduation & Employment

Year	Total Enrolled	# of New Students	# of Grads	Timely Graduation	Graduation Rate	Did not Finish	Overall % Employed	Employed in Funeral Service
2022	74	56	12	11/12	91%	13	100%	100%
2021	62	34	10	9/10	100%	17	100%	100%
2020	68	46	9	9/9	100%	9	100%	100%

National Board Exam Statistics

3 Year Average	% Pass Arts	% Pass Sciences
2020-2022	50%	70%
2019-2021	79%	85%
2018-2020	78%	78%
Most Recent	# Takers	# Passed
2022 Arts	6	1
2022 Sciences	4	1

ABFSE Standard 11.5.1 Compliance Statement

Mr. Kyle Ledford, Sr.
Director of Funeral Service Education
250 Moore Street,
Hackensack, NJ 07601

Phone: 201-488-9400
kledford@eastwick.edu

FAQs: Funeral Services Program

What topics are covered in a funeral services program?

You work on the science and the soft skills. Embalming and restorative art, mortuary science basics, grief counseling, ethics, funeral law, plus the business practicesthat keep a funeral home running. Upon completion of the program you can manage services and support families through the hardest days.

Is licensure required to work in funeral services?

Yes. Most states license funeral directors and embalmers. The usual path is an accredited program, a supervised internship, and the National Board Examination from The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. Check with your state board for t .specific information.

What types of careers are available after graduation?

Common roles include funeral director, embalmer, crematory operator, and pre-need consultant. Some graduates move into bereavement services or management. Most jobs blend technical tasks with careful, thoughtful communication.

Do funeral service professionals follow federal guidelines?

They do. The FTC’s Funeral Rule sets how prices and services are presented to families. OSHA rules apply to biological hazards, chemicals, and workplace safety. Compliance is part of daily operations, not a once-a-year checklist.

Can students receive financial aid in this field?

Often, yes. Students enrolled in accredited programs can qualify for Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and state grants tied to health and human services training. Complete the FAFSA, then ask the school’s aid office to map the rest.